Gap Year Car Hire

"The worst thing about being a tourist is having other tourists recognize you as a tourist." Russell Baker

When I was booking the trip I had a big quandary, (one of thousands!) did I get a motor home for Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and the States with all their conveniences or did I go for car hire which in many ways was more economical in terms of hire costs and running costs and offered a different experience.

Eventually I decided on a Motor home for Australia and car hire for New Zealand, South Africa and the States. New Zealand had an excellent package with the New Zealand Youth Hostel association on offer where you got car hire and vouchers for hostels all wrapped up in a very economical deal.

Below are the pros and cons of the car hire versus the campervan.

The Cons

• The car we hired in New Zealand was a very ordinary sedan without air con. (South Africa was better and the states we had an excellent car)
  
  
• It was hard to adjust to being so low down after the campervan.
  
  
• The children had to take turns at sitting in the front which occasionally led to arguments where in the campervan they either shared the bench seat in the front or chilled in the back.
  
  
• A lot of food was wasted, as there was nowhere cool to store it so we either left it at hostel or hotel kitchens or had to throw it away.
  
  
• We did not have the reassurance of KNOWING that we had accommodation where ever we went as the car was certainly too small sleep in.
  
  
• The children tended not to get car sick in the motor home where they certainly did (!) in the car.
  
  Pros
  
  
• The car was a lot easier to park!
  
  
• More economical to drive than a van
  
  
• We did tend to blend slightly more in that it wasn't immediately apparent that we were tourists.
  
  
• When we broke down the car was easier to sort out.
  
  
• It was a lot easier to cope with the narrow twisty roads in the car
  
  
• We didn't get buffeted by the wind and passing traffic to the same extent as in the motor home.