Internal flights are reasonably priced if booked well in advance, but you’ll appreciate the scenery better by travelling at ground level. The cheapest and easiest, though slowest, way to get around is by bus (coaches or shuttle buses). The rail service, by contrast, is limited and expensive.
Rental cars and campervans, particularly the little ones (see Buying a used vehicle), can be remarkably good value for two or more people, but if you are staying in the country for more than a couple of months, it’s more economical to buy a vehicle. New Zealand’s green countryside encourages cyclists, but even the keenest vary their transport options.
Competition on the ferries connecting the North and South islands means passenger fares are good value, though transporting vehicles is pricey. Planes and boats give limited access to offshore islands and the parts of the mainland that remain stubbornly impenetrable by road, though more specialist tours make getting into the wilds easier.
The frequency of long-distance bus, train and plane services is listed, where relevant, in each chapter in “Arrival and Departure”, while local buses and trains, again where relevant, appear in “Getting Around”.
By plane
Many visitors fly into Auckland at the beginning of their trip and out from Christchurch at the end, so don’t touch domestic flights, but those with a tight timetable wanting to hit a few key sights in a short time might be tempted by reasonable-value internal fares.
The biggest domestic operator is Air New Zealand (wairnewzealand.com), serving all the main centres and numerous minor ones (25 destinations in all). The main competition is from Jetstar (wjetstar.com), which serves Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, Rotorua and Queenstown. Air New Zealand runs single-class planes with fares that come in three levels, offering lower fares for decreased flexibility: there are fewer low-cost fares at popular times. Jetstar has a similar system. For example, a one-way standard flight between Auckland and Christchurch is about $399, a Flexi Plus around $289, a Smart Saver as little as $139 and a seat only (no hold baggage) $89. Other flights you might take are scenic jaunts from Auckland to Great Barrier Island, the hop over Cook Strait, or the short trip from Invercargill to Stewart Island.
Airlines
Air New Zealandt0800 737 000, wairnewzealand.co.nz.
Great Barrier Airlines & Air Coromandelt0800 900 600, wgreatbarrierairlines.co.nz. Flights between Auckland, Coromandel and Great Barrier Island.
Fly My Skyt0800 222 123, wflymysky.co.nz. Flights between Auckland and Great Barrier Island.
Jetstart0800 800 995, wjetstar.com/nz.
Soundsairt0800 505 005, wsoundsair.com. Small planes across Cook Strait.
Stewart Island Flightst03 218 9129, wstewartislandflights.com. Scheduled services between Invercargill and Stewart Island.
By bus
You can get most places on long-distance buses (“coaches”) and smaller shuttle buses, which essentially offer the same service but are more likely to drop you off and pick up at hotels, hostels and the like. Services are generally reliable and reasonably comfortable, and competition keeps prices competitive. The larger buses are usually air-conditioned, and some have toilets, though all services stop every couple of hours, at wayside tearooms and points of interest along the way. Most of your fellow passengers are likely to be visitors to New Zealand so drivers often give a commentary, the quality of which varies.
InterCity and Newmans
The biggest operator, InterCity, runs high-quality full-size buses all over the country. They operate closely with Newmans, who pitch themselves as slightly more luxurious and target sightseeing excursions. In practice, the two companies share a timetable and InterCity passes can often be used on Newmans buses: when we refer to InterCity we are generally referring to services run collectively by InterCity and Newmans.
As an example, a standard one-way fare on the North Island, Auckland to Rotorua, is $50, while on the South Island, Christchurch to Queenstown, it’s $85.
Prices often plummet during off-peak periods and a range of discounted fares is available, with an advance-purchase Saver fare yielding a 25-percent discount and a Super Saver 50 percent. Extreme Saver and Web Saver fares are also available: book early for the best prices. YHA, VIP and BBH cardholders get fifteen-percent discounts off Standard rates but you’ll find cheaper deals by chasing down the various Saver fares.
InterCity also offers numerous fixed-route passes such as the Auckland, Bay of Islands Pass, including Cape Reinga ($209; backpacker $179); Auckland, Rotorua, Napier via Taupo, Wellington and back (Maui’s Catch: $215; backpacker $195); Nelson to Queenstown via the west coast ($159; backpacker $145); and various all-New Zealand experiences (from Kia Ora: $645; backpacker $579), with ever increasing fares.
Other buses
A host of bus and shuttle bus companies compete directly with InterCity/Newmans on the main routes and fill in the gaps around the country, often linking with the major operators, to take you off the beaten track. Generally they cost less (sometimes appreciably) and can be more obliging when it comes to drop-offs and pick-ups, though seldom as comfortable over distance. We’ve listed a number of the operators below, but there are many more mentioned in the appropriate sections of this guide.
Official (i-SITE) visitor centres carry timetables of bus and shuttle companies operating in their area, so you can compare frequencies and prices. Fare structures are generally straightforward, with fixed prices and no complicated discounts. Auckland to Rotorua, on the North Island, costs about $34, while on the South Island, Christchurch to Queenstown will be roughly $45.
Bus companies
Atomic Shuttlest03 349 0697, watomictravel.co.nz. Major long-distance bus operator in the South Island.
InterCity & Newmans Auckland call centre t09 583 5780, wintercitycoach.co.nz & wnewmanscoach.co.nz. Long-distance buses nationwide.
NakedBust0900 62533 (premium rate), wnakedbus.com. Cheap, frill-free trips on both islands.
Northliner Expresst09 583 5780, wnorthliner.co.nz. Bus travel around Northland, owned by InterCity.
Southern Linkt0508 458 835, wsouthernlinkcoaches.co.nz. Routes all over the South Island.
By train
Not much is left of New Zealand’s passenger train service besides commuter services in Wellington and Auckland and a few inter-city trains. The long-distance services that exist are scenic runs, primarily used by tourists; trains are so slow that they have ceased to be practical transport for New Zealanders. Minimal investment in infrastructure and rolling stock is beginning to have an effect on standards, but railway travel remains a pleasant experience.
Trains have reclining seats, buffet cars with reasonable food, beer, panoramic windows, and occasionally a glass-backed observation carriage. Tickets guarantee a seat: passengers check in on the platform before boarding and bags are carried in a luggage van.
Long-distance trains are all run by Tranz Scenic (t04 495 0775 & t0800 872 467, wtranzscenic.co.nz), which operates three passenger routes. The longest is the Overlanderbetween Auckland and Wellington, past the volcanic peaks of the Tongariro National Park. Interesting stops along the way include Te Awamutu, Te Kuiti (where the train is met by a shuttle bus to Waitomo Caves) and National Park (with access to Mount Ruapehu and the Tongariro Alpine Crossing). The service leaves both Auckland and Wellington daily around 7.35am and reaches its destination around 7.20pm.
In the South Island, the TranzCoastal runs between Christchurch and Picton, a pretty run sometimes hugging the coast. It leaves Christchurch at 7am for the run up through Kaikoura (9.54am) and Blenheim (11.33pm) to Picton (12.13pm). It then returns from Picton (1pm) through Blenheim (1.33pm) and Kaikoura (3.28pm) to Christchurch (6.21pm).
The finest rail journey in New Zealand is the TranzAlpinebetween Christchurch and Greymouth on the West Coast – it is covered in detail on For more information, see Orana Wildlife Park.
Fares are higher than the comparable bus tickets, but with discounts and the use of a travel pass, travelling is still reasonably good value. Most people get the standard or Flexi fare, which gives a discount in return for advance booking, limited availability and only a fifty-percent refund if cancelled after the departure time. As an example, a standard, one-way ticket from Auckland to Wellington is about $129, from Christchurch to Greymouth around $185. Seniors (60-plus) can get a thirty-percent discount on standard fares, though most folk do better by going for a Scenic Rail Pass. Blind and some disabled travellers are entitled to a forty-percent discount on the standard fare.
Apart from a couple of short-run steam trains, the only other passenger trains are along the Taieri Gorge Railway between Dunedin and Middlemarch, again run almost entirely for the benefit of tourists and an extremely beautiful scenic route.
By car
For maximum flexibility, it’s hard to beat driving around New Zealand: you’ll be able to get to places beyond the reach of public transport and to set your own timetable. With the freedom to camp or stay in cheaper places away from town centres this can be a very economical option for two or more people.
In order to drive in New Zealand you need a valid licence from your home country or an International Driver’s Licence valid for up to a year in New Zealand and you must always carry the licence when driving.
In New Zealand you drive on the left and will find road rules similar to those in the UK, Australia and the US. All occupants must wear seatbelts and drivers must park in the same direction as that in which they are travelling.
The speed limit for the open road is 100kmph, reduced to 70kmph or 50kmph in built-up areas. Speeding fines start at $30 and rapidly increase as the degree of transgression increases. Some drivers flash their headlights at oncoming cars to warn of lurking police patrols, but there are also hidden cameras on the roads. Drink driving has traditionally been a problem in New Zealand: as part of a campaign to cut the death toll, random breath tests exist and offenders are dealt with severely.
Road conditions are generally good and traffic is relatively light except around Auckland and Wellington in the rush hour. Most roads are sealed (paved), although a few have a metalled surface, composed of an aggregate of loose chippings. Clearly marked on most maps, these are slower to drive along, prone to washouts and landslides after heavy rain, and demand considerably more care and attention from the driver. Some rental companies prohibit the use of their cars on the worst metalled roads – typically those at Skippers Canyon and around the northern tip of Coromandel Peninsula. Always check conditions locally before setting off on these routes.
Other hazards include one-lane bridges: a sign before the bridge will indicate who has right of way, and on longer examples there’ll be a passing place halfway across.
Unleaded and super unleaded petrol and diesel are available in New Zealand, and in larger towns petrol stations are open 24hr. In smaller towns, they may close after 8pm, so be sure to fill up for long evening or night journeys.
If you’re driving your own vehicle, check if the New Zealand Automobile Association (waa.co.nz) has reciprocal rights with motoring organizations from your country to see if you qualify for their cover; otherwise, you can join as an overseas visitor. Apart from a free 24hr emergency breakdown service (t0800 500 222) – excluding vehicles bogged on beaches – membership entitles you to free maps, accommodation guides and legal assistance, discounts on some rental cars and accommodation, plus access to insurance and pre-purchase vehicle inspection services.
Car rental
Visitors driving in New Zealand typically pick up a car in Auckland, tour the North Island to Wellington where they leave the first vehicle, cross Cook Strait, pick up a second car in Picton, then drive around the South Island dropping off the car in Christchurch. The whole thing can be done in reverse, and may work out cheaper, or you can stick with the same car across Cook Strait, which with domestic companies doesn’t entail a big price hike.
You’ll see rental deals for under $37 a day, though only for older, small cars rented for over a month in winter (June–Aug). Demand is high over the main summer season and prices rise accordingly.
Most of the major international companies are represented and offer good deals for virtually new cars. Domestic firms offer cheaper rates partly by minimizing overheads and offering older (but perfectly serviceable) vehicles. You may find even cheaper deals with cut-rate local companies, which are fine for short stints, though for general touring domestic nationwide companies are the best bet. Their infrastructure helps when it comes to crossing between the North and South islands (see The Dowse Art Museum) and they typically offer free breakdown assistance.
In peak season it usually pays to have a car booked in advance. At quieter times you can often pick up something cheaper once you arrive; and in winter (except in ski areas) you can almost name your price. Provided your rental period is four days or more the deal will be for unlimited kilometres. The rates quoted below are for summer season assuming a two-week rental period, but don’t be afraid to haggle at any time.
As a general rule, Ace, Apex, Omega and Pegasus offer reasonably new cars at moderate prices, while the rest of the companies listed below try desperately to undercut each other and offer low prices.
Based on a two-week rental in summer, for two people, a small car (1.3–1.8 litre) might cost $45–70 a day from the majors and $37–60 from domestic national firms. A medium-sized car (2–3 litre) might cost $65–90 from the majors and $35–80 from domestic national companies. Unless you’re here in winter and want to get up to the ski-fields without tyre chains you don’t really need a 4WD, which generally cost $70–130 a day; you’ll be better off renting one for short trips in specific areas.
If you are renting for several weeks, there is often no drop-off fee for leaving the vehicle somewhere other than where you picked it up. For shorter rental periods you may be charged $170–300, though if you’re travelling south to north, you may be able to sweet-talk your way out of drop-off charges. At different times in the season Wellington, Picton, Christchurch and Queenstown have a glut of cars that are needed elsewhere, and companies will offer relocation deals. Look at hostel notice boards or call the firms listed below. Some companies want quick delivery, while others will allow you to spend a few more days en route for a reduced rental rate.
You must have a full, clean driver’s licence and be over 21; drivers under 25 often pay more for insurance. In most cases insurance is included in the quoted cost but you are liable for any windscreen damage and the first $1000 of any damage. With some of the cheaper companies this excess can be as much as $3000 if the accident is your fault. This can usually be reduced to $250 or zero by paying an additional $10–20 a day Collision Damage Waiver. Usually before giving you a car rental companies take a credit-card imprint or a cash bond from you for $1500. If you have an accident, the bond is used to pay for any damage: in some cases you can pay anything up to the value of the bond; in others you pay the entire bond no matter how slight the damage. Read the small print, look around the car for any visible defects, so you won’t end up being charged for someone else’s mistakes, and check whether there are any restrictions on driving along certain roads.
Domestic car-rental agencies
A2B Rentalst0800 545 000, wa2brentals.co.nz.
Ace Rental Carst0800 502 277, wacerentalcars.co.nz.
Apext0800 939 597, wapexrentals.co.nz.
Bargain Rental Carst0800 001 122, wbargainrentalcars.co.nz.
Jucyt0800 399 736, wjucy.co.nz.
Omegat0800 112 2333, womegarentalcars.com.
Pegasust0800 803 580, wrentalcars.co.nz.