Kosten voor bus, veerboot en schilderachtige trein in Nieuw-Zeeland

Flexibiliteit in bustarieven

InterCity-standaard- en Flexi-producten hanteren verschillende wijzigings- en terugbetalingsvoorwaarden, terwijl lage GoTickets beperkt beschikbaar zijn. Vergelijk bagage- en wijzigingskosten met het tarief.

Een bus bereikt veel steden, maar heeft mogelijk geen directe verbinding met een camping of trailhead.

De veerboot prijst het voertuig

Cook Strait voertuigkosten veranderen met afmetingen en passagiers. Voer de stellingen, aanhangers en camperhoogte nauwkeurig in en lees vervolgens de wijzigingsvoorwaarden.

Te voet reizen is goedkoper, maar vereist een plan voor uitrusting en transport op beide terminals.

Scenic Rail is een ervaring

De diensten Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific en TranzAlpine zijn geen vervanging voor een gewone pendeltrein. Hun schema en tarief omvatten de waarde van de reis zelf.

Prijs de volgende nacht, omdat de aankomsttijd een verbinding op dezelfde dag kan verwijderen. Een goedkope zitplaats met een extra hotel hoeft niet het lagere totaal te zijn.

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.

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