Canterbury Intercity Transportation

• Flights: Christchurch Airport (☎374 7100), 9km from the city on Memorial Ave., is served by Air New Zealand, Qantas, and many Asian and South Pacific carriers. Air New Zealand (☎0800 737 000) flies daily to Auckland (1hr., 1-2 per hr., $99-653) and Wellington (45min., 1 per hr., $93-409). The Airport “A” bus ($7) departs from the airport (M-F every 30min. 6:35am-7:35pm, every hr. 7:35pm-12:55am; every 30min. Sa-Su 11:40am-5:10pm, every hr. 8:10-11:40am and 5:10-12:55pm.) and Cathedral Sq. (M-F 6am-7pm every 30min., 7-11pm every hr.; every 30min. Sa-Su 10:35am-5:35pm, every hr.7:35-10:35am and 5:35-10:35pm.) A number of different shuttle operators run passengers from the airport to the city. A shuttle comes at least every 10min. Super Shuttles (☎0800 748 8853 and 347 4504; www.supershuttle.co.nz) is one of the best. A shuttle to downtown costs $14-20, $4-5 per additional passenger. A taxi to downtown is around $30.
• Trains: Station (☎0800 250 000), 3km from Cathedral Sq. To reach the station, head away from town on Riccarton Ave., turn left on Deans Ave., right onto Blenheim Rd., then left onto Foster St., and left again onto Clarence St. Information office open M-F 6:30am-3:30pm, Sa-Su 6:30am-3pm. Book ahead to utilize student discounts. Lockers at station $1. TranzScenic (☎0800 872 467; www.tranzscenic.co.nz) runs both major South Island train lines. TranzAlpine goes to Greymouth (4hr., 8:15am, $70-130) via Arthur’s Pass (2hr., $70). TranzCoastal runs daily to Picton (5hr., 7am, $50-99) via Kaikoura (3hr., $29-57). Ticket prices are often lower in the off-season. Taxis to town cost about $12, though Canterbury Shuttles (☎0800 021 682) runs a complimentary shuttle from some Christchurch accommodations. No public buses run directly from the station to the city, although bus #5 from the bus exchange can drop you off at Riccarton Mall. Push the button at Clarence St.—the train station is a 5min. walk away.
• Buses: InterCity/Newmans, 123 Worcester St. (☎377 0951; www.intercitycoach.co.nz; www.newmanscoach.co.nz). Open daily 7am-5pm, accepts calls until 9pm. Reserving in advance can often get you lower prices. To: Dunedin (6hr.; 8am and 2pm, F 5:15pm, Su 5:30pm; $46, with YHA or VIP card $39); Kaikoura (2hr.; 7am, 4pm; $28/24); Nelson (6hr., 7am, $69/59); Queenstown (express 7hr., 7:45am and 8:20am, $66/46; via Mt. Cook 9hr., 7:15 and 8:10am, $155/132). The Flexipass (from $55 for 5hr.) allows maximum flexibility by coach as you buy amounts of travel time rather than tickets for actual route. Alternatively, the Coach Passes are hop-on, hop-off passes that are valid for 1yr. and allow for flexible travel on a variety of routes on both islands. Atomic Shuttles (☎322 8883; www.atomictravel.co.nz) often has the best bargain rates for South Island service. Coast to Coast (☎0800 800 847; www.coast2coast.co.nz) traverses South Island to Greymouth (4hr., 8am, $35) via Arthur’s Pass (2hr., $25). Great Sights (☎0800 744 487 or 306 7633; www.greatsights.co.nz), Southern Link KBus (☎358 8355 or 0508 458 835; www.southernlinkkbus.co.nz), South Island Connections (☎379 9260; www.southernconnections.co.nz), and East Coast Express (☎0508 830 900) also run shuttles around South Island. To get to Akaroa, take the daily French Connection or Akaroa Shuttle

• Hitchhiking: Though Let’s Go never recommends hitchhiking, thumbers report finding rides from the city outskirts, where urban traffic is steady. Those heading north toward Kaikoura often take the Belfast bus #16 and ask the driver to drop them off on SH1, while those heading south toward Dunedin take the Templeton #5 bus. Hitching west toward Arthur’s Pass is possible by taking the Hornby #84 bus to the Yaldhurst Roundabout. The best bet for hitching to Akaroa is the Halswell #7 bus to Halswell Rd.