Car Rental at Queenstown Airport
Cheapest Car Rental Rates
Most Popular Car Rental Deals
Travel Information

Airport Car Rental
Often called the adventure tourism capital of the world, Queenstown attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Lying on the eastern shore of Lake Wakatipu, the city is as famous for its majestic sights as it is for things to see and do. These are three of its most interesting attractions:
- Winter Sports. Although New Zealand is the southernmost country on the planet, it is also a global hub of skiing and snowboarding. The city is surrounded by alpine scenery and plenty of high-quality slopes like Coronet Peak and the Remarkables. There’s plenty of options for everyone from first-timers to seasoned pros. Also worth checking out is the Snow Farm, an area famous for cross-country skiing — although less breathtaking than going down the mountain, it’s a great way to explore the surrounding nature. The ski season in Queenstown generally runs from late June to the beginning of October.
- Adventure sports. Even if you’ve come to Queenstown during the Southern hemisphere’s summer, don’t despair — there’s plenty of thrill on offer during the warmest time of the year as well. Activities like mountaineering, bungee jumping, parasailing, paragliding, and many more are offered to visiting daredevils by tours and companies all around the city. Visit the adventure section of the city’s official tourism website to learn more.
- Mount Aspiring National Park. A land of green valleys, snow-capped summits, and deep fjords, New Zealand (and especially the South Island) is epitomized by its nature. The national parks of the country are the right places to enjoy this wilderness at its most untouched. Whether you want to feel like a hobbit on a quest by following the hiking trails or try to spot local fauna, Mount Aspiring is the right place. The town of Makarora, a gateway to this national park, is about 130 km (80 miles) north of Queenstown and can be reached in less than two hours. The park can be visited on a day-trip, but there are also lodging options. Fiordland National Park, a similar natural wonder, is about the same distance southwest of Queenstown.
Top international routes
- Auckland
- Christchurch
- Sydney
- Wellington
- Melbourne
- Brisbane
Main airlines
Jetstar, an Australian low-cost airline provides connections to and from the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland, and Wellington. Qantas also Sydney with seasonal service to and from Brisbane and Melbourne. Finally, Virgin Australia also serves the three largest Australian cities.
Finally, Air Milford has flights to Milford Sound and Te Anau, small, but busy, airports in popular tourist destinations.
Terminals
Location
Most popular types of rental car
- Large cars - from $34 per day
- Medium cars - from $32 per day
- People Carriers/Vans - from $84 per day
- Small cars - from $34 per day
- SUVs - from $69 per day
Car rental desks
All other rental companies serving the airport provide shuttles for their customers. A free phone can be found outside of the terminal by the check-in area with which you can call the specific company.
Go Rentals and Areodrive are located right next to the airport. NU (serviced by Scotties), Discount, and Hitch are a few kilometers away.
Find out which are the easiest to find and more in our list of the best rental companies in Queenstown.
Services and facilities
Nearest gas station
If renting from NU, Discount, or hitch, an NPD station located on the roundabout of Highway 6 and Hawthorne Drive is the best station for filling up before returning a rental car. It is directly on the way to the locations of those companies.
Popular one-way rentals
- Christchurch (478 km / 297 mi)
- Auckland (1,547 km / 961 mi)
- Dunedin (273 km / 169 mi)
- Blenheim (779 km / 484 mi)
- Wellington (911 km / 566 mi)
- Greymouth (517 km / 321 mi)
Airport info
Queenstown Airport (ZQN)
- IATA: ZQN
- ICAO: NZQN
- Name: Queenstown Airport (ZQN)
- Size: Medium Airport
- Aircraft movements (per year): 41,769
- Passengers (per year): 1,409,663
- Distance from City: 4.3 miles / 7 km E of town
- Working hours:
- Phone: +64 3 450 9031
Top 15 Locations near Queenstown Airport
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Car Rental at Dunedin Airport from $39.52 per day152.1 km / 94.5 miles away
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Car Rental at Invercargill Airport from $44.44 per day158.4 km / 98.5 miles away
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Car Rental at Christchurch Airport from $11.48 per day347.1 km / 215.7 miles away
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Car Rental at Nelson Airport from $44.44 per day550.8 km / 342.2 miles away
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Car Rental at Blenheim Airport from $44.44 per day569.4 km / 353.8 miles away
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Car Rental at Wellington Airport from $19.42 per day640.6 km / 398.0 miles away
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Car Rental at Wellington Inter Island Ferry Terminal from $36.29 per day644.0 km / 400.2 miles away
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Car Rental at Palmerston North Airport from $27.03 per day767.0 km / 476.6 miles away
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Car Rental at New Plymouth Airport from $27.03 per day805.0 km / 500.2 miles away
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Car Rental at Napier Airport from $38.46 per day910.0 km / 565.5 miles away
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Car Rental at Rotorua Airport from $48.60 per day993.1 km / 617.1 miles away
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Car Rental at Auckland Airport from $11.18 per day1024.5 km / 636.6 miles away
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Car Rental at Tauranga Airport from $63.16 per day1026.4 km / 637.8 miles away
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Car Rental Auckland Ponsonby from $15.46 per day1038.3 km / 645.1 miles away
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Car Rental at Whangarei Airport from $41.00 per day1133.1 km / 704.1 miles away
Map of Car Rental Locations
When are car rental prices cheapest at Queenstown Airport?
What’s the most popular rental length at Queenstown Airport?
Which is the busiest car rental month at Queenstown Airport?
Most Popular Car Models of Rental Suppliers
Rental Agency | Model | Doors | Luggage | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Snap Rentals | Toyota Vitz | 5 | 2 | Small cars |
Snap Rentals | Toyota Aqua | 5 | 1 | Medium cars |
Discount Car Rentals New Zealand | Toyota RAV4 | 5 | 2 | SUVs |
Discount Car Rentals New Zealand | Toyota Corolla | 4 | 2 | Large cars |
Snap Rentals | Toyota Corolla | 5 | 1 | Medium cars |
Hitch Car Rentals | Mazda Demio | 4 | 1 | Small cars |
Snap Rentals | Toyota Corolla | 5 | 1 | Large cars |
Snap Rentals | Toyota Yaris | 5 | 2 | Small cars |
Ezu Car Rental | Kia Rio | 4 | 1 | Small cars |
Alamo | Mitsubishi ASX | 4 | 2 | SUVs |
FAQ
May rental companies don’t allow their cars to be taken on ferries and instead have cars on both sides of the Cook Straight. In this case, you’d drop off a car on one side and pick up another on the other side and book your journey on the ferry as a foot passenger. Be sure to contact the rental company in advance to find out whether you can take the car on a ferry or not.
Top 17 Suppliers at Queenstown Airport in 2021











