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Car Rental Nelson Airport

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Map showing the location of the GO Rentals Nelson Airport branch

Nelson destination guide: Explore Nelson with GO rentals

Hello from Nelson! At the top tip of New Zealand’s South Island lies the city of Nelson and the beautiful region of Nelson Tasman. Home to great landscapes, wineries and historical towns, we’re delighted that our car rentals can take you through such an amazing place! From Abel Tasman National Park to eating mussels in seaside Havelock, GO Rentals brings you great service and our award-winning car hire vehicles. We’re so excited for you to get started on your epic Nelson road trip!

Explore a national park

The Nelson Tasman region is famous for its beautiful national parks! Whether you want to visit Abel Tasman National Park for a coastal paradise or Nelson Lakes National Park for its rugged mountain peaks, our rental vehicles will take you there with ease. For nature lovers, aspiring hikers and cultural enthusiasts, these national parks are the perfect stop on your trip.

Kayak with Wilsons Abel Tasman

With some of the most picturesque coastlines in New Zealand, Nelson is the perfect place for a morning kayak. With our GO Play partner, Wilsons Abel Tasman, your paddling dreams can come to life! An experienced guide will take you through the coastal sights and provide insight into the history of the area you choose.

Visit Nelson Classic Car Museum

Of course, it’s not a proper holiday without visiting all the quirky and cultural museums in the area. The World of Wearable Art Galleries and the connected Nelson Classic Car Museum are perfect for a day of relaxed sightseeing. With a great collection of historical cars and beautiful art, these museums are a perfect showcase of the Kiwi’s favourite interests.

Stroll through Founders Heritage Park

For the history buffs travelling in our Nelson rental cars, the Founders Heritage Park will take you back in time for a nostalgic experience. With a large collection of historical buildings, including a cathedral, fire station and several artisan businesses, this park will take you back to yesteryear!

Go Wine Tasting in Marlborough

The Nelson Tasman region is globally known for its amazing wineries and Marlborough wine! This region is heralded as having some of the best sauvignon blanc and chardonnay as well as vibrant pinot noirs. Visit the Moutere Hills and Waimea plains to learn the ins and outs of winemaking and have a taste of the delicious grapes!

Go Skydiving

Our GO Play partner, Skydive Abel Tasman will give you the birds-eye view of this picturesque region! Stunning views and the thrill of a lifetime await you only a short drive from Nelson’s city centre. You can view both the coastlines of New Zealand’s South and North Islands, with national parks and snow capped mountains surrounding you!

Eat Mussels in Havelock

The famous green lipped mussels found in nearby Havelock are the perfect reason for a mini road trip! A short hour from Nelson, this seaside town is great to visit for window shopping in boutique stores and viewing quaint colonial buildings. Try to make it for the annual Greenshell Mussel Festival that happens every March!

Reasons to GO with us

  • New Zealand Tourism Awards winners. Visitor Experience
  • Most Satisfied Customers Award. Canstar Blue 2018, 2020, 2022 & 2023
  • Huge choice of great rental cars to choose from
  • Highly recommended on major review sites
  • Competitive and affordable car hire rates
  • Convenient airport locations
  • The car you book is the car you drive
  • 24hr AA Roadside Assistance
  • Unlimited kilometres
  • FREE Basic car rental insurance
  • FREE maps and guides
  • NO hidden costs
  • After hours support
  • Local knowledge
  • Ability to offset carbon emissions of your trip
  • Environmentally conscious business committed to carbon neutrality

GO all across NZ

We have eight car rental branches spread evenly throughout New Zealand, in the major destinations of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson, Queenstown, and Dunedin so that you’re never far from a GO rental car.

Ridiculously simple pick-up & drop-off of our rental cars

Our rental car branch in Nelson is nice and easy to spot, find us in the main terminal. Just look for the big pink sign and pop over and see us. Pick-up made easy so you can enjoy the journey.

Image of a GO Rentals branch showing its self-service kiosks
The GO Experience (1:58)
Hiring a car in Nelson

We’re delighted to offer our award-winning customer service to the top of the South Island. Car hire in Nelson has never been so simple. When you book with GO, you can access your Nelson car hire booking directly from our app, helping to get you out on the road in no time.

When you land in Nelson, look for the big pink sign right outside the terminal where our amazing team will check you in and get you on your way.

As one of the largest independent Kiwi car rental companies, GO prides itself on providing a quality car hire service and rental cars at reasonable prices. We have a great choice, the best rental cars and the best value.

If you are looking for a rental car with a difference, make sure you check out our range of EVs, including the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y and the all-new BYD Atto 3 - the latest addition to the GO fleet. Couple all of this with our award-winning team for customer experience and we hope to bring you an exciting new car rental experience in Nelson.

Nelson is a fantastic place to start your New Zealand adventure or to simply spend a few days exploring. Nelson is the biggest city in the north of the South Island and is a fantastic place to base yourself for exploring this stunning part of the world.

From the Marlborough vineyards of Blenheim to the spectacular Kahurangi National Park, Nelson is within easy driving distance of some of the South Island’s most beautiful destinations. You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches, with Golden Bay and Abel Tasman Bay taking the cake for most picturesque!

As one of the sunniest destinations in New Zealand, you'll get plenty of opportunities to relax and unwind in Nelson and beyond. Make sure you check out our top 5 destinations from Nelson and get inspired for your New Zealand road trip.

Affordable car rental in Nelson

For an affordable price when you rent a car, GO Rentals is the way to go! For the best car hire in Nelson, our wide range of modern vehicles will match any of your travel needs. Our staff will provide friendly service to help you find the perfect car rental to fit in your road trip budget! Our competitive rates and hot deals will make your car rental experience even more worthwhile (and affordable!).

Outstanding on-road support

Change of plans? We’ve got you covered. From travel hints and tips to 24/7 roadside assistance - we’re a call away.

Image taken from the front of a rental car looking out through the windscreen to a steep and windy road
Image of a mum holding her child's hand on a wall overlooking Lake Wakatipu
Award-Winning Customer Service in Nelson

Thanks to our amazing customers, GO Rentals was awarded the prestigious 2023 Canstar Blue Award for Most Satisfied Customers in the Hire Car Category as the only company with a perfect 5-star rating across all rating categories. Having also won the award in 2018, 2020, 2022 & 2023, you know that when you hire a car from GO Rentals in Nelson, you’re getting a world-class customer service experience as well as access to some of the best rental cars in New Zealand – a winning combination.

Nelson is the gateway to the South Island and is big on experiences – something we know a thing or two about here at GO. We have been recognised at the New Zealand Tourism Awards for our outstanding visitor experience and we also achieved the Qualmark Gold award that recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand – something we are excited to be bringing to Nelson.

Frequently asked questions






Renting a car at Nelson Airport

Renting a car in Nelson couldn’t be easier. When you choose to rent with GO, you can either book in advance or look to pick up a car on arrival in the terminal. When you book in advance, you will have instant access to our awesome app. It allows you to populate your information, upgrade your insurance, add drivers, pay any balance owing, and sign your rental agreement prior to arriving at branch. What’s more, if you hire a Tesla with us, you can access key Tesla controls via its integration within our GO app.

You can complete our pre-check-in documentation to speed up the process when you arrive at the branch as well as store information such as your driver’s licence to make future bookings easier. You can always use the free in-terminal Wi-Fi to book your rental car whilst you wait for your bags to arrive or give us a call whilst you wait – we’ll be more than happy to get you sorted with the perfect rental car for your Nelson adventure.

As well as using the app to manage your booking you will also find a wide range of discounts on activities in Nelson, Marlborough and beyond through our GO Play programme.

Renting a car in Nelson just got a lot easier thanks to GO. We’re excited to welcome customers through the doors of our latest branch and sharing our knowledge and expertise on everything New Zealand. See you soon!