Many visitors to Christchurch will be arriving into Christchurch not just to see the city but to explore the surrounding Canterbury region and beyond.  As the South Island’s largest city, there’s plenty to explore and that means renting a car is the best way to get around all the attractions.

Christchurch has the feel of an old English city with highlights include punting along the River Avon, visiting the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, riding the tram, enjoying panoramic views with the Christchurch Gondola,  taking a stroll around Hagley Park, sampling the  bars, cafes in the central city, and visiting the beaches of Sumner and New Brighton.  

Getting beyond the city, the canterbury landscape offers some of the most beautiful scenery to drive in all of New Zealand.  Two national parks, the Canterbury plains, sparkling turquoise lakes, idyllic beaches, attractive coastal villages and fascinating marine life. 

Finding The Right Car:

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Where To Pick Up Your Christchurch Car Rental:

Most of the major car rental companies are located at Christchurch Airport including, Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, Europcar and Ezi.  You’ll see the rentals in the International Arrivals Terminal.  There are several additional vehicle rental options located around Christchurch, who provide courtesy transfer shuttles to and from the airport for their pre-booked customers. You can find the rental car courtesy transfer shuttles outside Door 2.   

Car Rental Insurance:

Typically there are 3 levels of insurance cover to choose from which will determine your final price.  This ranges from $0 excess to usually $2500 excess cover.  We’d suggest picking the $0 excess to remove any financial worries in the event of an accident.

New Zealand Car Rental Locations:

Most of the car rental pick-up and drop-off locations are in the major cities which there are not many!  Auckland, Wellington and Rotorua on the North Island.  While on the South Island, Picton, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Driving Distances In New Zealand

We've put togther a  quick guide to the driving distances from Christchurch to the main areas to visit in New Zealand.  View Here.

Great Christchurch Day Trips 

Christchurch to Akaroa - Situated around 90 minutes drive south-east of Christchurch, Akaroa lies in the circular Banks Peninsula that juts out from the South Island's central east coast. The small harbour town enjoys a French influence which you'll see when visiting the shops and dining spots.  It's also home to an abundance of marine life including from seals, dolphins, penguins, birds, and further out to sea, whales

Christchurch Gondola - Enjoy a dramatic journey to the top of Mount Cavendish on the Christchurch Gondola, where you’ll enjoy bird's-eye views of the city's central districts and sweeping panoramas of Lyttelton Harbour, Pegasus Bay and the mighty Southern Alps - glowing white with year-round snow on the horizon to the west.

Sumner - Eight miles southeast of Christchurch is the popular coastal town of Sumner.  The town enjoys a striking coastline of jagged cliffs and bluffs. The Esplanade is the main road lining the ocean and beach. It's a pleasant, tree-lined street, set back from the sea, with plenty of parking at both ends.

New Zealand Driving Routes From Christchurch:

The Main Driving Routes In New Zealand - To help you plan your next road trip, we've put together our pick of the best New Zealand driving routes.

Christchurch to Queenstown - The drive from Christchurch to Queenstown is one of the great drives, filled with some truly eye-catching landscapes.  To give you an insight into the trip ahead, we've detailed some of the highlights you'll see along the way with approximate driving times.

Christchurch to Auckland - Our guide to getting from Christchurch to Auckland including driving routes.

Christchurch to Picton - The main reason to travel to Picton at the tip of the South Island, is to catch the ferry across to Wellington.  There are a few different transport options to travel from Christchurch to Picton.

Driving From Christchurch to the West Coast - The drive from the South Island's east to west coast will make your jaw drop, take your breath away, and cram your camera's memory card to the brim.  Beginning in Christchurch and ending in Greymouth, the 249km journey is one of New Zealand's most spectacular driving routes.