One Way Rental
Pick up in Auckland, drop off in Christchurch — or anywhere in between. The ultimate New Zealand road trip, without the backtrack.
The classic New Zealand road trip runs from the sub-tropical Bay of Islands to the alpine peaks of the Southern Alps — and the only way to do it without retracing your route is a one-way rental. Nomado offers easy one-way hire between our Auckland and Christchurch depots, via the Cook Strait ferry. Same all-inclusive pricing, with a transparent one-way fee shown at booking.
Auckland → Christchurch and Christchurch → Auckland (via Cook Strait ferry). Auckland → Wellington and Wellington → Auckland (same island). Auckland Airport ↔ Christchurch Airport. Custom routes on request — contact our team.
Two operators run vehicle ferries across the Cook Strait between Wellington and Picton: the Interislander and Bluebridge. Crossings take ~3.5 hours, with 4–6 sailings a day. You book the ferry passage directly with the operator (we'll help you choose the best sailing). Nomado handles the rental swap so you can take a single car the whole way, or change vehicles at the strait if preferred.
Allow at least 10 days for Auckland to Christchurch to make the most of the stops along the way. Our blog has full itineraries: • North Island leg: Auckland → Wellington (4 days) • Cook Strait crossing day • South Island leg: Picton → Christchurch (4–5 days)
Everything in our standard rentals — unlimited kilometres, insurance, unlimited additional drivers, 24/7 roadside assistance. The only addition is the one-way fee (shown at booking) and the ferry crossing you book separately.
Our Fleet
Mitsubishi Outlander 2012–2014
From
$49 / day
Mitsubishi Outlander 2014–2018
From
$59 / day
Live pricing and availability — only a 20% deposit to book.
Yes — Nomado offers one-way rentals between Auckland and Christchurch (via the Cook Strait ferry). The one-way fee is calculated automatically at booking.
One-way fees vary by route and season — typically $150–$300. The exact fee shows in real-time on the booking page so there are no surprises.
Yes — but you'll need to book the Interislander or Bluebridge ferry separately and book a Nomado one-way rental. We can advise on the best timing.
5 days for inter-island one-ways, 3 days for same-island (e.g. Auckland to Wellington pickup at our partner depot).