New Zealand is a bucket list-worthy destination for many. Full of incredible things to do and stunning natural wonders, it’s one of my favourite countries in the entire world. While in New Zealand, I embarked on three solo road trips around the country. This included two in a campervan and one in a car. In this post, I’ve shared ten helpful tips to help you plan a solo road trip in New Zealand.
Solo travel can be scary. A solo road trip can be even scarier. Driving long distances in all types of weather completely by yourself isn’t for everyone. I’ve now done several solo road trips around the world, including in Iceland. In my opinion, they are one of the most liberating travel experiences. It’s just you and the open road.
However, a solo road trip takes a little more planning than a regular trip. It’s important to not be caught off guard and to know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. This post covers all areas of planning a solo road trip around New Zealand to help you have your dream trip.
Also: check out my guide to solo travel in New Zealand.
Choose the right time of year
Firstly, you want to decide on the best time of year for your solo road trip in New Zealand. The country can be visited all year round, but each season has its advantages and disadvantages.
Here are some things to consider when picking the best time of year for a solo road trip in New Zealand.
Do you want flexibility? If you want absolute flexibility with your schedule, it’s best to avoid the peak season (December to March). The summer is by far the busiest time in New Zealand. You’ll need to book accommodation (including some campsites) and activities in advance. This means you will need to plan a schedule and stick to it.
Can you drive in winter conditions? The winter months of July, August and September are the quietest time in New Zealand (aside from the ski destinations such as Queenstown). This means you can have complete flexibility with your schedule. The downside of a winter road trip in New Zealand is that driving conditions can be difficult, especially on the South Island. A winter road trip in New Zealand is entirely possible, but there can be lots of snow and icy conditions.
What activities do you want to do? Some activities in New Zealand are operational all year round, but others are only available in the summer months. If there are any activities you want to do, make sure they’re available when you want to go.
Consider the shoulder seasons. I think the shoulder seasons of April & May and September & October are a great time for a road trip in New Zealand. You’ll still have the flexibility to alter your schedule, but it’s not overly busy. It’s worth noting that the weather can still be extreme in these months. On my road trip in September, there was still very heavy snow and icy conditions.
Choose the right vehicle
Next up when planning your solo road trip in New Zealand is choosing the right vehicle for your trip. Put simply, you need to decide between a car or a campervan. The time of year you choose to visit may also have an impact on this. Hiring a campervan in New Zealand is a fantastic choice, but if it’s the middle of winter it’s going to be cold.
Hiring a car or campervan?
Choosing whether to hire a car or campervan is an entirely personal choice. Some people love the idea of a campervan but for others, it’s their ideal of hell. Thankfully, New Zealand has ample options for both car rental and campervan rental.
If you opt for a car, you’ll need to also think about accommodation or if you’re going to have a tent. Depending on the time of year you visit, this may mean booking hotels or hostels well in advance. I found that most accommodations outside of the cities had parking for rental vehicles. This did sometimes come with a cost.
Hiring a campervan on the other hand means you don’t need to worry about booking hostels or hotels. Your campervan becomes your home for however long you hire the vehicle. In my opinion, hiring a campervan in New Zealand is the best way to see this wonderful country.
While choosing to hire a campervan in New Zealand is a fantastic choice, it certainly requires quite a bit of planning. This includes deciding whether you want to hire a self-contained vehicle. I’ve spoken more about choosing the right vehicle for you in my campervan hire guide.
Freedom Camping
One thing to be aware of is that “wild camping” is illegal in New Zealand. This means you can’t just pull up anywhere and stay overnight. You need to be in designated “Freedom Camping” sites.
I’d recommend downloading the CamperMate app which has all of this information. In some areas, Freedom Camping isn’t permitted. In these instances, you’ll need to pay and stay in a holiday park.
The best campervans for solo travellers in New Zealand
Choosing the right vehicle for your road trip around New Zealand is an important step. New Zealand has several fantastic campervan companies and narrowing down which is the best for you and fits with your budget can be a headache.
One of the best campervans for solo travellers in New Zealand is by Mad Campers. This company have created a campervan designed for solo travellers. It has one bed which is a permanent fixture in the van. It’s self-contained and comes with a portable toilet and a small kitchen.
Mad Campers is a great budget option, but the van can be quite small. If you’re after something a little bigger, consider Jucy. While I don’t think these are the best vans in the world, I spent a week in a Jucy Condo by myself. It was the perfect size for one person (I have no idea how they advertise that it can fit 4!). It’s also entirely contained meaning you can cook without having to have the doors open.
If you’re planning a winter road trip in New Zealand, it might be worth looking at Wendekreisen. While the vans are big and designed for two or more people, most of them have built-in heating. Depending on the vans, this will either be a gas heater or a diesel heater. This is ideal in the winter as it means you can heat the van in the evenings.
How long do you need for a NZ road trip?
The next step is to decide how long you want to spend on your solo road trip in New Zealand. Honestly, the question ‘how long to spend in New Zealand?’ is a hard question to answer. There are so many factors involved. I spent six months exploring New Zealand and felt like I only scratched the surface. New Zealand is a wondrous country filled with hidden gems and almost endless areas to be explored. It would be impossible to fit it all into one trip.
The great thing about a solo road trip in New Zealand is that it can be as short or as long as you like. It’s not uncommon for people to hire a car for just part of their visit to New Zealand. For example, you could fly into Christchurch, drive from Christchurch to Queenstown, then base yourself in Queenstown and do day trips from there.
The main destinations in New Zealand are well-connected by InterCity bus. If you only want a car for part of your journey, it’s still possible to see more of New Zealand.
Up next: How to get around New Zealand without a car
So, how long should you spend in New Zealand? Here are a few thoughts.
- Two weeks in New Zealand: two weeks in New Zealand gives you enough time to see the highlights of either the North or South Island. If you want to see a bit of both, consider spending a few days in Auckland and doing some day trips. Afterwards, fly to Christchurch or Queenstown and hire your vehicle.
- One month in New Zealand: this is a fantastic amount of time for a road trip in New Zealand. I’d suggest spending ten days in the North Island and the rest of the time exploring the South Island.
- Six weeks in New Zealand: I think having six weeks in New Zealand is an ideal amount of time. You don’t have to spend all of this on the road and can split your time between the North and South Islands. This is more than enough time to see all the highlights. It also gives you time to go further afield to places such as Stewart Island.
Finalise your itinerary
Once you’ve decided when to visit New Zealand, the vehicle you want and how long to spend there, it’s time to plan your route. Planning a road trip route in New Zealand is by no means an easy task. There are SO many amazing things to see and do in this wondrous country.
Narrowing down your New Zealand itinerary will depend on how long you have for your solo road trip. If it’s your first time in New Zealand, some must-visit destinations include Auckland, Queenstown, Mount Cook, Milford Sound, Kaikoura, and Tongariro National Park.
Having your own vehicle means you have complete flexibility to build a road trip that’s right for you. It might be you want to visit places that are a little less well-trodden. This includes destinations such as Northland, Stewart Island, Nelson Lakes National Park, and Taranaki.
There is no right or wrong way to build your dream road trip itinerary. Doing it solo means you can do it exactly how you like.
My biggest tip for creating your itinerary is to not cram too much in. The driving times in New Zealand are often longer than what Google Maps will tell you. Realistically, you haven’t gone all the way to New Zealand to sit in a car. Make sure you have days with no driving planned giving you time to properly explore places. You’ll also want some flexibility. If visiting the Franz Josef Glacier is high on your list, plan to spend a couple of days there. That way, if the weather is bad, you can wait around until it improves.
Don’t forget hidden costs
An important factor for planning your solo road in New Zealand is making sure you don’t forget any hidden costs. Once you’re in New Zealand, you need to consider costs such as food, petrol, activities and holiday parks.
Even if you have a self-contained van, there will be times when you need to pay to park the van. Freedom Camping isn’t available everywhere in New Zealand, so it’s important to check where you might have to pay and build this into your budget.
Petrol also seems to be a common thing people forget about. New Zealand isn’t the most expensive country for fuel, but it certainly isn’t the cheapest. Many of the attractions in New Zealand are spread far apart and there’s lots of driving involved. During my 7-day Queenstown to Auckland road trip, I spent $650 NZD on petrol. I didn’t have to pay for this as it was part of a relocation deal, but it was expensive nonetheless.
Make sure you have insurance
Having insurance is important on any road trip, but it’s especially important when doing a solo road trip. If you incur any damages, you’ll have to pay for this by yourself. Insurance is expensive upfront, but it’s well worth it in my opinion. A solo road trip can be stressful enough, you don’t want to worry about damages to the vehicle.
Most rental companies in New Zealand offer different levels of insurance. The premium option normally reduces the excess down to $0. This means you don’t have to pay anything if any issues or damage occur.
Having comprehensive car insurance will take a lot of the stress out of your solo road trip.
Note: make sure to read the terms & conditions of your cover. These will be unique to each company.
Download the right apps
Before you begin your solo road trip in New Zealand, make sure you have the correct apps downloaded. Here are a few I would recommend:
CamperMate
CamperMate is a godsend for a campervan trip around New Zealand. This amazing app shares where you can find campsites, including freedom camping and paid holiday parks. Users can submit reviews and share their own experiences. It’s especially useful for finding free campsites. The app also has information about day parking, toilets and attractions.
Rankers
Rankers is like CamperMate and a good backup. While I found the information on CamperMate to be a bit more reliable, Rankers is still useful. I often compared the reviews of campsites on both apps.
AllTrails
New Zealand is filled with epic hiking trails and going hiking is a brilliant way to explore this country. Many of New Zealand’s hiking trails have no cell service, so if you’re planning a solo hike, it’s important to have the trail available offline.
A great app that allows this is AllTrails. It has hiking trails from all around the world which can be downloaded offline.
Gaspy
This was one of my favourite apps when hiring a campervan in New Zealand. Gaspy tells you the latest gas and diesel prices from all around the country. It means you can choose the cheapest option.
Roady
This is a relatively new app when it comes to travel in New Zealand. The idea of Roady is to help visitors find unique things to do in destinations from a local’s perspective. It’s a great app for finding hidden gems.
Safety tips for a solo road trip in New Zealand
New Zealand is one of the safest countries in the world and a great option for solo travellers. However, there are still a few things you can do to keep safe. Here are some tips for staying safe on a solo road trip in New Zealand:
Keep in touch with family and friends: always let a family member or friend know where you are. That way, if something goes wrong, someone knows where you last were. This is especially important when going on solo hikes.
Don’t drive in extreme weather: the weather in New Zealand can be extreme. It’s not uncommon to see heavy snow, high winds, or flash flooding. Only drive in weather you’re comfortable driving in. Always check the weather forecast and make an informed decision about what’s safe. Don’t take any risks.
Download maps offline: be sure to have a map of New Zealand downloaded offline. Many of the roads don’t have cell service available, especially on the South Island. If you get lost and have no cell service, there’s not much you can do. By downloading maps offline, you’ll always be able to navigate the roads. Google Maps is great for this.
Carry a head torch: camping in New Zealand is an incredible experience, but it comes with its challenges. Many of the freedom camps are very basic and don’t always have lighting. Carry a head torch with you so you can use the bathrooms and navigate campsites at night. It’s won’t be much fun in the pitch-black.
Lock your van at night: New Zealand is a very safe country, but crimes do occur. If you’re sleeping in a campervan, always lock the van at night and keep your keys close by. I never heard of any incidents happening, but I still think this is an important step.
Research campsites ahead of time: make sure you’ve researched campsites ahead of time. Most freedom campsites in New Zealand are trouble-free, but there are a few which you might want to avoid as a solo traveller. This might be due to locals meeting in the campsites late at night to race their cars or to play loud music and drink. When travelling solo in New Zealand, I always checked the reviews of campsites ahead of time.
Lock away your valuables: when leaving your vehicle, make sure your valuables are in a safe place. Unfortunately, break-ins are common in New Zealand, especially around Auckland and Rotorua. Either take valuables with you or lock them away in a safe place.
By a sim card: having a sim card means you can contact someone in an emergency (providing there’s a signal). New Zealand have some great tourist SIM cards available from the likes of Spark and OneNZ.
Keep gas filled up: whenever you see a gas station, fill your vehicle up. The South Island has some long drives with nowhere to fill up your gas or diesel. Always keep your car or van topped up.
Avoid hitchhikers: hitchhiking is a common way to explore New Zealand. I often saw people trying to flag me down for a free ride. I would avoid this when doing a solo road trip in New Zealand. You have no idea who is getting in the car with you.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help: New Zealanders are some of the friendliest people I’ve ever come across. They’re always willing to help visitors and share advice. If you find yourself a bit lost or in trouble, don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Know your limits
When driving alone in New Zealand, it’s important to know your limits. It’s not the time to be pushing yourself or taking risks when it comes to your safety.
For example, if you’ve never driven in winter conditions before, opting to do this solo in New Zealand might not be the best idea. The same goes for driving in the dark. If you’re like me and hate doing this, make sure to plan your days to avoid any night-time driving.
There can also be some long and tiring drives in New Zealand, it’s important to rest when you need to and not try and push through. Research several campsites ahead of time so you know there are options to rest if you need to.
Embarking on a solo road trip in New Zealand is one of the best things I’ve ever done, so I’m not saying this to put anyone off. However, it’s important to be aware of your limits. This is to keep yourself safe. When you travel solo, the only person responsible for you is yourself.
Know the rules of the road
Last, and by no means least, make sure to research the rules of the road in New Zealand. Hiring a vehicle in a foreign country can be an intimidating process, so researching the rules ahead of time can alleviate some of the stress.
Thankfully, New Zealand is a relatively easy country to drive in, but it’s by no means something to be taken lightly.
Some important road rules in New Zealand include:
- Driving on the left-hand side of the road.
- Never breaking the speed limit. In urban areas, this tends to be 50 KMPH. On country roads, it tends to be between 80 and 100 KMPH.
- You need a valid license and possibly even an international driving permit.
- You can’t drink and drive in New Zealand.
I hope you found this article about a solo road trip in New Zealand helpful. I spent six months exploring all corners of New Zealand and have lots of other guides and resources available.
