Seven summer nights in Queenstown: lock in your Chinese New Year wheels
Mid-February at Queenstown Airport smells of warm tarmac and cut grass, with the Remarkables standing sharp and dry against a long, golden evening. The terminal fills with Chinese New Year travellers bound for Lake Wakatipu, Arrowtown and the Glenorchy road, and the rental desks get busy fast. If you're booking Queenstown Airport car rental for 10 to 17 February 2027, the 95 listings we tracked ranged from $863.75 to $2792.16, with a median of $1550.75. The dearest car costs more than three times the cheapest, so the choice matters.
Ezi is the cheapest supplier on average at $1261.97, and it holds the week's lowest price too. GO Rentals ($1569) comes next, then Alamo ($1596.04) and Thrifty ($1610.50), while Hertz ($1960.99) and Budget ($2155.88) run well above the pack. Compare at least three suppliers and check the small cars first, because that's where the lowest quotes cluster. Ten listings showed no price at all, so some cars are probably sold out already.
Most of the fleet seats five, with 11 seven-seaters and 7 eight-seaters if you're travelling with extended family and a pile of suitcases. In February the roads are dry, so a front-wheel-drive hybrid like the Corolla Hatch ($1028) or Yaris ($986) copes happily with the Crown Range and the Glenorchy road. Skip the 4WD money unless you plan to tackle gravel roads. Pick up in the morning so you reach Arrowtown ahead of the day-trip coaches, and keep some boot space free for a chilly bin.