Traveling by train isn t a common way to get around New Zealand. You can t get to smaller, out of th

So you re considering a trip to New Zealand ? Why wouldn t you? It s a country known for dramatic landscapes, friendly people, succulent lamb, and stunning vistas. There is something here on each island to please the thrill seeking backpacker, the wine sipping connoisseur, or lovers of the outdoors. It s an excellent place to come to as a backpacker (so long as you re not on a strict budget). Yet you re wondering the best way to travel around the country.
New Zealand is a prime spot for backpackers who want to travel cheap hotels birmingham around the country in their own vehicle. It s easy to rent cars, or as many backpackers do campervans. There are many joys of traveling in your own campervan. You can determine cheap hotels birmingham your own schedule, stop when and where you want, and you ll inevitably see more of both islands if you have your own transportation. While a van will cost you more than a car, you ll save money on accommodation costs by either staying in campervan parks or freedom camping where it s allowed. Does spending the night in your van listening to the sound of the surf sound appealing? If so, consider seeing New Zealand from behind the wheel of your campervan.
If you ll be here for a month or more, consider buying your own campervan . Assuming your van doesn t blow up (as mine did) this will potentially be a cheaper option than renting. Whether you rent or buy, beware that gas prices in New Zealand are quite expensive.
There are a number of companies in New Zealand that run terrific, budget friendly services around the country. Seeing New Zealand by bus is a budget friendly option and still affords you plenty of flexibility. Intercity or Naked Bus both run frequent services between most towns and cities in New Zealand. As long as you re willing to put up with longer bus rides, there aren t many places that you can t get to in New Zealand with one of these companies.
If you re considering this option, don t book your journeys individually. Instead, consider buying one of the backpacker passes each company sells. These will give you a certain number cheap hotels birmingham of journeys around New Zealand and will often include a ferry crossing from the North to South Island .
Hitchhiking is a very realistic way to travel around New Zealand for the dedicated cheap hotels birmingham backpacker or budget traveler. I spent three months touring New Zealand in my campervan and saw very few hitchhikers. Not because they re not here, rather because they get picked up so quickly. Clearly common cheap hotels birmingham sense should be utilized when hitchhiking you re better off as a pair, and solo travelers (especially women) may want to think twice before considering the option.
If you think it is right for you, it s a cheap (free) way to get around the country. You ll have to be flexible and willing to to wait when getting cheap hotels birmingham to out of the way places, yet you stand a chance of meeting friendly locals and fellow travelers. Here are some tips for hitchhiking around New Zealand:
One popular way for backpackers to get across New Zealand is by a backpacker bus. This option allows you to hop on and hop off throughout New Zealand. You ll be guaranteed flexibility, convenience, and have the added bonus of meeting other travelers. If this is your first major trip abroad, one benefit is your travel activities and accommodation can be booked for you often with a significant discount. There are three major backpacker bus operators in New Zealand: Kiwi Experience, Stray, and Magic Bus. Check out Nomadic Matt s r eview of his experience with Kiwi Experience and Stray.
Traveling by train isn t a common way to get around New Zealand. You can t get to smaller, out of the way destinations. Yet considering cheap hotels birmingham the breathtaking scenery which New Zealand is known for, you can imagine there are a couple epic train journeys you might want to fit into your schedule while traveling here.
The Tranz Alpine journey takes you from the West Coast of the South Island in Greymouth to Christchurch cheap hotels birmingham over the rugged Southern Alps. It s ranked as being one of the world s greatest train journeys and is worth your time. Also, consider leaving Christchurch on the Tranz Coastal route which heads north along the Pacific Coast. You ll pass beautiful Kaikoura where you can stop to go whale watching . The journey ends in the ferry town of Picton where you can head to the North Island.
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Related Posts Confessions of a Backpacker: I m in Love New Zealand s Top 5 Backpacking Destinations 7 Tips For Dealing cheap hotels birmingham With A Long Haul Flight Cruising the Bay of Islands on The Rock Experiencing Franz Josef Glacier
Another cheap hotels birmingham good tip for the budget traveller is that flying in New Zealand can also be extremely cheap. It s not difficult to find tickets as cheap as NZD 29 or 39. I have bought Wgtn-Auck for $19 once! And even when they re not THAT cheap, cheap hotels birmingham flying is still cheaper than the trains.
Even though I normally prefer driving I have done both islands with a campervan twice, and with my car twice as well -, for those who are here for a short period, flying to strategic points and then renting a car for a few days can be a great option cheap hotels birmingham too.
Wow, some of those pics are great! I have to say, the campervan is top of our list we are planning to do this when we go to New Zealand (which will prob be the last stop on our overland trip from London). I daresay we ll have had enough of buses and trains by then, and judging by the first photo in your post the campervan is the most awesome option!
A few years ago I traveled solo and took a backpacker bus. If someone is considering it they should know they aren t all created equal. While I don t think the Kiwi Experience would be good for me (I m in my 30s) I did take the Magic Bus and loved it.
When I was in NZ, my friends and I tried out all sorts of transportation options. We flew, took buses and trains, and even rented a car here and there. You re right when you say that New Zealand is generally an easy country to get around.
I have to agree with Cris, though sometimes the best option ended up being booking a cheap short flight to a jumping off point, and then renting a car from there. The flights were never all that expensive, and they certainly saved a lot of time. But buses are great, too, especially if you want to see a little of the countryside along the way.
We went to new Zealand for our honeymoon cheap hotels birmingham and hired a car for a few days before getting the campervan. We had a campervan from a company called Escape. All of their vans are individually painted by artists which makes them a great conversation starter especially ours as it had a cartoon bird on it that was played before the shutdown on NZ TV for years!
@Cris @Amanda Flying can certainly be a cheap way to get around New Zealand. Air New Zealand often runs $1 fares on their Grab A Seat website. My only concern with flying in New Zealand is you miss everything cheap hotels birmingham between the two places you re trying to get two. So much of New Zealand cheap hotels birmingham is best experienced by just taking in the views of the countryside you pass.
SOOO refreshing to see someone actually cheap hotels birmingham talking about hitch-hiking realistically cheap hotels birmingham instead of just saying, If you hitch-hike, you ll be chopped into itty-bitty pieces by an axe murderer. Hopefully my parents don t read this, but I ve hitched a couple of times in NZ and been perfectly fine, and when I got my car, some of my best experiences have come from picking up strangers . that came out wrong. You re right, of course, about being careful, but with small distances and friendy people, I think it s worth trying. (Though maybe not telling your parents about.)
This website has a million good ideas, and leaves me with a million questions. I recently cheap hotels birmingham went to Italy, and having to schedule everything with busses and trains can get hard. I m going to New Zealand soon and buying a van seems like a really good idea, but it seems hard to do, especially if you are travelling alone. I m meeting up with a friend who lives in Christchurch, and traveling cheap hotels birmingham the southern island with her for a few weeks. But the rest of the time im in New Zealand cheap hotels birmingham i ll be alone, so I wonder if there are any backpacking websites where one could look for people to share a van with, or just to look up some cool people who will be travelling the same area around the same time?
Do you have a blog about good travel routes to take in New Zealand? Or does anyone have any preferences? cheap hotels birmingham I know we all have to do it our own way, but I m trying to decide if i should travel the south island and then fly from Christchurch to Auckland, or take a ferry to Wellington. If anyone has any advice cheap hotels birmingham let me know!
@Daniele Thanks fr the comment! I m really glad you re finding Backpackingmatt resourceful. That is my goal! Buying a van is extremely easy in New Zealand (see How to Buy a Campervan in New Zealand). Depending on when you re coming to NZ, you stand a decent chance of finding one cheap before summer comes around and selling it in the high season ultimately making a bit of money. Just be sure whatever you buy you have checked out by a independent mechanic so you don t end up with a lemon!
@Melvin It is very, very easy to buy a car in NZ. Too easy! I think it s a great option so long as you ve had the car/van checked out by an independent mechanic to make sure you re not getting a lemon.
What site is a good resource for campervan parks? I ve read somewhere that average cost is $30-$50/night during high season. Seems a little pricey? We re traveling during the month of January. We re also considering doing a rental car w/ couchsurfing/hosteling as a more cost-effective option. But we re considered about hostel availability during high season.
A quality article which has kind of answered some questions i ve recently been having. I might be in NZ in November 2012 but travelling alone, so Im thinking of flying into Auckland spend max