Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
Auckland's motorways jam badly at peak times, particularly the Northern and Southern
Motorways. It's best to avoid them between 7am and 9am, and from 4pm to 7pm. Things
also get tight around 3pm during term time, which is the end of the school day.
Expect to pay for parking in central Auckland from 8am to 6pm from Monday to
Saturday. Most parking meters are pay-and-display; display tickets inside your wind-
screen. You usually don't have to pay between 6pm and 8am or on Sunday, but check the
meters and parking signs carefully.
Prices can be steep at parking buildings. Better value are the council-run open-air
parks near the old train station at 126 Beach Rd ($8 per day) and on Ngaoho Pl, off The
Strand ($6 per day).
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Auckland's public transport system is run by a hodgepodge of different operators, but
there is now an integrated AT HOP smartcard (
www.athop.co.nz
)
, which provides dis-
counts of around 10% on most buses, trains and ferries. AT HOP cards cost $10 (nonre-
fundable), so are really only worthwhile if you're planning on an extended stay in Auck-
land.
buses, trains and ferries and has an excellent trip-planning feature. A Discovery Pass
provides a day's transport on most trains and buses and on North Shore ferries ($16); buy
it on the bus or train or at Fullers offices.
Bus
Bus routes spread their tentacles throughout the city and you can purchase a ticket from
the driver. Many services terminate around Britomart station. Some bus stops have elec-
tronic displays giving an estimate of waiting times, but be warned, they are often inac-
curate.
Single-ride fares in the inner city are $1 for an adult and $0.60 for a child. If you're
travelling further afield there are fare stages from $1.90/1.10 (adult/child) to $10.30/6.10.
The most useful services are the environmentally friendly Link Buses that loop in both
directions around three routes (taking in many of the major sights) from 7am to 11pm:
City Link
(adult/child $0.50/0.30, free for AT HOP cardholders, every seven to 10
minutes) Britomart, Queen St, Karangahape Rd, with some buses connecting to Wynyard
Quarter.
Inner Link
($1.90, every 10 to 15 minutes) Queen St, SkyCity, Victoria Park, Ponsonby
Rd, Karangahape Rd, Museum, Newmarket, Parnell and Britomart.
