Coûts des bus, ferrys et trains touristiques en Nouvelle-Zélande

Flexibilité des échanges de tarifs d'autocar

Les produits InterCity standard et Flexi utilisent des conditions de modification et de remboursement différentes, tandis que les GoTickets à faible coût ont une disponibilité limitée. Comparez les frais de bagages et de modification avec le tarif.

Un autocar dessert de nombreuses villes mais peut ne pas se connecter directement à un terrain de camping ou au début d'un sentier.

Le ferry tarife le véhicule

Le coût des véhicules du détroit de Cook change en fonction des dimensions et des passagers. Entrez avec précision la hauteur des supports, des remorques et du camping-car, puis lisez les conditions de modification.

Les voyages à pied sont moins chers mais nécessitent un plan pour l'équipement et le transport dans les deux terminaux.

Le train panoramique est une expérience

Les services Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific et TranzAlpine ne remplacent pas un train de banlieue ordinaire. Leur horaire et leur tarif incluent la valeur du voyage lui-même.

Tarifez la nuit suivante, car l’heure d’arrivée peut supprimer une connexion le jour même. Un siège bon marché avec un hôtel supplémentaire ne constitue peut-être pas le total le plus bas.

The intercity coach network

Long-distance coaches connect the main centres and most tourist towns, and booked well ahead they are the cheapest way to move between cities without a vehicle. Fares rise steeply close to departure, so the flexibility of booking late is expensive.

Coaches are slower than driving and stop frequently, which is fine if you treat the journey as part of the day. What they do not do is get you to trailheads, DOC campsites or anywhere off the main highway.

The three scenic rail journeys

New Zealand's passenger rail is a tourism product rather than transport: the TranzAlpine between Christchurch and Greymouth, the Coastal Pacific up to Picton, and the Northern Explorer between Auckland and Wellington. They are priced accordingly and run limited timetables, often seasonally.

The TranzAlpine in particular is worth doing for its own sake, and it works well as a return day trip from Christchurch. Treat all three as experiences you are buying rather than a way to save money on a transfer.

Cook Strait as the fixed cost

The Interislander and Bluebridge crossings are the only way to take a vehicle between the islands, and they are a significant, non-negotiable line in any two-island budget. Foot passenger fares are far cheaper, which occasionally makes a vehicle swap on either side worth pricing.

Book summer sailings well ahead, and read the change conditions before choosing a cheap fare. Weather cancellations are routine on this crossing, and an inflexible ticket is a false economy.

Smaller ferries you may need

Stewart Island is reached by ferry from Bluff or by air from Invercargill, and the crossing is short but frequently rough. Waiheke and the inner Hauraki Gulf islands run regular Auckland services, and there are vehicle ferries for some of them at a much higher price than the passenger fare.

Water taxis serve Abel Tasman, the Marlborough Sounds and parts of Fiordland, and for those they are not a luxury but the practical way in and out. Budget them as part of the walk rather than as an extra.

Passes and hop-on hop-off networks

Several operators sell flexible passes covering a set number of trips or a period of travel, aimed at backpackers moving between hostels and towns. These work well if your route matches the network and poorly if you want to stop anywhere it does not serve.

Compare the pass against the sum of the individual fares you would actually book, not the maximum possible use. Most people use fewer trips than they expected when they bought it.

Booking individual coach tickets early is frequently cheaper than any pass, particularly outside peak season. The pass buys flexibility rather than a lower price, so decide which of the two you actually need.

Lieux sur le chemin