Winter light and Dragon Boat week: a Wellington Airport road trip
Late June at Wellington Airport brings low winter sun over the Rongotai runway, a wind that rattles the terminal windows and the odd glimpse of snow on the Remutakas. It is also Dragon Boat Festival week, so the arrivals hall fills up with families, visitors and people off for a long weekend. A lot of them end up in the Wellington Airport car rental queue. This report covers 60 listings for 21 to 28 June, 7 nights. Prices for the same week run from $254 to $1323, so it pays to know where you fit.
Start with Europcar. It has 13 listings, the cheapest car on the board at $254 and a $443 average. Ezi (average $381) and Thrifty ($409) are close behind. Hertz, Sixt, GO Rentals and Budget all average above $600 and charge a lot more for the bigger cars. Five listings came back at zero, so skip those and compare the real quotes before you book.
Most of the fleet seats five (45 of 60), which suits couples and small families. Only 9 cars seat seven, so a larger group should book early. Petrol is the most common fuel (21 listings), but a hybrid is a good pick for a week of Wellington hills. If your plans include the Remutaka Hill road to the Wairarapa in winter, check for ice before you set off and consider the Ezi Outlander 4WD at $374. Pick up early in the day, because the southerly can make the drive out of the airport harder after dark.