I made a total of three car reservations: one at Auckland Airport and two at Christchurch Airport. The latter were driven by Mr. Ma and myself as the primary drivers. The car driven by Mr. Ma seemed to be in better condition and was noticeably more fuel-efficient for the same trip. Other driving experiences with that car were also very satisfying. Since this was our first self-driving trip abroad, and we were a group of retirees traveling together, there were numerous concerns. For example: worries about having too much luggage and insufficient trunk space; being unfamiliar with right-hand drive and left-side traffic rules; older drivers with slower reaction times needing to take turns driving; multiple phones and navigation devices needing charging; and whether the phone holder would be convenient to use. Thankfully, all these concerns were addressed without any issues, ensuring the safety and smoothness of the trip. This was highly appreciated by all of us. Moreover, the process of picking up and returning the car was swift and simple, which was especially helpful for catching flights after returning the car. Moving forward, whether traveling domestically or abroad, renting a car will always be our top choice.

I initially thought the car I booked was quite old, but it turned out to be a 2018 model with a reverse camera. It's compact yet convenient. Despite New Zealand's challenging gravel roads, the car handled them surprisingly well without any issues throughout the trip. I recommend opting for full insurance because there are too many small stones.

I chose to rent a gasoline car from Europcar, but the Auckland location only had electric cars available. During our two-day trip, we found six charging stations, but only two of them worked; the rest were either out of order or required a local SIM card for payment. We spent at least four hours charging the car, causing us to miss our return flight. This is just for reference for future travelers.

Pick-up at Christchurch was very quick. It's only a 5-minute drive from the airport to the store. The driver was a lovely young lady who explained the traffic rules to us while driving.

Very satisfied