6 Reasons to Hire a Campervan to Travel New Zealand

Taking a road trip across New Zealand is something plenty of people have at the top of their travel bucket lists. It’s really no surprise when you consider all the amazing locations, sights and unique places to see in NZ.

Now, maybe we’re a bit biased, but we reckon one of the best place to explore New Zealand’s islands is in a campervan. Not convinced? Allow us to present to top 6 reasons you should explore New Zealand in a campervan:

1. A New View to Wake Up to Every Morning
2. Travel Where and When You Want
3. Explore New Zealand’s Unique Natural Landscapes
4. You Can Save Money By Hiring a Campervan
5. A Campervan Give You Stress-Free Travel
6. Experience #VanLife for Yourself

Let’s get straight to it…

A New View to Wake Up to Every Morning 

Come on, how many other places are there on Earth where you’re pretty much guaranteed a beautiful view every morning? Our favourite thing about campervanning in New Zealand is that — as long as you follow the rules — you can sleep wherever you want, whenever you want.

Imagine this: you wake up in the morning, open the back door of your campervan, and you’re greeted by a stunning sunrise over the ocean. What better way is there to start your day of adventure?
You can start your morning slow, lounge in bed with your morning coffee and have breakfast right where you’re parked. Best of all, you’ll be right where you need to be with no need for a long drive, public transport, or (worst yet) crowded tourist bus to catch. Stay overnight at the beginning of a hiking trail at Mount Cook; wake up near the crystal blue waters of Nelson Bay; or rest your eyes in the heart of adventure capital of the world: Queenstown!

Travel Where and When You Want 

Travelling around in a campervan means you’ve got the freedom to travel flexibly. You can drive at your own pace, stop where you like, and choose your own schedule — you can’t really be late when there’s nobody else to coordinate with. Forget about train or bus schedules, there are sights to see!

Love that beachside lot you stayed the night? Spend another day there, no problem.
Sick of the crowds? Take a drive somewhere off the beaten track.
Don’t fancy waking up early to haul your bags to the airport? Far out, us neither.

Lucky for you, a campervan has plenty of room, luxuries and creature comforts to be your home-on-wheels wherever you like.

Explore New Zealand’s Unique Natural Landscapes

If you love exploring the outdoors, there’s no better way to witness New Zealand natural wonders than travelling in a campervan. Since so many of New Zealand’s campgrounds are in national parks, you’ll be absolutely spoilt for choice when searching for a campground to stay in for the night.

You don’t even have to try for these places to look good — NZ really does have that magical, movie-like look and feel pretty much everywhere you go! You want photos by a lake at the foot of a mountain? Done. You want to walk through an alpine forrest in the snow? No problem. You want to camp near a cliff by the ocean? There are literally hundreds of places to do that. Take your pick, adventurer. 

You Can Save Money By Hiring a Campervan

New Zealand might not be the cheapest country in the world to travel around, but if you’re on a budget, you can stretch your money pretty far by hiring a campervan. The upfront cost of hiring a campervan can seem pretty high if you’re watching your wallet — especially if you’re booking travel in the peak season around December and January — but it’s actually way cheaper than other ways of travelling when you factor in other costs.

There are pretty sizeable discounts up for grabs year-round when you rent a campervan for more than 14, 21 or 35 days — plus some extra bonus savings if you hire in the low-season. Once you’ve paid for your campervan rental, you’ve pretty much paid for all of your accommodation and transport in one go.
And don’t forget, your campervan includes a kitchen too; there’s no need to waste money on takeaway food every night (or cook the same sad, skinny sausages on a public BBQ…every…single…night).

Take note as well, the price of campgrounds in New Zealand is pretty reasonable and there are plenty of opportunities to camp somewhere for completely free if you rent out a self-contained campervan! Even if you pay for a campground every night, it’s usually way cheaper than the cost of hotels or hostels in New Zealand. Oh, and with a campervan there’s no need to pay for a tour bus, train tickets, car rental, airport car, or flights between cities either. It’s worth it we’re telling ya!

A Campervan Give You Stress-Free Travel

We’ve been there: lugging around a suitcase; bags digging into shoulders and running over toes; trying to find the right building; trying to find the right room; and checking in and out of a new hotel or hostel every few days. It’s a frustrating and time-consuming hassle that’s fun for about 45 minutes the first time.

Well, you can skip all of that if you travel in a campervan. Take your accommodation and luggage with you everywhere you go. Plus, when you’ve got a kitchen and bed on board, you can snack and nap whenever you want. Nice.

Experience #VanLife for Yourself

You’ve seen ’em. You know what we’re talking about. Those point-of-view photos looking at the ocean out the back of a van or stylish campervan. Usually there’s someone’s gorgeous boyfriend or girlfriend laying there and they’re wearing a cool hat and everyone’s smiling and they’ve got a surfboard sitting just outside among the daisies.

Well, that can be you — just no guarantees on the boyfriend/girlfriend part (sorry).

The #VanLife is bigger and more popular than ever, and for good reason! People from all around the world have seen why campervan travel is so amazing and that there’s no adventure quite like it. So, why not join that happy, adventurous community for yourself for a while?

Campervan travellers are some of the nicest folks you’ll ever chat with at a campground and they’ve all got their own unique stories from their time on-the-road. No hustle and bustle and no hard schedules; just some peace and quiet, relaxing times, and the freedom of the open road.

Ready to get out there and explore New Zealand in a campervan? Travellers Autobarn has plenty of 2-5 berth campervans available for all budgets. Get a quote on a rental today and start exploring New Zealand in the most enjoyable, unique and memorable way possible!

Still need more convincing? This video will have you packing your bags…

Have you been lucky enough to experience some of this yourself? If you’re just planning your trip, make sure you know what to look out for – we’ve even created a little checklist to help out. Here are 15 things you must know before booking a campervan.

Don’t forget to check out our latest offers and specials on campervan hire in New Zealand.