Visas
If visiting from the United States you will not need a visa to come to New Zealand, but you will need to apply for an NZeTA -New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority which you can get request here: www.immigration.govt.nz
To avoid getting stressed before you travel, it is best to apply at least a couple days before your flight!
Exchange Rate
There is currently a very favorable exchange rate. If you know you are coming you want to use this to your advantage and book things sooner than later!
While in New Zealand you should be able to use your Credit Card at almost all businesses - however you may pay an extra 3% when using it. If you want to get cash out while here - there are currency exchange companies (TravelEx) conveniently located across the country (Auckland Airport, Albany, Orewa) and if you book ahead of time you can get better rates. Also recommended to check with your bank at home for even better rates before you travel.
Flights
Your final destination will be Auckland, New Zealand (AKL) and you will likely have a variety of ways to get there. The flights are long - 12 hours from LAX/SFO, 15 hours from IAH/DFW, 16.5 hours from ORD. If you are have a layover you are probably looking at 20+ hours of travel. On your longhaul flight you will usually have free alcohol and 1-2 meals.
Our best recommendation is Air New Zealand. The planes are newer, the food is better, and the service is friendlier. It is often slightly more expensive - but worth it in our opinion.
United is another option we have used in the past. They are part of Star Alliance with Air New Zealand and in the past I have booked with United and gotten an Air New Zealand operated flight on my long haul (nice travel hack).
We cannot speak from personal experience, but Delta and American also seem to have be good options - especially if you're coming from the Detroit area.
Vehicle Rentals
Lots of the big car rental brands (Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, etc.) that operate in the US are available in New Zealand. You may be able to get discounts to one of these through your work or some other program like your credit card or Booking.com.
If we fly somewhere for a trip I will usually rent through Snap Rentals - their prices are usually a bit cheaper, but we have always been happy with the service. We have also used GO Rentals in the past and had no complaints.
If you like camping you may want to consider getting a campervan rental. Traveling NZ by campervan is very common if you want to do a lot of outdoorsy activities and hiking. You will be able to "freedom camp" or stay at a "holiday park" in your campervan - which is more affordable than staying in hotels.
We have never personally rented a campervan - but there are a ton of rental companies you may want to compare:
- Escape Campervans
- Mad Campers
- JUCY
- Spaceship Rentals
- Britz
- Maui
- Campervan New Zealand
- Camplify
- and many more...
Accomodations
There aren't as many big hotel chains here. Some of the bigger cities will have chain hotels - but you will mostly be looking at private house rentals or small lodges along the way. When we travel and need to book an accommodation we usually check:
- Booking.com
- Airbnb
- Bookabach
Recommended Destinations
If possible we recommend visiting for at least two weeks so you can visit the South Island in addition to spending time in and around Auckland with us for the wedding.
If you would like help planning your trip - we have put together a list of some of our favorite places and things to do in the different regions below.
Travel Credit Card
If you don't already have a travel credit card - we have been using the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and would highly recommend it.
There are some great perks which you could benefit from on your trip to New Zealand:
- No foreign transaction fees
- $50 annual hotel credit (booked through Chase)
- 5x points on travel (booked through Chase)
- 2x pointon travel (booked elsewhere)
- 3x points on Dining
- 1x points on all other purchases
- 1-to-1 point transfer (can convert Chase points to airline points)
- Trip Cancellation and Interruption Insurance
- Trip Delay Reimbursement
Referral Link
If you're interested in signing up - you can sign up with my link below and receive 60,000 bonus points (and it kicks me back some points as well). It might also be worth checking out their website or visiting your local branch and seeing if they can get you even more bonus points!
Earn 60,000 bonus points with either Chase Sapphire® card. I can be rewarded if you apply here and are approved for the card.