Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Reservations
Over summer, school holidays and public holidays, book well in advance on popular
routes (a week or two if possible). At other times a day or two ahead is usually fine. The
best prices are generally available online, booked a few weeks in advance.
Bus Passes
If you're covering a lot of ground, both
InterCity
(
www.intercity.co.nz
)
and
Naked Bus
(
www.nakedbus.com
)
offer bus passes that can be cheaper than paying as you go, but
they do of course lock you into using their respective networks. InterCity also offers a 10%
discount for YHA, ISIC, Nomands, BBH or VIP card holders, and passes are generally
valid for 12 months.
NATIONWIDE PASSES
Flexipass
A hop-on/hop-off InterCity pass, allowing travel to pretty much anywhere in NZ,
in any direction, including the Interislander ferry accross Cook Strait. The pass is pur-
chased in blocks of travel time: minimum 15 hours ($119), maximum 60 hours ($449). The
average cost of each block becomes cheaper the more hours you buy. You can top up the
pass if you need more time.
Flexitrips
An InterCity bus-pass system whereby you purchase a specific number of bus
trips (eg Auckland to Tauranga would count as one trip) in blocks of five, with or without
the Cook Strait ferry trip included. Five/15/30 trips including the ferry cost $210/383/550
(subtract $54 if you don't need the ferry).
Aotearoa Adventurer
,
Kiwi Explorer
,
Kia Ora New Zealand
and
Tiki Tour New Zeal-
and
Hop-on/hop-off, fixed-itinerary nationwide passes offered by InterCity. These passes
link up tourist hot spots and range in price from $645 to $1219. See
www.travelpass.co.nz
for details.
Naked Passport
(www.nakedpassport.com) A Naked Bus pass that allows you to buy
trips in blocks of five, which you can add to any time, and book each trip as needed. Five/
15/30 trips cost $151/318/491. An unlimited pass costs $597 - great value if you're travel-
ling NZ for many moons.
NORTH ISLAND PASSES
InterCity also offers 13 hop-on/hop-off, fixed-itinerary North Island bus passes, ranging
from short $43 runs between Rotorua and Taupo, to $249 trips from Auckland to Welling-
ton via the big sights in between. See
www.travelpass.co.nz
for details.
SOUTH ISLAND PASSES
On the South Island, InterCity offers 11 hop-on/hop-off, fixed-itinerary passes, ranging
from $43 trips between Christchurch and Kaikoura, to $583 loops around the whole is-
land. See
www.travelpass.co.nz
for details.
