It goes without saying that one of the most popular ways to explore New Zealand is by car or campervan. But not everyone can do this.
Whether it’s because of budget, confidence or driving ability, there are several reasons why people choose to visit New Zealand without hiring a car.
Thankfully, there are several other easy ways to explore New Zealand. So if you can’t hire a car or campervan, don’t let this put you off from visiting this wondrous country.
Despite spending two months exploring New Zealand in a campervan, I also spent four months there without one. While I’d occasionally hire transport, I primarily used busses.
In this post, I’ve shared my knowledge about how to get around New Zealand without a car.
Travel by bus (InterCity)
Travelling around New Zealand by bus is one of the best ways to see the country without a car. Despite many towns in New Zealand being remote and nestled in the mountains, New Zealand has a great bus network.
One of the major bus operators in New Zealand is InterCity. Honestly, if you’re looking for the cheapest and most convenient option without a car, it’s going to be InterCity.
InterCity busses connect many towns and cities in both the North and South Island. They operate all year round, but you might find some routes are seasonal.
InterCity Options
Pay as you go
When travelling around New Zealand with InterCity, you have different options. The first option is to buy pay as you go tickets. This means you book your bus tickets as and when you want to. However, if you’re planning to use InterCity several times, this will not be cost-effective.
One of the great things about InterCity is they offer passes. This means you can buy a pass and use the bus as a hop on, hop off service. There are two options for InterCity passes.
Travel Pass
The travel pass is a set itinerary covering some of the most popular areas in New Zealand. They often include extra perks such as included activities.
Here are some of their popular Travel Pass options:
- Alps Explorer: Christchurch to Queenstown with Mount Cook. This includes a day trip to Milford Sound ($229 NZD)
- West Coast Passport: Picton to Queestown including Nelson and Franz Josef ($125 NZD)
- Ultimate New Zealand: North Island & South Island including ferry crossing and Milford Sound ($529 NZD)
All the passes are available to buy on the InterCity website.
The Travel Pass is a cost-effective way of seeing New Zealand in a short amount of time. There’s no limit on how long you can spend in each destination giving you plenty of time to explore.
The disadvantage of choosing InterCity’s Travel Pass is there is no flexibility for your route. You’ll only be able to visit the set destinations.
Flexi Pass
In my opinion, the InterCity Flexi Pass is the best way to get around New Zealand without a car.
Like the Travel Pass, the Flexi is also a hop on, hop off pass, but it’s set up by hours instead. You simply purchase a set number of hours and can travel on their network for that amount of time. Once you’re running low, you can top up your hours.
If you’re planning to travel several times with InterCity and want the flexibility to see plenty of destinations, this is likely your best option.
InterCity Summary
Pros of InterCity
- Great bus network
- Can be inexpensive depending on which pass you travel on
- Can be flexible and make changes to your itinerary
- Gives you the chance to spend time in each place
Cons of InterCity
- There is a set timetable
- Not all bus routes run everyday or all year
- Doesn’t go everywhere
- You may still need a car/taxi to get to your activities
It’s advised to book in advance as the busses do fill up, especially in the summer.
The Kiwi Experience Bus
Overview
If you’re a backpacker looking for a service like InterCity, but want to easily meet other travellers, then the Kiwi Experience could be an option for you.
The Kiwi Experience describes itself as like a guided tour but with the flexibility to do what you want. In summary, it’s a hop on hop off bus service with some added extras.
Many of the drivers act as a tour guide and will tell you about the area. They can sell you discounted activities and there is also discounted accommodation available as part of your package.
The Kiwi Experience is a great option for those who are nervous about travelling alone. You’ll be with like-minded travellers and experienced drivers, but still have the flexibility to do what you want. It’s a great option for getting around New Zealand with no car or campervan.
How it works
The Kiwi Experience offers hop on and hop off bus passes. There are a variety of passes to choose from which offer pre-set routes around New Zealand.
Once you’ve decided which route you want to do, you purchase your pass and book your busses. The tours range from 1 day all the way through to a minimum of 25 days.
If you want to see the highlights of both the North and South Island, I’d consider the Hokey Pokey tour ($1750 NZD). This tour takes you around the main spots in the North Island before doing a loop of the South Island. You’ll need at least 3 weeks to do this.
Their most in-depth bus route is called the Whole Kit and Caboodle. You’ll need at least 25 days to do this and it costs $1899.
For those with less time, consider the Tiki tour as this is only 16 days (1540 NZD).
All the tour options can be found on the Kiwi Experience website.
The Kiwi Experience also offer pre-organised group tours. I’ve spoken more about these below.
Summary
I personally find the Kiwi Experience a bit expensive for what it is. If you want to do a budget trip, you’re better choosing InterCity and staying at social hostels to meet people. If you want to be sure you’re going to meet people and have lots included, choose a fully guided tour.
Pros of Kiwi Experience
- Easy to meet people
- The drivers can help you plan everything
- It’s flexible so you can spend as much time in places as you want
- Can easily book accommodation through the website
Cons of Kiwi Experience
- It’s very expensive for what it really is
- It can be a bit of a party vibe
- You’ll still often find yourself needing to use taxis to get to specific places
Read a full in-depth review of the Kiwi Experience.
Travel by train
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to get around New Zealand by train. The country doesn’t really have a train network away from the cities.
One option to take the train in New Zealand is to choose one of the scenic rail journeys.
One of the most popular scenic train routes is the TranzAlpine which takes you through the stunning mountains from Greymouth to Christchurch. The train ride is approximately four hours. It’s one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world.
Another popular scenic train route is the Northern Explorer from Auckland to Wellington. The train passes through popular places in the North Island including Hamilton and Tongariro National Park.
The Coastal Pacific train is another stunning route which takes passengers from Picton to Christchurch via the east coast.
While using trains to get around New Zealand will be a challenge, they could be added to a bus itinerary. For example, consider taking the TranzAlpine train from Christchurch to Greymouth. From there, use InterCity to explore New Zealand’s West Coast.
Join a group tour
If you don’t have a car in New Zealand and are nervous about travelling alone, consider joining a group tour.
Group tours are the perfect option if you want everything planned for you with little hassle. They can be expensive, but I think it’s a great way to get around New Zealand, see the highlights and meet like-minded people. If you’re nervous about travelling solo in New Zealand, a small group tour could be the answer.
There are many operators offering group tours in New Zealand. Some of my favourites include:
Intro Travel
Intro offers 9 or 17-day tours around the country. You can opt to do the North or South Island, or both. The tour takes you to the major highlights of New Zealand, including Rotorua, Hobbiton, Waitomo, Mount Cook, Queenstown and Milford Sound.
If you’re coming to New Zealand on the working holiday visa, Intro offers an extra service to help you get set up for your stay. This includes sorting your IRD number and helping you find a job.
The demographic for Intro Travel in New Zealand is 18-40s.
Disclaimer: I worked as a Group Leader for Intro during my time in New Zealand. I receive no commission or benefits for promoting this tour on this website.
G Adventures
G Adventures are one of my favourite group travel companies. They offer group tours all around the world. I’ve travelled with them several times and always have a great experience.
G’s demographic tends to be a little more varied, but they offer tours for 18-40s if you prefer a younger crowd.
Intrepid Travel
Intrepid is another popular group tour agency who offers tours around New Zealand. These tours tend to have a slightly older demographic. They’re another fantastic option for seeing New Zealand without a car.
The Kiwi Experience
As well as their hop on and off busses, the Kiwi Experience also offer organised tours.
Choosing to join a group tour is a great way to see New Zealand without a car. Everything is organised for you and if something goes wrong, you don’t have to worry. It’s worth noting that there’s little flexibility with group tours. There is a set itinerary which you must stick to unless you leave the tour.
By boat or plane
New Zealand is made up of an estimated 600 islands, so it’s no surprise there are several boats taking people between destinations.
The most popular boat journey in New Zealand is the ferry between the North and South Islands. Whether you have a car or are travelling by bus, the ferry is the best option to get between the North and South Island. It’s a lovely boat ride with beautiful scenery, and there’s even the chance of seeing whales at certain times of the year.
Despite New Zealand’s small size, many of the major towns and cities in New Zealand also have regional airports. While you certainly won’t be able to get around New Zealand by plane altogether, you’ll be able to fly between some of the more popular destinations.
For example, destinations such as Rotorua, Dunedin and Nelson all have airports.
Itinerary for getting around New Zealand without a car
To get around New Zealand without a car, consider using a range of different transport options. Here’s something I would consider:
Stop one: fly into Auckland and spend two days exploring New Zealand’s largest city.
Stop two: join an organised tour to Rotorua via Hobbiton and Waitomo Glowworm caves.
Stop three: from Rotorua, get the InterCity bus to Wellington (some of these busses go via Tongariro National Park if you want to stop here.
Stop four: from New Zealand’s capital, take the ferry across to Picton.
Stop five: using your InterCity bus pass, make your way down to Queenstown stopping at the major West Coast highlights. This includes Franz Josef and the beautiful town of Wanaka.
Stop six: spend some time in Queenstown, the ‘Adventure Capital of New Zealand’. Make the most of your InterCity bus pass and take a day trip to the wondrous Milford Sound. If you want to get off the beaten path, consider visiting Doubtful Sound.
Queenstown is home to the relaxing Onsen Hot Pools. The perfect place to relax after all this exploring.
Stop seven: join an organised tour from Queenstown to Christchurch via a stop in Mount Cook National Park, home to one of the best walks in New Zealand – The Hooker Valley Track. If you have time, stay for a few days in Tekapo.
Stop eight: finish your trip to New Zealand in Christchurch, the South Island’s biggest city.
To summarise, there are several different methods to get around New Zealand without a car. So don’t be put off if you’re not planning to drive. New Zealand is without a doubt one of my favourite countries I’ve ever been to and promises the trip of a lifetime.
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