Can you drive a rental car on New Zealand's gravel roads?
It depends entirely on who you booked with, and the four possible answers run from "yes, covered" to "yes, but you've just voided everything".
New Zealand has roughly 30,000 kilometres of unsealed road. Plenty of them lead to places people specifically come here to see. So the reasonable assumption is that a rental car may drive on a legal gravel road. For some operators that is exactly right. For others it is the most expensive assumption of the trip.
This is the sharpest genuine difference we found between New Zealand operators, and no comparison site shows it. Avis and Budget expressly permit gravel: their terms require only that you use a road 'properly formed and constructed as a sealed, metalled or gravel road'. Hertz's current terms do the opposite and list unsealed roads as a Prohibited Use. On Hertz, a prohibited use means you lose the benefit of any protection you purchased and are liable up to the full value of the car. JUCY is equally strict: its excess cover 'will not apply if the vehicle is driven in off-road conditions', and its definition of off-road expressly includes any unsealed road.
GO Rentals lands in the middle, and is unusually clear about it: legal named gravel roads are fine, but underbody damage is not covered and you pay for all of it. Since gravel damage is overwhelmingly underbody and windscreen damage, that distinction does more work than it first appears to.
Then there is the group that publishes nothing at all. Ezi, Snap and Omega have no gravel or unsealed-road policy on their websites. Their only surface-related rule is the catch-all against driving anywhere 'not officially designated as a road'. We have not inferred a position for them, because there isn't one to report. If you are planning gravel driving with these three, get it in writing before you collect the car.
Unsealed road policy by operator
| Operator | Published position | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apex Car Rentals | Permitted | Terms expressly allow sealed, metalled or gravel roads. General exclusions for overhead, underbody and water damage still apply. | Source · apexrentals.co.nzVerified 2026-09-03 |
| Avis New Zealand | Permitted | Terms expressly allow sealed, metalled or gravel roads. General exclusions for overhead, underbody and water damage still apply. | Source · avis.co.nzVerified 2026-09-03 |
| Budget New Zealand | Permitted | Terms expressly allow sealed, metalled or gravel roads. General exclusions for overhead, underbody and water damage still apply. | Source · budget.co.nzVerified 2026-09-03 |
| GO Rentals | Permitted, damage excluded | You may drive legal named gravel roads, but underbody damage is not covered and you pay the full repair cost. | Source · gorentals.co.nzVerified 2026-09-03 |
| Ezi Car Rental | Not published | No gravel or unsealed-road policy published either way. Only the general rule against undesignated roads applies. Confirm in writing. | Source · ezicarrental.co.nzVerified 2026-09-03 |
| Snap Rentals | Not published | No gravel or unsealed-road policy published either way. Only the general rule against undesignated roads applies. Confirm in writing. | Source · snaprentals.co.nzVerified 2026-09-03 |
| Omega Rental Cars | Not published | No gravel or unsealed-road policy published either way. Only the general rule against undesignated roads applies. Confirm in writing. | Source · omegarentalcars.comVerified 2026-09-03 |
| JUCY | Prohibited | Unsealed roads are a prohibited use. Driving one voids the excess reduction you paid for and can make you liable for the full value of the vehicle. | Source · helphub.jucy.comVerified 2026-09-03 |
| Hertz New Zealand | Prohibited | Unsealed roads are a prohibited use. Driving one voids the excess reduction you paid for and can make you liable for the full value of the vehicle. | Source · images.hertz.comVerified 2026-09-03 |
Positions are read from each operator's own published terms, FAQs and rental agreements on the verification date shown. Where an operator publishes conflicting wording across its own documents we have used the most recent, and recorded the conflict in our dataset. Terms change without notice, so confirm your own agreement before driving unsealed roads.
Frequently asked questions
Which New Zealand rental companies allow gravel roads?+
Avis and Budget permit them explicitly, requiring only a road 'properly formed and constructed as a sealed, metalled or gravel road'. Apex uses the same wording. GO Rentals permits legal named gravel roads but excludes underbody damage. Hertz's current terms and JUCY both prohibit unsealed roads. Ezi, Snap and Omega publish no position.
Is gravel road damage covered by excess reduction?+
Usually not, even where the road itself is permitted. Gravel damage is typically underbody damage or a chipped windscreen, and underbody is excluded by Apex, GO, Avis, Budget, Hertz and Snap regardless of which tier you bought. GO Rentals does not exclude glass or tyres at any tier, which sets it apart here.
What is the difference between 'unsealed', 'gravel' and 'metalled'?+
In New Zealand usage they overlap. 'Metalled' means a road surfaced with compacted gravel or crushed rock, and it is the term Avis, Budget and Apex use when permitting these roads. 'Unsealed' is the general term for any road without a tar or chip seal. Hertz's older agreement permitted 'metal' roads while its current terms prohibit unsealed ones: the same surface, opposite conclusions. That is why the document version matters.
Will my travel insurance cover the gravel road excess?+
Check the policy wording carefully, because this is a common gap. Some third-party excess policies exclude claims arising on unsealed roads, which is precisely the risk you would be buying the policy for in New Zealand. Ezi notes on its own site that 'some policies may not cover you if you drive your rental car on unsealed roads'.
How should I drive gravel roads if my rental allows it?+
Slow down well before you would on seal, brake and steer gently, and leave a long gap behind other vehicles. Most windscreen damage comes from stones thrown by oncoming or leading traffic. Watch for washboard corrugations on corners, and do not correct sharply if the rear steps out. If the surface deteriorates into a track rather than a road, turn around: at that point you are outside every contract regardless of operator.
Pick an operator that matches your route
If your trip involves gravel, the operator's policy will cost you more than the daily rate ever could. Compare live prices, then check the position above before you book.
Compare rental prices