Transport in New Zealand – How To Get Around On A Budget (2024)

Slinging a backpack over your shoulder and heading on the long ass journey down to the bottom of the planet to marvel at some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world is bucket list shit, right?

But guys, I’m not going to sugarcoat it, although backpacking in New Zealand is EPIC, New Zealand’s transport can be preeeeetty shit.

Compared to the likes of the UK, EU or the USA, getting around our seemingly little country can be a right ol’ mission. Unless you have your own set of wheels, you’ll have limited options for getting around. But never fear, my friend, it’s still totally doable and today I’m gonna show you how!

As your local Kiwi guide, I’m going to give you an insider view of the best modes of transport no matter where you’re staying in New Zealand. Whether you want to go from North to South, East to West, or just go all over – I’ve got you covered.

I’ve listed the transport options below. These can be you can create your own combination of these to suit your travel needs and budget.

Whether you’re after the cheapest option, the scenic route or the fastest way, I’ll take you through em’ all. So, jump onboard amigo and let’s dive into each in more detail.

Ok, it’s time for the good stuff. From buses and trains to hitchhiking and planes, I’m going to take you through all the options for modes of transport in New Zealand and help you figure out which ones suit you best. Here we goooo.

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1. Intercity Buses

Let’s kick off with one of the best bang for your buck in terms of transport in New Zealand, the buses!

You will not be spoilt for choice when it comes to New Zealand bus companies, the Intercity Bus is New Zealand’s largest public bus network and kinda your only choice. However, it does have a shit load of routes that can get you to most towns across the country.

The Intercity buses are used by travellers and locals alike to get cross country. So, why not nestle up with some local Kiwis and see where they’re off to?

Intercity has a few passes to help us travellers save a few bucks on their services:

• Flexipass: This is an hour-based bus pass that allows you to build your trip around New Zealand flexibly. It also includes day trips with Intercity AND the Interislander ferry (the boat that takes you from north to south).
• Travelpass: These are pre-planned itineraries that you can choose from, however, you also have some flexibility to adjust them to suit your time frame and where you want to go.

If you know your plans, you can book tickets at pretty low prices if you book far enough in advance. If this is the case, I wouldn’t worry about the passes.

But if you do buy a pass I’d recommend the Flexipass over the Travelpass, it’s hours-based and valid for up to 12 months. You can use the pass for the more expensive routes and opt for cheaper transport routes (like ridesharing or hitchhiking) or short routes.

Here are some prices in NZD that you can expect to pay for some of the most popular routes with Intercity. Booking last minute ain’t cheap, peeps:

2. Backpacker/ Tourist Buses

Backpacker or tourist buses are often overlooked. They can be fantastic options for groups or solo travellers in New Zealand who are looking to join in on some pre-planned action. Butttt, they ain’t always cheap. Anyway, here are a couple of New Zealand’s favourite tourist buses.

The Kiwi Experience – Group Travel for the Youngsters and the Young at Heart.

If you wanna get down and dirty on a true traveller bus, the big ol’ green ones slapped with the name The Kiwi Experience are where you’ll wanna be. These guys go out of their way to give travellers a social experience while visiting some of the most beautiful places in New Zealand. Be prepared for a load of ice-breakers and social nights, it can be a lot of fun on these buses.

However, it’s important to note, The Kiwi Experience buses are also lovingly nicknamed “the green fuck bus”. Mainly filled with a load of youngsters, usually those on a gap year, partying their way around the country. With up to 55 seats that are all usually booked out in high season, this can be SUPER fun if you’re looking to meet new friends, drink too much and see some cool shit.

The idea of these buses is pretty cool, they are a hop-on, hop-off service. They have set routes and you can jump on and off when suits you. They book your accommodation for you and organise things like group dinners to really embrace that social aspect.

You can book on The Kiwi Experience hop-on/ hop-off tours from 2-28 days, the cost will set you back between 99-1,760 NZD. Whereas, their smaller group tours range from 2-18 days and are more expensive at 1,650-3,950 NZD.

Stray – The Group Bus Travel for the Rest of Us

For those of you who don’t want to drink your nights in New Zealand but you’re after a group tour vibe, Stray is who you’ll want to book with. These guys have smaller buses, which can make it easier to make friends. However, they don’t have as many ice-breakers or social games to help you get acquainted. So, it’s a catch-22.

You’ll often find a good mix of travellers on a Stray bus tour. From the young gap-year travellers to the older, independent travellers.

Travelling in New Zealand can be pretty expensive as it is, but these tours really slap a high price tag on it. The tours range between 8 and 24 days and they will set you back between 2,770-5,950 NZD. Yep, you’ll wanna start saving if you want to do a group tour.

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3. Trains

For those of you from the EU/ UK, these are not what you would expect. They are not commuter trains; you won’t find any locals using rail transport in New Zealand to get to work and back. These are by no means the cheapest or fastest way to get around. It’s a pretty unique thing to do in New Zealand.

But these scenic trains will show you a truly BEAUTIFUL side of New Zealand. Taking you past rivers, mountains, gorges and so much more that you may never see otherwise. You’ll want to have a good camera at the ready at all times. My fav travel-sized camera is the Panasonic LUMIX ZS100, she takes some bloody good shots.

Northern Explorer (Auckland-Wellington), Coastal Pacific (Christchurch-Picton), and TranzAlpine (Christchurch-Greymouth) are the three big companies that operate these tours. The prices in NZD of these vary each season and also depend on how early you book your tickets.

4. Domestic Flights

Obviously, flying is the most expensive transport option in New Zealand. But it’s also the easiest and fastest option to get from A to B.

The two main carriers are Air New Zealand and Jetstar. You can often find cheap flights and bargains with Jetstar, but you get what you pay for. Jetstar is the low-cost carrier and Air New Zealand is the boujee one.

The cities in New Zealand are pretty well-connected across these two carriers. You’ll also find smaller planes to get to small areas and islands across New Zealand such as Great Barrier or Stewart Island.

But to be honest, land travel is the best in New Zealand. There’s a reason why “roadies” are so popular, you get to take it all in from the roadside window seat. Even if it does take a bit longer to get there.

Here are some prices that you can expect to pay when flying across the country. These prices in NZD and are priced for bookings 3 months in advance, including one checked bag and on a weekday:

5. Rental Cars

Having your own transport in New Zealand is a serious game-changer. Sure, buses can get you from A to B, but if you want to get off the beaten track or drive through rivers, having your own wheels is crucial.

There are some pretty EPIC, remote Airbnbs to stay in New Zealand that will be a heck of a lot easier to get to with your own transport.

New Zealand has a load of global car rental companies, such as Budget, Hertz and Avis. But JUCY Rentals will forever hold a special spot in my Kiwi heart. These cars are ICONIC on New Zealand roads in the summertime. You can’t travel far without spotting the bright purple and green colours of a juicy car or van.

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6. Vanlife <3

Most travellers head down under with the dream of campervanning around New Zealand. And oh what a worthy dream that is! There is nothing better than the freedom of a camper to explore the incredible landscapes of New Zealand.

No time constraints, no racing for the bus. Just you and your house on wheels looking for the next park-up spot on your South Island road trip. When it comes to campervanning in New Zealand, you’ve got a couple of options:

Option 1: Rent Yo’ self a Van!

JUCY Rentals are my favourite, as with their cars, the colours really POP on the roads. With their bright green and purple branding, you’ll be driving a Kiwi icon around the New Zealand roads. Most of the time, you can pick up in one location and drop off in another (however, you’ll pay a bit more for this).

Although vanlife seems like a low-cost adventure, the cost of hiring a van can add up pretty fast. Renting a campervan in New Zealand can vary from 50NZD to 500NZD a night depending on the length of the rental, the season and the type of van you decide to go with. To get more of a cost breakdown, check out our full guide on campervanning in New Zealand.

Option 2: Buy a Van, Explore the Country, And Sell It Before You Leave!

Assuming you can find someone to buy it at the end of your trip, this is the cheapest option as (in an ideal world) you will get your money back. If you’re going to be travelling in New Zealand for at least a few months, I’d recommend looking into this option.

You can find some goodies on buy-and-sell platforms like Facebook Marketplace and Trademe (New Zealand’s version of Gumtree). But be sure to do your due diligence and check the vehicle is in working order before you pay the bill, friends!

Although van life isn’t always the cheapest option, it’s the BEST way to explore New Zealand, especially over the summer period. You can get to some incredible, remote locations and sleep the night here.

7. Ferries Between Islands

Getting between north and south, you only really have two options. Fly or catch the ferry from Wellington-Picton (and visa versa).

Bluebridge and the Interislander are both ferries that travel between the two islands daily. Both are car ferries that welcome humans, vehicles, motorbikes and even pets!

They have private cabins if you want to sleep but overall they are pretty comfy for the 3.5-hour journey. I usually book with the interislander but they are the same. I’d just compare the prices on the day you want to leave.

If the seas are choppy, I’d recommend waiting for a calm day to book your Interislander Ferry or stocking up on some sea legs and a sick bag. This is a gnarly ride on a rocky day.

You’ll also find ferries are common for getting to all popular island locations. For example, Great Barrier Island, the Bay of Islands, Waiheke Island and Stewart Island.

8. Hitchhiking/ Ridesharing

Ok, budget backpackers. This one is for you! Hitchhiking your way around is the best budget-friendly way to explore New Zealand.

New Zealand is a great country to stick your thumb out and hope for the best. If you have a friendly smile on your face, it usually doesn’t take long to get a ride from a fellow traveller or friendly Kiwi.

Another option is to get chatting around your hostel and make some travel buddies. There will more than likely be other travellers heading in your direction that you can share a ride with.

If someone else has a van or a car, I don’t think they will be complaining if you’re pitching in for some gas money (and providing some great chat).

Hostels are a bloody great way to make friends to travel with and bring the costs down. My favourite hostel in New Zealand is Absoloot Hostel, Queenstown. This hostel is a bit of a flashpacker hangout, with Playstation, X-Box, and Wii. Plus, some pretty EPIC views over the lake and mountains.

However You Travel, Travel Insured

Good travel insurance is essential for any adventure. The last thing you want is to be calling a rescue helicopter as your mode of transport and realising you’re gonna have to pay for it!

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing.

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

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However you choose to journey across this Kiwi land, you’re in for an absolute banger of a trip.

You could be in the window seat of a busy bus, gazing down from the sky or hand out the window as you drive your camper down the windy roads. As long as you’re in New Zealand, in some mode of transport, exploring this incredible country, you’re a step ahead of the rest.

I hope you’ve found this article helpful in planning how you’re going to get around New Zealand. Although New Zealand transport doesn’t compare to the likes of Europe or the USA, it does the job.

If I had to recommend one mode of transport for getting around NZ it would 100% be to rent or buy your own set of wheels through a company such as JUCY Rentals. Campervanning or van life in New Zealand is simply unbeatable.

Enjoy your escapes down under. New Zealand’s excited to have you!

And for transparency’s sake, please know that some of the links in our content are affiliate links. That means that if you book your accommodation, buy your gear, or sort your insurance through our link, we earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you). That said, we only link to the gear we trust and never recommend services we don’t believe are up to scratch. Again, thank you!