Lunar New Year in the Windy City: Your Wellington Summer Road Trip
Mid-February in Wellington means late golden light stretching past 8pm, a stiff northerly ruffling the flag at Oriental Bay, and the smell of dumplings drifting from Courtenay Place as Chinese New Year celebrations take over the city. Travellers land at Wellington International Airport with the Wellywood sign catching the afternoon sun and the Tararua Range blue on the horizon. Book your Wellington International Airport car rental early for the 7 to 17 February 2027 window, because summer holiday traffic is still in full swing and the good cars go first.
Alamo is the only game in town for these dates, holding all 14 listings, with quotes from $1218.45 up to $3850 and a median around $1428. That spread means a smart booker skips the brand comparison entirely and hunts by category: the Mystery Car at $1218.45 and the Economy Toyota Yaris at $1231 are the bargains, while anything Fullsize or above will sting the wallet.
The fleet is all five-seaters, mostly standard petrol, so a Corolla will happily handle the Remutaka Hill road to the Wairarapa or the coastal run to Martinborough wine country. If you are covering big kilometres, the one hybrid and one electric Tesla in the lineup trim your fuel bill, though charging infrastructure thins out fast south of the city. Aim to collect your car mid-morning before the afternoon flight arrivals clog the terminal pick-up loop, and pack light, since boot space in an Economy hatchback is cosy for four.