Book Budget hire cars in Queenstown

• Which Budget offices should I be using in Queenstown?

  There are two well-placed Budget offices available in the city, and the one you choose to use will depend on how you arrive in Queenstown. If you're flying in, Queenstown Airport is the ideal location. It's important to book online to avoid the extra fees you'll pay in person. The second option is located close to the heart of the city, at 68 - 70 Stanley Street. Regardless of whether you book from the airport or the office on Stanley Street, you'll have the choice of the same cars. If one branch doesn't have a vehicle you like, the two branches will organise with each other to get you your vehicle.

• What documents do I need to choose Budget car hire in Queenstown?

  Budget won't hire a car to you unless you're at least 21 years and have held your driving license for a year or more. If you're younger than 25 years old, be prepared to pay an additional surcharge for being a young driver. Remember to bring your confirmation details and reference number, as well as the same credit card used for your online booking. If the credit card used isn't in your name, the card owner must be present when collecting the vehicle. You'll also need a valid driving license written in English and a valid form of ID, preferably a passport.

• Where can I park my Budget hire car in Queenstown?

  It's typically difficult to find on-street in the city centre, especially free parking. You'll find 10 minutes of free parking at the airport but there isn't much else available in the city. You'll find Pay & Display parking spaces throughout the city centre with various time limits. There are two-hour limits available along Church Street, Earl Street, Marine Parade and Camp Street. Athol Street offers Pay and Display parking with a four-hour limit.

• What is the most popular car hire from Budget in Queenstown?

  Small hire cars (Toyota Yaris or similar) are the most frequently booked hire car types from Budget in Queenstown.

• How many car hire locations does Budget have in Queenstown?

  Budget has 2 hire locations in Queenstown. Take a look at our Budget hire location map to find the best car hire near you.

• Does Budget have a car hire location at the airport: Queenstown Intl airport (ZQN)?

  Yes

• Does Budget offer shuttle or airport pick-up services from Queenstown Intl airport (ZQN)?

  Yes

Reviews for Budget in Queenstown

Recent reviews

Traveller rating

Wonderful

4855

Very Good

1973

Good

193

Okay

1396

Fair

137

Mediocre

0

Poor

5861

10.0

Everything was great. lt went quick and smooth. Hassle free.Reviewed Jan 19 2026

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8.0

The experience was poor, I did the check in online to pick up the car at 8:30 am and I arrived around 8:45 to pick up the car and the front desk lady told me they don’t have the car ready and I need to wait 30 minuts. I wait for almost 2 hours. Delay all my trip.Reviewed Jan 19 2026

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2.0

The advertised rate was $47 for a quick 90 minute rental. Fine! Perfect! When I got to the counter I was told it would be an electric car. No problem! After all, I selected the mystery car option. But then i was told I would need to return it fully charged with a full one hour charge! What the hell? Or…I was offered a gas car for $20 extra. I felt like I had just been baited and switched! Not cool at all. I certainly have no problems with an EV. But being told I had to charge a full hour, which was either false information or way to get me to ‘upgrade’ for extra, was not only disappointing but cause for pause next time this airline employee needs to rent. Either way it’s bad word of mouth among my colleagues.Reviewed Jan 19 2026

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2.0

had a long wait to pick up car and when i got to the counter the rep told me they had no tesla cars that i had to wait an undisclosed length of time. Since i was not able to wait any longer i got stuck with a much lesser vehicle that was NOT electric as i had reserved and paid for. All i was told was I am sorry. Third lousy reserve from Budget in a row.Reviewed Jan 19 2026

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10.0

Absolutely enjoyed the seamless pickup/ drop off experience that included warm, friendly and informative customer service. Our vehicle was incredibly clean and surprisingly fuel efficient (for a Cadillac suv). Will absolutely be looking to Budget + Kayak for our next adventure!Reviewed Jan 18 2026

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2.0

I reserved compact SUV but was given a sedan. Took a long time to be able to get a decent car. Got overcharged in the end...Reviewed Jan 18 2026

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2.0

The man working was horrible and not kind or helpfulReviewed Jan 18 2026

review from

2.0

The rental was not through Budget but was from shady subcontractor residing on the KAYAK app, That vendor was called QEEQ.com. This company cancelled the reservation under the guise that there were no cars available in the rental class that they had offered. To make matters worse, they had another QEEQ.com/KAYAK subcontractor called RentalCover.com sell me insurance coverage of my rental that never happened. I was never charged by QEEQ.com since they cancelled the reservation but RentalCover.com kept their $52 charge on my credit card. This was ridiculous since the rental never even happened! I had to file a charge dispute claim with my credit card company because RentalCover.com is some shady foreign entity and had no way to contact them to discuss the original rental car cancellation. I blame KAYAK was this issue and have since removed the KAYAK app from all of my devices and will never use this unethical service again. I will not hesitate to share my bad experience with KAYAK to anyone I know.Reviewed Jan 17 2026

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2.0

This was awful. We got an intermediate SUV and it was a jeep compass that was so cramped and we could hardly fit our luggage in. The jeep compass is a compact SUV. The worst part was that at the start of our roadtrip, all of the safety features failed, the blinkers wouldn’t turn off and then the oil light came on. We had to find a Budget on the way to our destination and deal with the hassle of switching the car out. And of course they gave us an equally as disappointing replacement. Will not be using budget again. Spend the extra money and get something nice. Lesson learned.Reviewed Jan 17 2026

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10.0

Like the vehicle, price to highReviewed Jan 16 2026

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2.0

Extras were charged $3000 american deposit was required and they tried to say I damaged the car but I had a before and after videoReviewed Jan 16 2026

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4.0

Car was great Waited 3 hours to received my vehicleReviewed Jan 15 2026

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