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Destinations
New Zealand
🇳🇿 New Zealand
Tap to pay almost everywhere, drive on the left, and declare the apple in your bag.
Ready-made routes
Know before you go
The practical facts for New Zealand, at a glance.
Currency
New Zealand dollar (NZD)
roughly NZ$1.70 to US$1
Tap to pay
One of the most cashless countries you will visit. Tap works almost everywhere — but many shops add a 1–2% surcharge for it.
Power
Type I (two angled flat pins, the same as Australia)
230V, 50Hz
Tap water
Tap water is safe everywhere. Do not drink from streams or lakes untreated, however clear they look.
Tipping
Not expected anywhere, and nobody will chase you for it. Leave something for exceptional service if you like.
Emergency
Police 111 · Ambulance 111
112 · Works with no SIM, no signal
Best months
December–March for long days and hiking; March–April for settled weather and fewer people
Entry requirements
Most visa-waiver travellers (US, UK, EU, Canada, Japan, Korea and others) need an NZeTA before boarding: NZ$17 in the official app or NZ$23 on the website, plus the NZ$100 International Visitor Levy. Allow up to 72 hours. Australians do not need one. Everyone, babies included, also completes the NZ Traveller Declaration within 24 hours of flying.
Paying in New Zealand
One of the most cashless countries you will visit. Tap works almost everywhere — but many shops add a 1–2% surcharge for it.
Tap to pay works
Supermarkets, cafés and restaurants
Petrol stations, including pay-at-pump
Museums, attractions and activity operators
Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch public transport
Carry another way to pay
Queenstown’s Orbus buses (cash or Bee Card only)
Honesty boxes at roadside stalls and some DOC campsites
A few rural cafés and markets with a minimum spend
Auckland (AT), Wellington (Metlink) and Christchurch (Metro) take a contactless card or phone at the gate or on the bus — tap on and tap off. Queenstown does not: pay cash or buy a Bee Card.
Apps to download
The apps people in New Zealand actually use, in the order to set them up.
NZeTA
NZ$17 + NZ$100 visitor levy
Critical
The official travel authority app. Without an NZeTA most visitors cannot board the flight, and the app is NZ$6 cheaper than the website.
Before you fly
NZTD
Free
Critical
The New Zealand Traveller Declaration replaced the paper arrival card. Done in advance, it speeds you through the eGates.
Before you fly
Airalo
From about US$12 for 5GB
Critical
A New Zealand eSIM on the Spark network, installed before you fly, so the maps work the moment you land.
Before you fly
Google Maps
Free
Critical
Live bus and train times in the cities, and offline maps for the long stretches with no signal.
AT Mobile
Free; AT HOP card NZ$10
Important
Auckland Transport’s own app: live departures, journey planning, and AT HOP top-ups for buses, trains and ferries.
Uber
Free; airport runs NZ$35–90 depending on the city
Important
The main ride-hailing app in every city in this guide, and usually cheaper than a taxi from the rank.
CamperMate
Free
Important
The road-trip app: campsites, public toilets, dump stations, free wifi and road alerts, all on one map that works offline.
Gaspy
Free
Important
Crowd-sourced petrol prices. The gap between stations in the same town can be 30 cents a litre.
MetService
Free
Important
The national weather service. Mountain forecasts and severe-weather warnings matter here more than almost anywhere.
Air NZ
Free; domestic fares from about NZ$80
Important
The national airline flies between every city in this guide. Flying Auckland–Queenstown saves two days of driving.
Wise
Small conversion fee
Important
An NZ dollar balance and card at the real exchange rate, with no foreign transaction fee on every flat white.
Before you fly
Booking.com
Free
Important
The widest range of motels and holiday parks, which are how most of New Zealand is actually done.
Step-by-step setup for each app is in the iPhone app.
First 60 minutes after landing
1
Declare everything at biosecurity
Food, hiking boots with soil, camping gear, wooden souvenirs. Declaring costs nothing; an undeclared apple is a NZ$400 instant fine. Amnesty bins before the checkpoint take anything you would rather not explain.
2
Have your NZeTA approved before you fly
Airlines check it at check-in. Apply in the official app at least 72 hours ahead, and complete the NZ Traveller Declaration in the last 24 hours.
3
Your first drive: stay left, and go slow
Pick up the rental car rested, not straight off a 13-hour flight. Roads are narrow and winding, and visitors are over-represented in serious crashes.
4
Queenstown buses need cash or a Bee Card
Unlike Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, the Orbus does not take bank cards. Buy a Bee Card at Paper Plus in the airport.
Where to stay in New Zealand
5 cities
Auckland
The biggest city and where most long-haul flights land: a harbour, fifty-odd volcanic cones and the ferry to Waiheke.
Watch out for
The airport is 20km south with no direct train. The bus-and-train route via Puhinui is cheap; a car is quicker at night when the trains stop.
Tap on AND tap off on every bus, train and ferry. Forgetting to tap off charges you the maximum fare for that trip.
Contactless is charged the full adult fare and does not count towards the weekly cap. Staying a week and riding daily? An AT HOP card works out cheaper.
Rotorua
Geysers, boiling mud and Māori cultural evenings, three hours south of Auckland — with Hobbiton and the Waitomo glowworms on the way.
Watch out for
The whole town smells of sulphur. You stop noticing after a day; nothing is wrong with your hotel.
Stay on the marked paths in geothermal areas. The crust beside a pool can be centimetres thick over boiling water.
Local buses are sparse and do not reach Hobbiton, Waitomo or Wai-O-Tapu. You need a car or a tour.
Wellington
The compact, windy capital: Te Papa, the cable car, the best coffee in the country, and the ferry to the South Island.
Watch out for
Wind is the weather. Umbrellas die here; bring a hooded shell instead.
Metlink buses and trains take a contactless card or phone since April 2026, with a small surcharge on each tap. Tap on and off.
Cook Strait ferries are cancelled in bad weather more often than visitors expect. Leave a spare day before anything you cannot miss on the other side.
Christchurch
A flat, green city rebuilt after the 2011 earthquakes, and the gateway to the Southern Alps, Akaroa and Aoraki/Mount Cook.
Watch out for
Metro buses take contactless cards and phones at the full adult fare. The airport bus is the cheapest way into town by a wide margin.
Most rental cars for South Island road trips are collected here. Pick up in the morning, not after a long-haul flight.
The rebuilt centre is small and walkable; the botanic gardens and Hagley Park are right next to it.
Queenstown
A lake town under the Remarkables that sells adrenaline by the hour, and the base for Milford Sound.
Watch out for
The Orbus does NOT take bank cards. Pay cash on board, or buy a Bee Card at the airport Paper Plus for a far cheaper fare.
Milford Sound is about four hours each way by road. A day trip from Queenstown is twelve hours; staying in Te Anau halves the drive.
The Milford Road can close for avalanche risk in winter and spring. Check the road status the night before.
Getting around
Auckland Airport → city centre
About 20km, with no direct train.
AirportLink bus + train via Puhinui
AirportLink bus from either terminal to Puhinui station (about every 10 minutes), then the train to the city. Tap on and off with the same card both times.
About NZ$6.50 by contactless or AT HOP
50–60 min
Uber
Rideshare pickup zone, signed from both terminals.
NZ$65–90
30–50 min depending on traffic
Taxi rank
Official rank outside arrivals. Ask for the fare before you get in.
NZ$90–110
30–50 min
Wellington Airport → city centre
Close, and a dedicated bus.
Airport Express (AX) bus
Leaves from outside arrivals every 10–20 minutes. Tap a contactless card or phone, or pay cash.
About NZ$9–10
25–30 min
Uber
Rideshare zone outside the terminal.
NZ$30–40
15–20 min
Christchurch Airport → city centre
The cheapest airport bus in the country.
Metro bus to the Bus Interchange
Stop outside the terminal. Tap your contactless card or phone on the reader when you board and again when you get off.
A few dollars, contactless or cash
About 30 min
Uber
Rideshare zone outside the terminal.
NZ$35–50
20 min
Queenstown Airport → town
Eight kilometres, and the bus does not take cards.
Orbus with a Bee Card
Buy a Bee Card at Paper Plus in the terminal and top it up. Tap on and off. Buses run about every 15 minutes in the day.
NZ$2 per trip, plus NZ$5 for the card
20 min
Orbus, paying cash
Cash to the driver. Fine for one trip; a Bee Card pays for itself fast.
Much more than the Bee Card fare
20 min
Uber or taxi
Rideshare zone and taxi rank outside arrivals.
NZ$25–45
15 min
North Island → South Island
Wellington to Picton across Cook Strait.
Interislander or Bluebridge ferry
Book ahead in summer, especially with a vehicle. The last hour through the Marlborough Sounds is the scenic part.
About NZ$80–95 per adult; a car is extra
3 hr 15 min – 3 hr 45 min
Fly
Wellington, Auckland or Rotorua to Christchurch or Queenstown on Air New Zealand.
From about NZ$80
1 hr – 1 hr 30 min
Getting around the country
Most visitors drive. Here is how the options compare.
Rental car or campervan
Drive on the LEFT. An English-language licence is accepted; otherwise bring an International Driving Permit or an approved translation.
From about NZ$50/day for a car, far more for a campervan in summer
Allow more than the map says
InterCity coach
Nationwide coach network linking every town in this guide. Book online.
Usually NZ$20–80 per leg
Slower than driving
Staying connected
Yes — a carrier-locked phone cannot use a local SIM or eSIM
Airalo
New Zealand (Nzcom)
5GB · 30 days · US$14
Data only. Spark has the best coverage outside the cities.
Spark
Travel Pack (SIM or eSIM)
From about 4GB · 90 days · US$17
Gives you an NZ number, useful for booking restaurants and activities. Stores at the main airports; passport needed.
One NZ
Travel SIM / eSIM
About 10GB · 30 days · US$29
Local number included. Airport stores in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.
When to go
Best months
December–March for long days and hiking; March–April for settled weather and fewer people
Hardest months
June–August outside the ski towns: short days, wet roads, and some alpine roads closed
Languages
English, Te reo Māori (official — you will see it on every sign), NZ Sign Language
Getting it right socially
“Kia ora” (hello) is used by everyone, not only Māori. Saying it back is welcome.
Take your shoes off when entering a marae or someone’s home if others have.
Do not sit on tables or touch people’s heads; both are tapu (sacred) in Māori culture.
Leave no trace. Freedom-camping rules are enforced with fines, and toilets are not optional.
Ready-made routes
New Zealand, both islands in 12 days
12 days · about US$180 a day
Auckland, Rotorua and Wellington in the north, then the Southern Alps, Queenstown and Milford Sound — two flights and one long, beautiful drive.
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