Wellington Airport on Labour Day: a spring road trip starts with a windy runway
Late October at Wellington International Airport brings spring light, a restless Cook Strait and a southerly that tips the planes sideways as they land. Labour Day weekend packs the terminal with families bound for the Wairarapa wine country or the ferry to Marlborough. Most of them head straight from the arrivals hall to the rental desks, so Wellington International Airport car rental gets busy fast on the Monday. I'd book before you fly, because the cheap cars vanish first and the queue at the desk is real.
Alamo is the only supplier in this week's data, and its 14 listings run from $404 to $1,993, with a median of $438. That's almost a fivefold gap between cheapest and dearest, but the bargains bunch together: Economy, Compact and Intermediate cars mostly land between $408 and $559. A savvy booker grabs a Corolla or Yaris at around $417 or less and spends the difference on the ferry, fuel and a proper flat white in Martinborough.
Every car here seats five, so think about luggage before badge or colour, because a Yaris boot fills up fast with two big suitcases. Nine are standard petrol, three are hybrids, and the lone Tesla at $1,993 only makes sense if you're set on going electric. Pick up early in the day, since the Remutaka Hill road and the Kapiti run slow down on a long weekend, and expect gusts on the Hutt Road and around the airport.