Custos de ônibus, balsa e trem panorâmico na Nova Zelândia

Flexibilidade comercial de tarifas de ônibus

Os produtos InterCity padrão e Flexi usam diferentes termos de alteração e reembolso, enquanto os GoTickets baixos têm disponibilidade limitada. Compare as taxas de bagagem e alteração com a tarifa.

Um ônibus chega a muitas cidades, mas pode não se conectar diretamente a um acampamento ou início de trilha.

A balsa precifica o veículo

O custo do veículo no Estreito de Cook muda de acordo com as dimensões e os passageiros. Insira a altura dos racks, trailers e campervans com precisão e, em seguida, leia as condições de alteração.

A viagem a pé é mais barata, mas requer um plano de equipamento e transporte em ambos os terminais.

Trilho panorâmico é uma experiência

Os serviços Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific e TranzAlpine não substituem um trem suburbano comum. O horário e a tarifa incluem o valor da viagem em si.

Avalie a noite seguinte porque o horário de chegada pode remover uma conexão no mesmo dia. Um assento barato com um hotel extra pode não ser o total mais baixo.

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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