Inter-island rental

What is inter-island travel?

New Zealand consists of two main islands - the North island and the South island. The islands are approximately 100 kms apart and separated by The Cook Strait. Ferries offer a transport service between the islands, departing from Wellington on the North Island and Picton on the South Island.

Europcar vehicles are not permitted to travel on the ferry. For this reason we operate the inter-island travel service, whereby, the car is left at one ferry terminal and another car is waiting for you at the ferry terminal on the other island.

How does inter-island car rental work?

Once a booking has been created for car hire in New Zealand, which includes travel in both the north and south island, your booking will be split into two separate bookings – an individual booking and car for each island.

Europcar will require the dates you intend to cross between islands to ensure that the transition is seamless. It is recommended that you contact Europcar prior to commencing your travel in New Zealand. If this is not possible, please advise staff of your cross-over dates when collecting your vehicle at the start of your journey in New Zealand.

When you reach the cross-over point, park in a Europcar bay at the ferry terminal, and place your car key in the designated Europcar key return box or see one of our staff members who will be happy to assist. Proceed to your chosen ferry provider. Upon reaching the second island, follow the signs to the Europcar location to collect your vehicle.

What do I need to know about the ferry service?

Regular ferry services run between the islands, departing from Wellington (on the North Island) and Picton (on the South Island). The crossing time is approximately 3 – 3.5 hours. There are two ferry providers - Interislander and Bluebridge. Fare information and departure/arrivals times are available via the links below.

Please note: In Wellington, both ferry providers dock at different locations. Europcar is located within walking distance of the Interislander ferry terminal. The Bluebridge ferry terminal is further away, however Bluebridge offers a connecting shuttle bus service. In Picton, both ferry providers dock at the same ferry terminal and Europcar is just metres away. 

Interislander
Timetable - Click Here 
Fares - Click Here

 

Bluebridge
Timetables - Click Here 
Fares - Click Here  
Getting to/from Europcar - Click Here 

Europcar Contact Details

General Enquiries 0800 800 115