This past winter (New Zealand Summer), my husband and I traveled to the South Island of New Zealand with our baby, who was 3 months old at the time. For one week of our trip, we rented a campervan in Queenstown to give ourselves the flexibility to roam and immerse ourselves in the country’s incredible landscapes.
Exploring New Zealand by Campervan was an amazing travel adventure, and the chance to do so with our little one undoubtedly made the experience even more special!
If you are considering taking on this incredible campervan adventure with a baby for yourself, below are some essential tips for renting a campervan in New Zealand with a baby:
First, are there really that many different van and itinerary options to consider for renting a Campervan in New Zealand?
Absolutely! Traveling by campervan is an incredibly popular way to explore New Zealand. In Queenstown alone, you’ll find numerous campervan rental companies, which offer a wide variety of van styles.
Additionally, New Zealand may seem like a small country but it offers endless opportunities for adventure, and you could spend months exploring by van and still not see everything. For example, during our six-day campervan trip with our baby, we only managed to explore the southern third of the South Island. Our rental agent even remarked that we had “covered an impressive amount of ground” for such a short trip.
I’ve have outlined these 7 essential tips for renting a campervan in New Zealand with a baby to help you make the best travel decisions and make the most out of your family trip:
Essential Tips for renting a campervan in New Zealand with a baby:
1) Campervan Choice: Car Seat Capability and Family Comfort
The most crucial tip for renting a campervan with a baby in New Zealand is all about the vehicle choice as this determines whether your little one has a safe spot to ride in the van, (and probably whether or not its actually legal to drive with them in it) :).
When planning our trip, I searched for information on campervans compatible with infant car seats for hours but had little luck. So, after diving deep into rental van layouts, touring the vans, and road-testing them for ourselves, I’m happy to pass on the information to help simplify your planning journey!
My top recommendation is the Maui ‘Ultima Plus – 2 + 1’ which has a second-row seat that can securely fit a car seat and also fold down into a bed at night. The Maui van has all the bells and whistles needed for a comfortable campervan experience including a toilet, shower, decent-sized kitchen, and comfortable beds.
While the Ultima Plus – 2 + 1 ticked all the boxes for us, other similar brands/models I’d recommend are the Mighty Plus and Britz Models, offering the same car seat capabilities but with variations in price and luxury level. All three brands are owned by the same parent company, which provided excellent customer service throughout our trip. Whichever option you choose, you’ll be well taken care of.
2) Plan your Route Wisely: Allow Extra Drive Time and Utilize Camping Apps
When traveling via campervan in New Zealand with a baby, allow yourself at least double the amount of time to your destination that Google Maps estimates.
If, like us, you’re new to driving on the left side of the road, and, also like us, you’re not very experienced with driving a gigantic vehicle, you are going to be driving much slower than the advised speed limit. I would guesstimate that for the majority of the trip, we were driving about ⅔ the speed that we would be able to go in a normal vehicle.
Also, traveling with a baby means you’ll need to allow extra time for stops along the way. You’ll need to plan to stop somewhat frequently for feeding, diaper changes, and playtime out of the car seat for baby.
A helpful tip is to download New Zealand camping apps like CamperMate or Rankers which provide valuable information on locations that allow for free overnight camping, parking, or just a great spot to pull over for a baby playtime pit-stop with gorgeous views.
3) Plan for Heater Use
When traveling via campervan in New Zealand with a baby in the spring or fall, planning for heater use is essential, and even in the summer, the South Island can get chilly at night.
To keep your van at a comfortable temperature through the night no matter your location, opt for a van with both diesel and electric heaters.
Diesel heaters are crucial if you plan to stay outside of holiday parks, as electric heaters require a power hookup. Our Maui van came equipped with both heating options, and I believe many vans from Britz and Mighty also offer both options as well.
Also, remember to plan your refueling stops carefully so you have a full, or nearly full, tank of diesel before arriving at your destination for the night.
We learned this lesson the hard way when we encountered late-season winter weather at Mount Cook. We hadn’t planned to stay the night and didn’t have enough diesel to run the heater, so we ended up booking a room at the lodge to keep ourselves and baby warm. In hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise—we woke up to nearly a foot of snow covering the van the next morning!
4) Holiday Parks Are Built for Families
When campervanning with a baby in New Zealand, make sure to plan some stays at Holiday Parks. While these parks might be slightly more expensive than freedom camping or DOC (Department of Conservation) campsites, they are incredibly family-friendly, offering amenities that make traveling with a baby much easier.
Holiday Parks feature family bathrooms, often with baby bathtubs—like an adorable big blue walrus bathtub we found in Te Anau, right next to a full-size shower for mom and dad. They also have laundry facilities for washing soiled or spit up laden baby clothes and kitchens for meal preparation, providing a welcome break from washing bottles in the tiny van sink.
For a bonus, this holiday park even had private thermal spas you could reserve for a relaxing soak after a long day of adventuring. Talk about the ultimate family-friendly oasis!
5) Bring a Pop-up Travel Bassinet
Before our trip, we found a lightly used travel bassinet on Facebook Marketplace that was small enough to fold down into our suitcase but that could pop up into a bassinet the perfect size for our 3 month old. (Think pack and play but the size of a bassinet).
The bassinet was a game-changer for securing a safe space for our little one to sleep in the van. We chose one that could be easily attached to the front twin bed in the campervan (while parked obviously) so he could be cozily secured, providing him comfort and us peace of mind.
6) Set Up a Privacy Curtain for Baby’s ‘Bedroom’
When you’re renting a campervan in New Zealand with your baby, it’s all about finding clever solutions to make the small space work for everyone. One challenge we tackled was creating a separation between baby’s sleeping area and our adult hang-out spot—especially in the hours after baby bedtime but before ours.
Our ingenious solution? A DIY privacy curtain!
With just some string (we used 550 cord that we had on hand, but any sturdy string will do I assume) and one of the spare sheets provided by the van, it was easy to fashion a makeshift divider for his ‘bedroom’. (Or if you’re feeling less engineer-y, you could also go with a SlumberPod or this similar but more affordable and highly rated alternative, which will completely black out baby’s space.)
This curtain not only blocked out the light from the rest of the van, allowing us to cook or read with the lights on, but it also created a cozy, dim space where our little one could catch some z’s during the day.
7) Pack for All Occasions and Source Used-Gear to Help the Environment and Your Pockets
We loved how exploring New Zealand by campervan gave us the freedom to see so many unique parts of the country in a short amount of time. However, the diverse microclimates and unpredictable weather (see above ;)) meant we had to be prepared with a variety of clothing.
Packing layers was essential as temperatures fluctuated a ton throughout the day in most areas and as we drove from one location to the next. Our go-to baby clothing items were breathable and temperature-regulating Patagonia thermals and this cozy Patagonia bear suit. The bear suit was perfect for chilly mornings but then super easy to zip right off as the day warmed up.
Since we live in a tropical environment, we didn’t really have any cold-weather clothing for baby yet so we turned to used clothing and clothing rental sites to get most of his gear. Poshmark was particularly helpful—we found high-quality Patagonia items like a waterproof snowsuit, mittens, booties, and thermals for about half the original price.
Buying used was a win-win as it not only provided us with awesome gear for a lower cost but it was also kinder to the environment.
In Summary:
Traveling through New Zealand’s South Island in a campervan with our baby was an unforgettable adventure, blending the beauty of the country with the excitement of sharing it as a new family!
The campervan offered us a unique way to explore, while providing flexibility and comfort that made traveling with our baby that much more stress-free. If you are considering a similar trip, I hope that these tips can help you in planning an adventure of a lifetime.
Did I miss any important tips? Please share them below! Or, If you need more details on specific topics or have additional questions about the logistics of campervan travel with a baby, leave a comment below, and I’ll be happy to answer!
