AmyHuang
Self-Drive New Zealand
New Zealand has been hot topic lately. Of those who didn't go skiing there, spring is bringing in more enquiries about self-drive holidays in New Zealand.
It's an easy country to travel by yourselves. They drive on our side of the road, almost speaks our language, and the only traffic to worry about are flocks and flocks of sheep. What I love most about driving in New Zealand, is that with every turn, there is a surprise around the bend to make you want to stop and take photos every 10 mins.
Motorhomes are popular with these types of travel, but not many people realise what it takes to bring a motorhome around. So I thought I'd shed some basic concerns here:
1. Motorhomes are just like car hires, but do not come with the same liability. Instead of imprinting $300 on your credit card, it's an imprint of from $4000 to $8000 to be kept as guarantee. Obvioulsy there are a lot more in a motorhome to have to be covered for, including bedding, fridge, sinks, stove and sometimes shower and toilets, so make sure you have a credit card with enough credit to cover these imprints. They don't actually charge you for it, but simply freeze the amount of money on the credit card so that you can't use the amount until you have retured the motorhome in relatively good condition.
2. Look out for specials. Some companies who rent older vehicles can have really good rates. Sometimes it doesn't hurt renting an older vehicle, it means small scratches and wear and tear are harder to detect and make you less likely to be charged a repair cost.
3. Having a motorhome doesn't mean you have no more on road costs. Motorhomes generally need to be charged up once every 48 hours, which means you still need to check yourselves into a camping site with power to do so. Although its still a lot cheaper than checking into a motel/hotel, you still do need to make sure you make these arrangement. And don't forget - they will use more petrol compared to cars.
4. Take out travel insurance that has rental car excess cover. That way you don't have to pay the rental company more to reduce your excess. If your credit card comes with travel insurance make sure you get the policy and understand their wording, because some times those free travel insurance covers pretty much nothing.
--
A popular itinerary for a week is to fly into Christchurch, get the motorhome (or car hire combined with motel passes for accommodation) and drive around the south island and drop off at Queenstown and fly out. Plan your route before you go so you know exactly which turn and which bend to go into and to get to the drop off point well ahead of time of your flight. The brochures in travel agencies will have suggested itinerarys provided for you, as well as a map with driving distances between towns to assist you along the way.
Happy travelling!
It's an easy country to travel by yourselves. They drive on our side of the road, almost speaks our language, and the only traffic to worry about are flocks and flocks of sheep. What I love most about driving in New Zealand, is that with every turn, there is a surprise around the bend to make you want to stop and take photos every 10 mins.
Beautiful scenery is around every bend
Motorhomes are popular with these types of travel, but not many people realise what it takes to bring a motorhome around. So I thought I'd shed some basic concerns here:
1. Motorhomes are just like car hires, but do not come with the same liability. Instead of imprinting $300 on your credit card, it's an imprint of from $4000 to $8000 to be kept as guarantee. Obvioulsy there are a lot more in a motorhome to have to be covered for, including bedding, fridge, sinks, stove and sometimes shower and toilets, so make sure you have a credit card with enough credit to cover these imprints. They don't actually charge you for it, but simply freeze the amount of money on the credit card so that you can't use the amount until you have retured the motorhome in relatively good condition.
2. Look out for specials. Some companies who rent older vehicles can have really good rates. Sometimes it doesn't hurt renting an older vehicle, it means small scratches and wear and tear are harder to detect and make you less likely to be charged a repair cost.
3. Having a motorhome doesn't mean you have no more on road costs. Motorhomes generally need to be charged up once every 48 hours, which means you still need to check yourselves into a camping site with power to do so. Although its still a lot cheaper than checking into a motel/hotel, you still do need to make sure you make these arrangement. And don't forget - they will use more petrol compared to cars.
4. Take out travel insurance that has rental car excess cover. That way you don't have to pay the rental company more to reduce your excess. If your credit card comes with travel insurance make sure you get the policy and understand their wording, because some times those free travel insurance covers pretty much nothing.
--
A popular itinerary for a week is to fly into Christchurch, get the motorhome (or car hire combined with motel passes for accommodation) and drive around the south island and drop off at Queenstown and fly out. Plan your route before you go so you know exactly which turn and which bend to go into and to get to the drop off point well ahead of time of your flight. The brochures in travel agencies will have suggested itinerarys provided for you, as well as a map with driving distances between towns to assist you along the way.
Happy travelling!
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