Ten summer nights out of Wellington airport, from New Year's Eve to the first Monday back
Late December in Wellington means light that lingers past nine, a Cook Strait breeze that can flatten your hair on the walk out of the terminal, and a city half emptied by locals heading for the beach. Travellers fly into Lyall Bay with plans for the Wairarapa vineyards, the Kapiti Coast or the ferry across to Picton. Between 29 December and 8 January the arrivals hall is busy and the kerb is busier. Book your Wellington International Airport car rental early and this New Year trip stays affordable.
Alamo is the only supplier in this sample, and its 14 listings run from $2004.88 up to $5499.99, with a median of $2170.27. If you are hunting cheap rental cars at Wellington International Airport, the sweet spot is the Economy and Compact group, where prices stay between $2025.54 and $2211.59. Lock one of those in and leave the $5499.99 Tesla Model Y alone, unless a long-range electric car is the whole point of the trip.
Every car in the data seats five, so a family of four with bags will fit if you pick a Corolla or bigger, though the Yaris will test your boot space. Petrol dominates the fleet, but hybrids are worth a look for the winding Remutaka Hill road and the long stretches up the coast, where you will stop to fill up less often. Collect your car in the morning, before the New Year crowds build, and give yourself extra time on the road north and over the hill, because holiday traffic crawls. If you want car hire at Wellington International Airport for the ferry run, check your sailing time first and leave plenty of margin.