New Zealand With Kids: Entry & Road Trip Tips

New Zealand

By: Leslie Stroud
May 13, 2022
(4) Comments

Essential Travel Tips for Visiting New Zealand With Kids

After more than two years of traveling with kids full time, New Zealand has become the most child-friendly destination in the world for us. It’s a very strong contender for somewhere we want to live with our five kids and should absolutely be on your list for a family vacation.

We spent seven wonderful months in New Zealand exploring the North and South Islands with the kids. We can’t wait to return! We couldn’t believe the incredible scenery this country has to offer. The isolation from the rest of the world keeps New Zealand special and beautiful. As long as you can learn to drive on the left side of the road (not as easy as you might think!), you can drive this entire country and drink in the beauty.

Family standing in a sunny alpine meadow beneath snow-covered mountains in New Zealand. — *Beautiful mountains in New Zealand*

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. Opinions shared are my own, and I only endorse products I support. By clicking on any of the links below, I may get a small commission if you purchase at absolutely no additional charge to you. I appreciate your support.*

Planning your own New Zealand adventure? Our seven-month stay included the COVID lockdown, so the stories below describe that trip. Entry requirements, driving and camping guidance were checked on 6 October 2026. Start with the current checklist below, then enjoy the fun part: choosing where to explore with your kids!

Visiting New Zealand should absolutely be on your travel bucket list. The flight is looooong, but it’s worth it. I’ve got tips for flying with babies and toddlers to help ease your way across the world.

Why New Zealand is Perfect for Families

The strong Polynesian culture of New Zealand lends to large families, lots of kids, and welcoming locals. Depending on where you are, the country can feel a lot like the UK, but with a relaxed vibe. It was fresh air for us with five kids after so many months in Europe. No one was perturbed by how many kids we were towing!

The country itself offers endless outdoor play from beaches to hiking to surfing and so much more. Kids can spend all day outdoors, wearing themselves out in incredible beauty. The weather is quite pleasant and changes often. If you don’t like the weather, just wait an hour or two.

The topography also changes rapidly in short distances. Within a couple of hours of driving, you can feel like a totally different world. This is why so many movies are filmed in NZ: you can find snow, beach, desert, rainforest, and rolling farmland within a short distance drive.

Children sandboarding down the Giant Te Paki Sand Dunes at sunset. — *Kids’ sand surfing at the Giant Te Paki Sand Dunes*

Family Travel Tips for New Zealand

For the fun part—choosing what to do—start with our Ultimate New Zealand Guide with 95 things to do with kids. Here, let’s tackle the practical details of getting there and traveling around as a family.

Traveling to New Zealand: entry checklist

New Zealand takes effort to get to! It’s isolated and tucked away in its little corner of the world. Allow time for the long flight, connections and a gentle first day with the kids. Routes and journey times vary, so check your actual itinerary before booking.

Before you pack the suitcases

Check every traveler’s passport. Your nationality and travel plans determine whether you need an NZeTA or a visa. Eligible visa-waiver visitors, including U.S. tourists, generally need an NZeTA before travel; each child needs their own. Allow at least 72 hours for processing. An NZeTA is not a guarantee of entry.
Budget for entry costs. Many visitors pay the NZ$100 International Visitor Levy as well as their NZeTA or visa fee. Exemptions depend on your circumstances.
Complete a traveller declaration. Everyone entering New Zealand needs a New Zealand Traveller Declaration, including babies and children. It is free and separate from your visa or NZeTA.

Our extended stay is a family memory, not a visitor-permission template. Check the conditions and length of stay that apply to you before planning a long trip.

Flying to New Zealand is long and can be expensive. When we traveled there, we got flights from Paris (connecting through Bangkok) for about $600 pp.

Remember that seasons in New Zealand are opposite to the US. The best time to visit (and the most popular) will be December- March.
Use layovers to your benefit! You’ll likely have to connect somewhere to get to New Zealand. Don’t be afraid to extend your layover to another destination of your trip.

Woman photographing the New Zealand scenery through a vehicle window. — *Trying to capture amazing New Zealand with kids in tow!*

Driving in New Zealand

Prepare to drive on the left, first of all!
Plan to drive in New Zealand… a lot. It’s a large country with two islands (North and South) and a low population density. Things are spread out. While you could bus travel the North and South Islands, I’d recommend a rental car for families.
We could long-term rent our rental car (which we had all seven months) from Auckland. Know that there can be issues taking a rental car on the ferry between islands. Not all companies will ferry a rental car; sometimes, you need documentation or extra insurance.
Plan your car seats before pickup. Children under 7 must use an approved, suitable restraint; a 7-year-old must use one if available. Check NZTA’s child-restraint rules and approved standards before bringing seats from home. Also review the official visitor driving guide, including licence requirements and one-lane bridges.

A group of adults and children waving in front of a campervan. — *Invited friends for Campervanning in New Zealand*

Campervanning In New Zealand with Kids

Caption: Driving in New Zealand means more exploring with kids!

Campervanning might be the best way to travel in New Zealand. RVs are plentiful, and the country is built to support them. We did one weekend with a campervan, which was enough for us with five kids. Before renting a campervan, check the sleeping layout, approved child-seat positions and where you can legally stay overnight. We like our Airbnb space. However, with fewer kids and not working full-time, I think we could love campervanning too!

A little scared of campervanning with your kids? We can be in that club together! You can check on these top-rated hotels on the North and South Islands:

For some really great tips, check out my travel bestie Laura’s tips for camper travel in New Zealand.

Children walking into a building marked “Market open.”

New Zealand Road Tripping Amenities

Road driving in New Zealand feels easy. Check out these amenities!

Plan your restroom stops. We appreciated the public facilities on our trip, but don’t assume you’ll find a toilet or shower every hour. Check your route before a longer drive with the kids.
Natural attractions are marked with neat brown signs. You can take a 1-hour drive and spend a whole day exploring the “brown signs.” I think you could live a lifetime in NZ and never explore it all.
Check fuel stops before heading into remote areas, and fill up before a long stretch without services.
Freedom camping has rules. A beautiful pull-off is not automatically a legal campsite! Check the current freedom-camping requirements, your vehicle’s certification and local restrictions before stopping overnight.
iSites. Make it your new best friend! Each city in New Zealand has one of these, and they are for tourists. You can book activities, get info, and talk to locals about how to do things. When we hiked the Tongariro Crossing, we went to our local iSite in Turangi and booked the transportation, got information on the weather, got help with planning, and more.

Roads in New Zealand

Follow posted speed limits, shown in kilometres per hour. There isn’t one 50 mph maximum for New Zealand. Check NZTA’s speed-limit guidance, and slow down for bends, weather and unfamiliar roads. We learned the expensive way with tickets on our trip!
Remember the biggest thing about driving in New Zealand: you are driving on the left! This does take a while to get used to, and we never felt super comfortable with it. However, it gets a lot easier after a few days.
Brush up on your roundabout right-of-way and signaling laws as well. It’s a little intense for those who don’t drive roundabouts daily. For example, signal left if you are going left ( which would be the first exit since you are driving on the left) and signal right if you are going farther around!! Roundabouts are plentiful and efficient.

Spending Time in New Zealand with Kids

One thing that surprised us about New Zealand is that you feel like you are stepping back in time for a decade or two. Auckland is the exception, but it is relatively small compared to big cities around the world.

Everywhere else in NZ feels like the US 10-20 years ago. We felt like we were in Utah a lot of the time: nice people, stunning outdoor beauty.

An adult and children playing in the sand on a beach at sunset. — *Hitting the beach in New Zealand with kids*

Languages of New Zealand

English is the primary language, but Maori and other island languages are prevalent. For example, you might find children’s activities in Maori at the playground. Kids also learn Maori in school.
Like the UK, however, there are a few minor differences from USA English. Here are a few things we picked up on:
- Instead of “thank you,” they say, “It’s ok!”
- Instead of “stapled,” expect “pinched together.”
- Instead of “fries”, they say “chips.”
- “Togs” means “swimsuit.”
- “Tramping” means “hiking.”

For more fun words to expect and what they mean, check this out!

Safety in New Zealand

We felt comfortable exploring New Zealand as a family. However, there are some thefts and small crimes. Never leave valuables in your car. This can especially be true at touristy destinations, parking lots of hikes, etc. Just be as careful as you can.
There can also be some undercurrent of cultural differences. When we lived in Turangi during the Covid lockdown, there were some times we certainly felt unwelcome as tourists. However, these were stressful times, and I think, for the most part, everyone was very kind and helpful.

Booking Activities in New Zealand for Family

In addition to using the iSites for booking, check out this website where you can find discounts on many activities throughout New Zealand, Australia, and Fiji.
For some shopping fun, check out the “op-shops” or thrift stores in each town and city. There can be some fun finds!

Collage of family adventures in New Zealand: children swimming, a child hiking, and two women ziplining over a river gorge. — *Different fun adventures in New Zealand for family and kids!*

Best Foods to Try in New Zealand with Kids

There were not a ton of foods I felt like that was “pure NZ,” but we did like and enjoy:

Fresh seafood
Fish and chips
Chicken sushi (fried chicken instead of fish). We found this at the grocery store a lot.
Lamb. You’ll see lamb farms all over the country
Pavlova.

Best Time of Year to Visit New Zealand with Kids

What time of year is best for a visit to New Zealand? Remember that their seasons are opposite of the US. The most popular time to visit is winter in the US, meaning November through March.
We spent January through July in New Zealand, from summer into winter, and it did get cold about April. You can go skiing on the North Island. It was so strange to feel like it should be spring and see the leaves turn and fall! I felt like it should be Halloween time.
However, New Zealand has something to offer year-round. You can ski in June/July or enjoy the warmth in December/January.

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