How to get around New Zealand (with and without a car)
My tips on the best ways to travel around New Zealand
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.
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.
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.
I’ll talk about getting around without a car first, so if you’re looking for information on car rentals and campervans, jump ahead.
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).
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.
Campervan is a more adventurous mode of travel but often costs more than a rental car + hotel (most of the time). 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.
Train journeys are scenic rather than practical, but you can still travel from Auckland to Christchurch via trains and ferries — The Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington, Coastal Pacific from Picton to Christchurch, and TranzAlpine are all gorgeous.
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.
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. You can catch the ferry to Devonport and walk up to North Head for panoramic views.
Catch the Northern Explorer train to Wellington and explore the capital city. It’s small and compact, so easy to explore on foot.
Take a ferry to the South Island. Leave at a time when it will still be daylight sailing into Picton — the views of the Marlborough Sounds are stunning.
From Picton, you can take a taxi boat into the Marlborough Sounds for a day hike.
Take the Coastal Pacific Train from Picton to Kaikoura. It’s worth stopping in Kaikoura for at least a night. From here you can easily take whale watching boat tours, or swim with dolphins.
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.
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). You can take the train back to Christchurch the same day to make this a day trip — there isn’t a lot to see immediately in Greymouth, so without a car it’s not the ideal place to stay.
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.
Car rentals and campervans
Renting a car or campervan is the most convenient way to get around New Zealand.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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