Travel Hack or Too Good to Be True? My Free 3-Day Transfercar

I’ve been wanting to try a Transfercar for years out of sheer curiosity. I couldn’t really tell if it was a travel hack I’d been sleeping on, too good to be true, or a low key scam full of hidden fees. But the stakes were pretty low, so I finally decided it was time to test it.

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How does Transfercar work?

Have you ever wondered how tf car rental companies get their vehicles back when someone books a one-way trip? Transfercar is one of those ways.

It’s a third-party site that connects you with rental companies that need their cars relocated after someone (or many people) make a one-way booking. If everyone flies into Auckland and flies out of Wellington, there will be way too many cars in Wellington!

You usually have the option to pay $0 or $1 for a max of 1-5 travel days, and sometimes the option to extend the booking at an additional cost. (I’ve seen everything from $40-200 per extra day.)

The departure/arrival locations are always major cities and busy tourist hubs, often at the airport or central city rental offices.

Transfercar is available in several countries (Canada, US, UK, Australia) but I’ve only tried it in New Zealand. Some popular relocation routes here include:

- Auckland to Wellington
- Wellington to Christchurch
- Christchurch to Queenstown
- Dunedin to Auckland

The long drives — especially those that cross the Cook Straight between the North and South Islands — usually give you 4-5 days. And some include the cost of the ferry, which is super expensive otherwise, so make sure you check! Auckland, Wellington, Queenstown, and Christchurch are all very popular pick up/drop off locations. I’ve also seen Rotorua, Tauranga, Napier, Picton, Nelson, Greymouth, and Wanaka, though far less often.

Most are regular rental cars from small hatchbacks to large SUVs, but you can also find the occasional campervan, 12-seater mini buses, and, randomly, even furniture moving trucks.

My experience booking a Transfercar

I organized my Transfercar two weeks in advance, but there are relocation options popping up all the time. You can usually book a month in advance at most.

I found a route going from the Wellington Airport to Auckland City, which was absolutely perfect for me. I live in Auckland and had to fly to Wellington to get the car anyway, so an airport pickup was ideal. The car came with 3 free days and unlimited kilometers, so gas was my only essential car-related expense.

Transfercars are never instant book — you always have to put in a request. I got confirmation just two hours later. I guess if they get multiple requests, they’ll choose the “best” driver, maybe considering things like your age and the dates you requested.

Total cost of my Transfercar adventure

So the car is free — or almost free in most cases — but it’s still a road trip. You have to consider the additional expenses like gas, road snacks, meals out (let’s be honest, you’re not going to cook), a flight, and accommodation.

Part of the fun for me was seeing how cheaply I could do it all for, so I went very basic on the accom. I stayed in three budget-friendly Airbnbs along my route, but hostels might have been cheaper:

Levin: Just an hour outside Wellington in a single-bed room in a house for $40.
Napier: A single-bed room in a house for $70.
Hamilton: A single-bed room in a house for $45.

Gas was my biggest expense at $170, and I spent about $160 on meals, drinks, road snacks, etc. over 4 days. I definitely could have done that cheaper. But I’m a treat yo’ self kinda person. My one-way flight was just $50 with Jetstar from Auckland to Wellington. I had to Uber to the airport which cost almost as much as the darn flight: $47.

So the total cost? Just under $600, or $150 per day.

So, is Transfercar a great travel hack or too good to be true?

My experience went really smoothly, so I think it’s a great travel hack for a cheap getaway. If you’re happy to do a lot of driving over a short period. It’s a fun novelty for people with a ton of time in New Zealand and booking flexibility. And it may even take you to parts of New Zealand you wouldn’t otherwise visit. (Like, I probably wouldn’t have ever stopped in Levin or Palmerston North.)

I wouldn’t recommend it for those with just a couple of weeks to explore or who have a detailed itinerary. In that case, you’re better off getting a normal rental car. The time constraint is always too tight to let you stop and enjoy all the things to do along your route. Aotearoa is a country where you don’t want to be rushed!

Transfercar booking tips

Here are some things to double check or consider before you lock in your Transfercar:

- Review add-ons and conditions. Unlimited kms, inclusions like gas or the ferry, and how many days you have/the cost of additional days. (Sometimes it’s $1 sometimes it’s $100, so this is important!)
- Check the age limit and driver’s license requirements. Some companies won’t let people under 25 or under 18 do the relocation. Most require a full license class, and all will require an official English translation if your license is in another language.
- If you need to take a flight, see if prices are reasonable before you book the car. They can fluctuate and often go up as the date approaches. But don’t book the flight until the car is confirmed! It’s a fine balance.
- Consider the rental operator rating. I’m not totally sure this matters because you’re just doing a relocation. But I’ve seen a couple listed with a 1-star rating, and that’s definitely off-putting. It’s data pulled from reviews written by people who have rented, not people who have done a relocation.
- Make sure you have enough for the deposit/bond. Even though you’re not paying for the car, you’ll still have to put down a bond or put up a credit card as collateral in case there’s any damage.

Don't forget insurance!

My Amex credit card usually gives me basic automatic trip insurance. However, because the car I relocated was $0, my credit card wasn’t involved and insurance didn’t apply! You can pay for insurance directly with the rental company when you pick up the car.

It was about $45/day — I didn’t take it, which was super stupid. Fortunately nothing happened, but I was stressed about it the whole time, lol. Make sure you get insurance, whether from the car rental company or just general travel insurance if you’re visiting New Zealand. You can compare trip and medical insurance options on VisitorsCoverage to find an affordable option that covers everything you need for your travel style.

Getting the timing right

This was a bit tricky because you have to request the car and wait for a response before you book flights or accommodation. But depending on when you get a response (no more than 24 hours) the accom you were looking at might be gone or the price of the flight may have gone up.

I found a Transfercar with a date range that worked for me and looked at flights to make sure there were options in my price range. Even though they confirmed within a couple hours, the price of the flight I was looking at had gone up from $79 to $200. (Unless I wanted to travel at 6 AM, and I didn’t.)

I managed to find a $49 flight two days later, so I called the rental company directly (not Transfercar) to see if I could bump the booking. It was still within the range of dates they’d offered, so they said no problem and updated the booking for me.

So you may need to do a bit of fancy footwork, but it’s totally possible to line everything up.

Transfercar's long-term rental options

If you’re looking for more than just a quick getaway in a one-way transfer, you can book a long-term rental. These are far from free, but they can be competitive during peak periods and offer much more flexibility than the typical Transfercar relocation system.

Here’s a quick comparison between the results that came up when I searched a month-long rental with Transfercar vs. DiscoverCars for the same date range. April 1-30, 2025:

Transfercar

Don’t ask me why those little icons are showing up like that, I don’t know. Lol.

DiscoverCars

So the options on DiscoverCars are still cheaper. However, the cheapest TransferCar is a pretty swish — an electric BYD ATTO 3 for $1,240. The closest equivalent on DiscoverCars, an electric Kia Niro, runs $2,790.

But if you don’t care much about what type of car you’re renting, you can get a Toyota Rav4 for $1,025 or a Mazda Demio for $670.

The takeaway? It’s worth checking both Transfercar and DiscoverCars if you’re renting for an extended period. It’s always good to have options!

Stay connected when you travel around New Zealand

Getting an eSIM is a great way to access the local data network when you’re traveling. If you download it in advance, you can activate it as soon as you touch down. No need to find a cellular store and swap out your physical SIM card.

There are tons of options on the market. I’ve tried Airalo, Holafly, and Saily, which all worked in New Zealand. They all have their pros and cons.

Airalo has the largest network and the best discount for new sign-ups. I can get you 15% off your first Airalo eSIM and 10% off every purchase going forward. Use NAOM15 or NAOM10 in the promo code box at checkout.