Rarotonga Airport Car Rental

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Cars
Campers

Excellent based on 19,000+ reviews
Prior to our rebrand from Airport Rentals and Motorhome Republic
Budget Cook Islands
Avis Cook Islands

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On most cars up to 72 hours prior to pickup

Rarotonga is ready and waiting to be explored

Rarotonga is the biggest and most populated island in the Cook Islands, but still takes less than an hour to circumnavigate by car. While the coastline of this island is lined with tropical blue waters and white-sand beaches, the centre of the island is mountainous, with a lush rainforest covering the hillsides.

Uncover Cook Islands in a Rarotonga rental car

Renting a car at Rarotonga Airport makes it easy to disembark and start exploring. You can take the road up to Te Rua Manga (The Needle), which is one of the higher peaks on the island and the most recognisable for its summit spire. Other top things to see with your rental include Muri Beach, the Takitumu Conservation Area, and the Cook Islands Wildlife Centre.

Find the best deal on car hire at Rarotonga Airport with GoSee

Use GoSee to run one quick and easy search across leading car hire brands at Rarotonga Airport to bring all of the available vehicles together in one place. Start your search by entering your arrival and departure dates to generate an up-to-date list of rentals.

Your results page is automatically listed with the most affordable cars at the top, so you can quickly book the best deal. Alternatively, take a few moments to look through the rest of the options to see if paying a little more will better suit your needs in a car hire. You can also shortlist your favourites by hitting the heart icon, save quotes for later, and filter the results to search for something specific.

Once you’ve found the perfect car rental in Rarotonga, securely book through GoSee for instant confirmation of your car hire. Keep in mind that you can log back in at a later date to manage your rental, or use the 24/7 assistance options should you have any questions.

Introducing Rarotonga Airport

The Rarotonga International Airport (RAR) is the main gateway to the Cook Islands. The airport handles more than 100,000 visitors from around the world each year, with popular departure locations in Auckland, Sydney, Los Angeles, and Christchurch.

There are a number of cafes within the terminal, as well as an ATM, and vending machines. Note that while WiFi is available at the airport, you will need to pay to access it. You will find the car hire desks inside the terminal next to the baggage claim area.

A guide to driving in Rarotonga

Driving from Rarotonga Airport

Rarotonga Airport is located on the northern coast of the island, and is no farther than an hour’s drive from practically any spot on the island. The main ring road around the island is the Ara Tapu, and will take you to all the beaches and many of the attractions in Rarotonga.

Tips for driving in Rarotonga

Rarotonga’s road rules are similar to those of Australia and New Zealand, but this island nation still has its own driving quirks, so read our tips before hitting the roads with your car hire.

  • You will drive on the left-hand side of the road in Rarotonga.
  • Note that many drivers will be other visitors who are not familiar with the roads, so have patience and be wary of last minute turns.
  • Be wary of animals that frequently wander onto the roads.
  • Coconut trees are no joke - do not park under one as coconuts can fall and damage your car hire.
  • The maximum speed limit on the island is 50 kilometres per hour, and this drops to 30km/h in Avarua and Muri.

Parking at Rarotonga Airport

There is currently a NZ$2 charge per car that you will pay as you leave the parking lot. The airport is currently working on installing a new system with hourly rates.

Parking in Rarotonga

Parking in Rarotonga is very laid-back - simply find a spot on the roadside. These areas are wide enough for vehicles and are free, although as noted earlier, avoid parking under coconut trees. Beaches often have small car parks (also free) but these can fill up quickly, so you may need to drive further up the road and walk back to the beach.

What our customers say

IT WAS VERY EASY TO MAKE BOOKING
I WILL RECOMENDE GOSEE TO MY FRIENDS
Mileta Markovic
She was awesome, great lady over the phone, She explained everything in detail.
Anthony Unabor
Having had an awful service with QEEB, despite having booked a car months ago, we needed to look for a new provider. It is only 3 weeks until our holiday so I was worried that we would face an expensive car hire. GoSee had reasonably priced cars and the experience was hugely different to that of QEEB.
GoSee website was easy to use, straight forward and we were able to save a quote for the car we were interested in. A member of the GoSee team called that evening to make sure we had all of the information we needed and she sent us through the quote again... Thank you for making a stressful situation much more tolerable!!
Catherine
fast reaction on our request
Huub
The whole booking experience was alright. The necessary information was given to find the right choice.
Rene Beyer
Online booking process was nice and easy, no complications at all. Confirmation email sent soon after booking is completed.
Max
There was no problems from the initial on line booking to returning the car to Perth Airport.
Lorraine
Easy and efficient with a competitive price to boot!
Jerry O Gorman
This company is very good. They have saved me money.
Barry Rose