5 Different Bus Networks in New Zealand (Inc. Bus Companies)

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1. The National Coach Network

The towns and cities of New Zealand are connected very well by the national coach network. This is a cost-effective way of getting from one place to another.

Passes are available to cover the whole country, or just pay one-off fares for a single trip. Remember to book in advance for cheaper fares! Check out how the bus passes work in InterCity Bus Passes: Which is the Best Bus Pass for New Zealand?

These New Zealand bus services are pretty easy to use: once you’re booked on the bus, just turn up at the bus stop about 15 minutes before departure. Give the driver your name and get on the bus. On long journeys, there will be 10 to 30 minutes toilet or food breaks. Your driver usually gives some commentary on the locations you are passing through.

New Zealand National Coach Companies

The New Zealand national bus company taking you all over New Zealand is InterCity. To see what to expect from these bus journeys, check out: 10 Reasons to Travel by Bus or Coach in New Zealand.

If taking multiple trips on the coach buses, it’s worth checking out the multi-trip passes available, such as InterCity’s FlexiPass, again, explained in our InterCity Bus Passes Guide. Or, check out our videos explaining how to use the InterCity buses:

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2. The Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Network

Designed especially for young travellers and backpackers, the hop-on hop-off buses are more than just getting you from A to B. These are a guided bus network taking travellers around New Zealand, while passengers can choose to “hop off” the bus anywhere along the route. Then the passenger can choose one of the next buses to “hop on” to continue their journey.

Each bus has a “driver guide” who will give commentary along the way, make stops in noteworthy places for walks and photos, and organise bookings for activities and hostel accommodation.

The New Zealand Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Companies

The New Zealand hop-on hop-off companies are Kiwi Experience and Flying Kiwi. Flying Kiwi works slightly differently as they include meals and accommodation, while Kiwi Experience only offers accommodation and activity books and no meals included.

For more information on how to use these hop-on hop-off buses, check out How Does the Hop-on Hop-off Bus Network in New Zealand Work? Plus, check out our video explanation on how these buses work:

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3. Local Bus Networks (City Buses)

Stopping somewhere for an extended break or to work on your working holiday? Need to reach an outer-city suburb?

Most likely, you’ll need to take one of the local buses. There are efficient bus networks within cities and larger towns. Some of these places have travel cards to get discounts on the fares, so grab one of these if you are using the bus a lot, for example, the AT HOP Card in Auckland, the Snapper Card in Wellington, the Metrocard in Christchurch, and the Bee Card in Queenstown. Otherwise, you will need to use cash to pay the fare to the bus driver as you get on the bus (one of the rare times you need cash in New Zealand).

Remember to signal the bus driver, as they do not automatically stop at each bus stop.

City Bus Companies in New Zealand

Some examples of local city bus companies in New Zealand are:

• Auckland – Auckland Transport, Ritchies
• Wellington – Metlink, Mana Coach Services, Newlands Coach Services, Madge/Uzabus and Tranzit
• Christchurch – Metro Christchurch, Ritchies
• Queenstown – Orbus, Ritchies, Transit
• Dunedin – Transit.

Learn more about how to use the city buses in How to Catch a City Bus in New Zealand.

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4. Day Trip Bus Tours

For those “harder to reach places” you can take a guided coach tour. Your driver is your tour guide and they will have your itinerary planned for you. Just sit back, relax and just accept what is happening!

The most popular guided coach tours are to Cape Reinga, the very north of the North Island, and Milford Sound, the “8th Wonder of the World” on the South Island. There are also city bus tours in New Zealand’s largest cities.

New Zealand Day Trip Coach Tour Companies

Some popular coach tours include:

• Auckland Explorer Hop-On Hop-Off Bus
• Explore Group Bus Tour to Cape Reinga
• Milford Sound Coach and Cruise with Southern Discoveries
• Farewell Spit Eco Tours in Golden Bay

Check out more bus tour examples in our guide to the Places in New Zealand Only Accessible by Bus and the 10 Best Milford Sound Tours from Queenstown & Te Anau.

© Backyard Roadies

5. National Coach Tours

Take multi-day bus tours either within a small area of New Zealand or over the whole of New Zealand! These trips are often all-inclusive with transport, accommodation, meals and even some activities included in the price. What’s included can differ from bus company to bus company, so be sure to compare before you book.

Expect a more structured tour than what you get on the hop-on hop-off buses. Guides will tell you fun facts about each area you drive through on the tour while stopping off for activities along the way. There are extra activities to purchase, which can be booked on the road by your guide.

New Zealand Bus Tour Companies

Examples of bus companies in New Zealand that offer tours are:

• Backyard Roadies
• Flying Kiwi
• Haka Tours
• Contiki
• G Adventures
• Topdeck
• Kiwi Experience
• Inspiring Journeys
• AAT Kings
• Intrepid Travel
• APT
• Travel Marvel
• Luxury Gold and more!

Check the whole New Zealand bus tour offering on TourRadar or in The 15 Best Bus Tours in New Zealand or The 10 Best Coach Tours in New Zealand.