Car Hire in Auckland - Getting to Auckland

New Zealand is miles from any way; therefore, almost all visitors arrive by air. The majority of long-haul flights arrive in Auckland, most flights come from (or via) Australia, but there are also regular flights to Pacific destinations. Fares aren’t cheap, but good package deals are offered to Queensland. Few cruise ships visit New Zealand, and the only other option is to arrive by private sail yacht.

Auckland has direct flights connecting to the West Coast USA, London, and Frankfurt and several cities in Asia. Connections locally are numerous. The airport is 21 kilometres south-west of the city centre, and shuttles run to the Downtown Airline Terminal at the waterfront.

New Zealand’s bus network is well organized, frequent, and reliable. Auckland’s bus hub is the Sky City Coach Terminal on Hobson St. (beneath the sky tower). Buses depart almost hourly to the Pahia, Rotorua, Wellington, Mount Manganui, and the Coromandel, most smaller destinations can also be reached.

Train service is limited, but there are daily early morning and overnight trains to Wellington, and trains also run to Rotorua and Tauranga, both via Hamilton. They leave from Auckland train station on Beach Rd., east of the city centre.

Taking a car is the most popular means to get about in New Zealand, and having the flexibility to explore and stop to appreciate the beauty is very advantageous in this country. Highways exiting the city north and south are easily accessed, but traffic here is heavier than elsewhere in the islands.