How to get around New Zealand (with and without a car)
My tips on the best ways to travel around New Zealand
New Zealand’s population is relatively small for its size, which means cities and towns are very spread out.
Because of this, most locals get around with a car — New Zealand has one of the highest rates of vehicle ownership in the world.
When I lived in a four-bedroom flatshare in Auckland, all four of us had a car. That’s four cars per house, a pretty standard occurrence in New Zealand.
Most visitors to New Zealand also choose to rent a private vehicle, for good reason.
By far the easiest way to get around New Zealand is by car or campervan. Renting a car means you’ll be able to get to the more remote hikes, beaches, and scenic attractions in New Zealand.
However, hiring a car is expensive, parking can be a nightmare in places like Auckland and Queenstown, driving in New Zealand can be stressful, and it’s not the most environmentally conscious option.
If you don’t drive, or prefer not to drive, it is possible to travel around New Zealand by public transport — it’s just a little more difficult and your itinerary might not be as flexible.
I’ve travelled both with and without a car in New Zealand (I would avoid driving if I could), so I’ve got a few tips that might help you either way.
jump ahead.
Key takeaways:
Rental car is the easiest way to travel around New Zealand. Most rental companies offer a similar service, so you can just look for the cheapest option on Discover Cars. I most often use Snap Rentals.
Campervan is a more adventurous mode of travel but often costs more than a rental car + hotel. If it’s in your budget though, campervan travel is a classic New Zealand experience.
Public transport in New Zealand is limited, but it is possible to travel around without a car. Intercity is the only national bus network and the cheapest way to get around.
A heads up: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you).
How to get around New Zealand without a car
It’s possible to get around New Zealand without a car, if you’re focused on only visiting key highlights and have enough time to dedicate longer to getting from place to place.
Travelling New Zealand without a car has the potential to save you a lot of money.
During the summer months, from December to February, the cost of car and campervan rentals is very high — you can expect to pay almost $500 per week for a car, and more than $200 per night for a campervan.
Even outside of peak season, when car higher is cheaper, the cost of petrol is very high.
So travelling without a car is an attractive option.
But, to be completely honest, public transport in New Zealand is a bit of a disaster.
It does exist and you can travel via public transport, but it’s seriously limiting, often quite expensive, and it’s very time consuming.
I didn’t buy my first vehicle (a campervan) until I was in my late twenties. I managed to get around on Intercity buses, public bus in Auckland, and via lifts from friends, but I won’t lie — it was a challenge.
Most of the time I would prefer not to drive, but that’s not easy in New Zealand.
These are your options.
Buses in New Zealand
There is only one national bus network in New Zealand, Intercity buses.
Note: There used to be a company called Naked Bus, but it no longer operates, even though you might see a website under this name offering bus fares.
You can travel between most main cities and towns in New Zealand with Intercity buses.
Buses are straightforward between main cities and towns, but getting to more remote areas is hard.
Even popular places like national parks aren’t serviced by public buses, so you have to choose between shared shuttles, which typically only run in the high season, or tours.
In the Coromandel, the driver of the route around the peninsula retired, and as of February 2024 no new driver has been hired. That means that the bus just doesn’t run — so there’s no way for me to get from Auckland to my mum’s place in the Coromandel peninsula by bus.
That means you can’t travel from Auckland to a destination two hour’s drive away by public transport.
You could get from Auckland to Rotorua, Taupo, or Wellington pretty easily, but you have to be content with skipping smaller towns.
What you should know about travelling by bus
Intercity offers a Flexipass, which can help you save on your bus travel.
There are hop-on hop-off buses like those offered by Kiwi Experience, but to be honest they don’t look like very good value judging from the cost of the passes. I think you would be better using Intercity and filling any gaps with shuttles or ridesharing.
Trains in New Zealand
The only long-distance trains in new Zealand operate more as scenic experiences rather than transport links
This means they are expensive, but they can get you between some of the main hubs, with the bonus of great scenery along the way.
For example, getting from Christchurch to the West Coast on the TranzAlpine is an incredible journey.
The three main train routes are known as Great Journeys, and cover some scenic stretches of the country:
The Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington ($239)
The Coastal Pacific from Picton to Christchurch ($177)
The TranzAlpine from Christchurch to Greymouth ($239)
Given their service as scenic trains, these rail trips aren’t cheap. It would probably cost a similar amount or less to fly between any of these points, and the bus is almost certainly cheaper.
For example, Auckland to Wellington by bus costs as little as $76 one way and has multiple departures per day.
However, the train trips are undeniably scenic, if you like travelling over viaducts and at a gentle pace so you can admire the scenery.
Ferries in New Zealand
There are two ferry companies that connect the North and South Islands via the Cook Strait – the Interislander and Bluebridge.
The crossing time is around 3.5 hours. Prices vary, but you’ll pay around $60 for a walk-on fare.
I travelled as a foot passenger from Wellington to Picton, then caught a water taxi into the Marlborough Sounds to hike the Queen Charlotte track.
It was an awesome trip and really easy to arrange without a car.
If you’ve got an InterCity FlexiPass or TravelPass, the ferry is included, so you can continue your bus journey on the other island.
Here’s a potential itinerary for New Zealand without a car
Fly into Auckland and visit local highlights (like Tiritiri Matangi or Waiheke Island) by ferry and bus.
Catch a domestic flight, bus, or train to Wellington and explore the capital city
Take a ferry to the South Island
Take the Coastal Pacific Train from Picton to Kaikoura
Take the train the rest of the way to Christchurch
Take the Tranzalpine train to Greymouth
Take the Intercity bus to Franz Josef
Take the bus from Franz Josef to Wanaka or Queenstown
Take a day trip/coach tour to Milford Sound from Queenstown
From Queenstown, fly to Auckland or your other departure airport.
The cheapest way to get around New Zealand
The cheapest way to get around New Zealand is by bus, but the Intercity bus network is limited and getting from place to place can be time-consuming.
There are also some routes that cost so much on an Intercity bus it’s laughable. To get from Christchurch to Aoraki/Mount Cook costs $250 on a bus, for example.
A car rental for a couple of days would cost a fraction of that.
You’ll often hear people recommend campervans as a cheap way of getting around New Zealand, but I would caution you that campervan rentals have become very expensive post pandemic.
You will save money on accommodation when you park at freedom camping spots, but you will still need to pay for accommodation every couple of nights so you can have a hot shower and other facilities.
You’ll also save money on meals if you cook in your campervan.
However, what you save on accommodation and food might not balance out the extra costs of expensive camperavan hire, and the extra petrol you’ll need to power a bigger vehicle.
You might actually find that a budget car hire and hotels makes for a cheaper trip.
Here are a few more tips for getting around New Zealand on a budget:
Vehicle relocations can be a good way to get cheap or free rentals, if you’re flexible on dates and don’t mind travelling fast. Check out Transfer Car to see available relocation deals.
Use the Gaspy app to track down the cheapest petrol stations. Usually Gull or Waitomo petrol stations have the cheapest gas.
If you book a car with a credit card, try and avoid paying for the ‘excess reduction’ insurance that car rental companies promote. If you have travel insurance, you should already be covered for rental excess, but car companies here will still force you to pay it if you only have a debit card (like me — I’ve never had a credit card and highly resent having to pay a higher rate for cover I don’t need).
I’ve hired cars from Snap Rental, Avis, and Jucy, and honestly I find all car hire services to be more or less the same. Unless you’re fussy about what kind of car you travel in, you can just go for the cheapest option.
Car rentals and campervans
Renting a car or campervan is the most convenient way to get around New Zealand.
In some cases, renting a campervan can be more expensive than renting a car and paying for budget accommodation.
In the peak season, even a budget campervan can cost $200 per day, with bigger or more premium campervans costing $400 a day.
On top of this, you need to factor in the cost of campgrounds, as freedom camping is getting more restricted than ever before. A powered site can cost around $50 a night.
My most recent car hire was $35 a day with Snap Rentals for a station wagon (a level up from their smallest model as I needed space for 3 adults and a car seat).
However, I had to add $24 a day to that for the excess reduction as I don’t have a credit card, only a debit card. So the total cost of my rental for 5 days was NZD $314.06.
Is a campervan the best way to travel around New Zealand?
You’ve probably come across the idea by now that campervan travel is the best way to get around New Zealand.
In some ways, travelling by campervan or motorhome is the ultimate New Zealand experience. You get to camp in beautiful, remote areas, wake up by the beach or surrounded by mountains, and feel the freedom of a road trip.
I’ve spent many months travelling New Zealand in my campervan and I have to admit I love it.
Van life has its ups and downs, like going without a shower for days, but on the whole it’s a lot of fun and very adventurous.
I definitely recommend hiring a campervan in New Zealand, with the caveat that it can be quite expensive.
Recently, the cost of campervans has far outstripped the cost of car rental, so if you’re on a tight budget a car and accommodation might be a better option.
However, if you’re more concerned with the experience and less about the cost, go for a campervan.
Flights in New Zealand
You will probably end up taking at least one domestic flight in New Zealand.
Most international flights arrive into Auckland Airport, so you might want to skip straight to Christchurch or Queenstown, or fly back up at the end of your trip.
Air New Zealand is the national airline and the only option for flights to smaller towns.
Jetstar is the budget airline in New Zealand, but only offers limited routes (Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, and Dunedin).
If you book Air New Zealand in advance you can get similar prices.
Tip: Check out Air New Zealand’s Grab A Seat to find cheap flight deals.
Public transport in New Zealand cities
Even in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, I find the public transport to be a nightmare. Getting in and out of the city centre is fine, but getting from one neighbourhood to another is hard.
Most people don’t bother with taking public buses, unless it’s convenient on their commute to work into the city.
The exception to this is Waiheke Island. It’s easy to get to the island on public ferries, and the bus system on the island makes it easy to get around once you’re there.
Does New Zealand have walkable cities?
Wellington is a walkable city, thanks to a compact centre focused around the harbour.
Auckland is a sprawling city, and even walking between the central neighbourhoods takes a long time. If you stay in the CBD, you could comfortably walk to Ponsonby Road and Karangahape Road, but going any further afield requires transport.
How do you get around Auckland city?
Auckland city has a network of buses, trains, and ferries. To see the best transport options, I recommend getting an AT (Auckland Transport) Hop Card, and using the AT Journey Planner to see the best connections for your destination.
Uber in New Zealand
Uber is one of the most common ways of getting around Auckland.
Other rideshare options include DiDi and Ola.
If you arrive into Auckland airport, you can catch an Uber or Ola from the Rideshare zone. This is located behind the multi-story carpark at the domestic terminal and outside door 11 at the international terminal.
All uber rides in New Zealand are cashless.
Uber is available in all of these New Zealand cities:
Auckland
Christchurch
Dunedin
Gisborne
Hamilton
Invercargill
Napier-Hastings
Nelson
New Plymouth
Palmerston North
Queenstown
Tauranga
Wellington
Whangarei
Thanks for reading this far! I hope this helped give you an idea of what the best way to travel New Zealand is. If it’s in your budget, I really recommend a campervan — it’s such an awesome experience!
Before you go, you might also like to read these posts:
