How to get around New Zealand Without a Car

New Zealand is set up for people travelling by car or campervan, but for those on a budget, travelling solo, or looking to travel more sustainably, you can get to all the best parts of the country by bus. Where that is not possible, there are often other options, including tours, car sharing, and moving people’s cars. This guide will tell you about how to get around New Zealand using bus networks and point to some other options available. I did my whole South Island itinerary using buses and didn’t feel like I missed anything, so I hope this helps you plan your trip.

On the Routeburn Track

How to travel New Zealand by Bus

A lot of backpackers take the Kiwi Experience buses, which are a good option for tailor-made tours of New Zealand. They do go to all the main locations in the country, but are more expensive than Intercity buses.

The most affordable way to travel New Zealand without a car is to use the Intercity bus network. I cannot fault this service at all - the buses I took were always on time, clean, and stopped often for toilet and meal breaks. Some of the long-distance buses I took even stopped for us to head up to some scenic viewpoints, lakes, and waterfalls.

Lake Pukaki

The buses were also rarely full: the only times I didn’t have a double seat to myself were between Christchurch and Lake Tekapo, and Queenstown and Wanaka, because they are such busy routes. It is mostly backpackers on these buses, but they aren’t as social as the Kiwi Experience buses. That being said, I did meet some great people on them, and my experience in hostels was very social.

Intercity offers various bus passes which will save you money if you follow a standard New Zealand itinerary, including the one I took on my trip.

If you’re looking to get to Abel Tasman National Park, there is a bus service called the Better Bus. This leaves from Nelson to Abel Tasman in the mornings and returns from Abel Tasman to Nelson in the afternoons. These are fixed schedules, but it is a great service to use.

Mt Cook National Park

Other Ways to Travel New Zealand without a Car

In some instances, I needed to find alternative ways of getting around New Zealand to see some places off the beaten track. Some of these included the Hooker Valley Track, Glenorchy, Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound, Lake Manapouri, and Lake Pukaki. In all of these instances, I booked a group tour. They organised the whole day and took you to these iconic places. You can read more about these trips in my South Island guide.

I rented a car for one day in Queenstown to get to Glenorchy, which cost me less than £50. 

If you can drive, a good service to look at in New Zealand is moving people’s cars. Often people need cars moved between two locations, and you’ll be given a certain number of days to move it, which gives you free reign to choose your route and stops, as long as you get the car there in time. I met quite a few people doing this, and while you don’t have complete freedom, it is a good option for short periods of time.

Abel Tasman National Park

Car sharing and hitchhiking is also big in New Zealand. Talking to people at hostels to see if you can share a ride, or stand on the road or at trailheads and hope for the best! Obviously stay safe while doing this and trust your gut, but most people are travellers and will help out if they can.

Queenstown

It’s not immediately obvious how to get around New Zealand without a car, but it’s definitely manageable. Hopefully this is a good guide to travelling New Zealand if you don’t want to rent a car or campervan for your entire trip. It is definitely more sustainable to avoid individual car travel, so look to use the bus networks where you can. As always, look after the places you visit, and remember to only leave your footprints behind :)