Friendly and fastWe had some mixup in the reservation but the staff at the desk was very nice and quick in clearing up the issue.There is nothing that we are unsatsfied with this experience
9.6 Excellent8 Jan. 2018
Overall very good experienceVery fast key return.No trash cans in the car drop off area to throw away trash when trying to clean out car.
10.0 Excellent10 Dec. 2017
Much More than what we expectedClean, well maintained, easy pickup and easy to drop off.Nothing at all
8.8 Excellent15 Mar. 2017
Car was clean but reeked of cigarette smoke, in spite of the "no smoking" decals. No replacement possible at the late hour/location - Smell was still noticeable after airing out for our 3-week rental.
2.0 Mediocre25 Feb. 2017
Very over priced car. Would never rent again in NeNothing15% surcharge for credit card. Rented twice. Paid cash last rental.
Staff at pick up in nelson was not there at 8am when i had organised pickup. She arrived 8.25am and proceeded to tell me she was in the office the whole time which she wasnt as it has glass doors. She was belligerent and rude. Staff at chch was fantastic. Really kind and caring man. Fabulous.Yr nelson staff person was late. She was rude and unkind. I believe she would benefit from customer service training and some humility and owning about being late for work and not making excuses for this tardiness.
Rated no. 5
Firefly
6.4 Good (1 review)
1 location in Nelson
Firefly
Locations in Nelson
Nelson+64 3547 2299
Monday
07:30 - 20:00
Tuesday
07:30 - 20:00
Wednesday
07:30 - 20:00
Thursday
07:30 - 20:00
Friday
07:30 - 20:00
Saturday
07:30 - 20:00
Sunday
09:00 - 20:00
8
8
4
4
8
Recent reviews
6.4 Good20 Mar. 2020
Drop off was simple.The vehicle was fine.I booked it under your Webb site with the no excess option. But when we picked up the car, I had to sign the contract that had a $5500.00 x/s. I was not happy, and your staff said it was not there problem as it was insured with another company, not them, but as I told them it was booked thru the Firefly web site. The manager got involved but his answer was not our problem and said give me the keys back and get a rental from another company. The final insult was when I had to pay another $200.00 just in case I didn’t fill the car upon my return. I did fill the tank on my return. I am still waiting on the 200.00 to be refunded. Overall a very disappointing and stressful experience. Mary and Dennis Hunt.
From $48/day
Thrifty
2 locations in Nelson
Thrifty
Locations in Nelson
Nelson Ap+64 3 547 5563
Monday
08:00 - 20:00
Tuesday
08:00 - 20:00
Wednesday
08:00 - 20:00
Thursday
08:00 - 20:00
Friday
08:00 - 20:00
Saturday
Sunday
Trent Drive+64 800 737 070
Monday
07:30 - 20:00
Tuesday
07:30 - 20:00
Wednesday
07:30 - 20:00
Thursday
07:30 - 20:00
Friday
07:30 - 20:00
Saturday
07:30 - 20:00
Sunday
09:30 - 20:30
Recent reviews
From $54/day
Apex
1 location in Nelson
Apex
Locations in Nelson
4 Trent Drive, Tahunanui+64 3547 6800
Recent reviews
Dollar
1 location in Nelson
Dollar
Locations in Nelson
Trent Drive+64 800 243 789
Monday
07:30 - 20:00
Tuesday
07:30 - 20:00
Wednesday
07:30 - 20:00
Thursday
07:30 - 20:00
Friday
07:30 - 20:00
Saturday
07:30 - 20:00
Sunday
09:30 - 20:30
Recent reviews
From $43/day
EZI
1 location in Nelson
EZI
Locations in Nelson
Rental Car Kiosk, Terminal Building, Trent Drive
Monday
08:00 - 20:00
Tuesday
08:00 - 20:00
Wednesday
08:00 - 20:00
Thursday
08:00 - 20:00
Friday
08:00 - 20:00
Saturday
Sunday
Recent reviews
Go Rental Car Hire
1 location in Nelson
Go Rental Car Hire
Locations in Nelson
Nelson Airport+64 3 974 3700
Recent reviews
Go Rentals
1 location in Nelson
Go Rentals
Locations in Nelson
Nelson Airport+64 3 974 3700
Recent reviews
keddy by Europcar
1 location in Nelson
keddy by Europcar
Locations in Nelson
Terminal Building - Meet & Greet64 3 5738800
Recent reviews
From $23/day
Right Cars
Cheapest deal
1 location in Nelson
Right Cars
Locations in Nelson
Nelson Airport
Recent reviews
28 travellers who hired a car in Nelson gave the car agency they used an average rating of 8.9
Hire a car in Nelson to easily transport all your beach equipment and luggage without having to worry about carrying it on public transport. The last bus services in Nelson depart between 18:00–19:00, meaning a hire car is your best option for eating out and sampling the nightlife. Wineries throughout the region, such as Seifried Estate and Neudorf, are easily reached with a hire car, taking the stress out of organising shuttles or booking taxis. The 1h 15min drive to Abel Tasman National Park is shorter than the 1h 45min bus journey and offers more flexibility as the bus only runs once per day.
Once you land at Nelson Airport (NSN), turn left as you exit the terminal building and walk approximately 50 m to find the car hire offices. Vehicles can be picked up directly behind the reception desks, meaning no shuttles are required for hire companies with kiosks on site. A shuttle van pick up area is located 150 m to the right of the terminal, next to Airport House, for companies with offices off airport grounds.
Be wary approaching corners on coastal roads, such as State Hwy 6, around Nelson as a clear view of oncoming vehicles can be obstructed. Single-lane bridges are scattered across the South Island of New Zealand; it’s important to give way to any vehicles already crossing and read the priority sign (larger arrows indicate priority for crossing). The winding Nelson roads invite many cyclists and drivers should provide a safe distance of at least 1.5 m when passing.
Traffic peaks between 08:00–09:30 and 16:00–17:30 in Nelson; however, congestion is not nearly as bad as most major cities in New Zealand. If driving during these periods, allow an additional 10–15min and you will reach your destination smoothly. Annesbrook Dr and Tahunanui Dr are two of the major arterial roads that are most affected by commuter travel in rush hours.
25% of our users found a car hire in Nelson for $75 or less
Book your car hire in Nelson at least 6 weeks before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Intermediate car hires in Nelson are around -2% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about hiring a car in Nelson
Some car hire companies in Nelson which have updated their car rental health and safety policies due to COVID-19 to make sure vehicles are clean and disinfected include Budget, Hertz and Thrifty
On average a hire car in Nelson costs $95 per day.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest car hires were found at Apex ($22/day), EZI ($90/day) and Thrifty ($103/day). In the last 72 hours the cheapest hire car price was found at Apex 4 Trent Drive, Tahunanui 7011 (5 kilometres from the city centre).
The average price of fuel in Nelson is $10.49 per litre over the past 30 days. Filling up a tank of fuel costs between $126 and $168, depending on the car size.
Intermediate (Hyundai Accent or similar) is the most frequently booked car hire type in Nelson.
Car hire companies that offer shuttle or pick-up services from Nelson airport to off-airport locations include Budget, Hertz, Thrifty and Europcar.
Take a look at our extensive car hire location map to find the best car hire deals near you.
A Intermediate car hire in Nelson costs $62 per day, on average.
A Compact car hire in Nelson costs $88 per day, on average.
A Economy car hire in Nelson costs $27 per day, on average.
In Nelson, cars are most frequently hired at Europcar Terminal Building (6 km from city centre ).
On average hiring a car in Nelson costs $392 per week ($56 per day).
On average a car hire in Nelson costs $1,682 per month ($56 per day).
With wide roads and manageable traffic, intermediate models offer a comfortable ride without sacrificing practicality. Full-size cars navigate Nelson’s winding coastal roads well, providing steady traction and control around bends. 4WDs are competitively priced considering the additional storage space and power they deliver.
Unless indicated otherwise, the default limit in Nelson is 50 km/h. Highways, including Queen Elizabeth II Dr, are set at 100 km/h, while school zones are reduced to 40 km/h.
The first hour of metered car parks in Nelson’s CBD is free, with restrictions in place from 08:00–17:00 on Monday to Friday and 09:00–13:00 on Saturdays. Buxton Square Car Park has 3h spaces for around A$ 4 and Hathaway Terrace Parking has free, unrestricted spaces.