Getting around · Christchurch · New Zealand
Getting around Christchurch
Public transport, passes, airport connections and when a car makes sense.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
The central city is flat and easy to walk or cycle, and Metro buses connect it with the suburbs, beaches and Lyttelton. A car is the most practical way to explore Banks Peninsula and the rest of Canterbury. Not for the city itself, where walking, buses and bikes work well.
Key facts
- Main way around
- Walking
- Airports
- CHC
- Need a car?
- Sometimes
- Travel pass
- Metrocard
Ways to get around
Walking
Most central sights, from the Botanic Gardens to Cathedral Square and the Riverside Market, are within a 15-minute walk of each other on flat ground.
Bus
Metro buses run across the city from the central Bus Interchange, including to the airport, Sumner, New Brighton and Lyttelton.
A Metrocard gives lower fares than cash and caps what you pay per day and week.
Tram
Restored heritage trams run a central-city loop past Cathedral Square, New Regent Street and the Art Gallery; tickets are hop-on, hop-off sightseeing passes rather than commuter fares.
Cycling
The city is flat with a growing network of separated cycleways; e-bikes and e-scooters are available to hire by app.
Car
Hire cars are widely available at the airport and essential for day trips; parking in the centre is relatively easy compared with larger cities.
Train
The TranzAlpine scenic train leaves from Addington across the Canterbury Plains and over the Southern Alps via Arthur's Pass to Greymouth.
Book in advance in summer; many travellers ride to Arthur's Pass and return by road or train.
Tickets and passes
Metrocard
A stored-value card for Metro buses and the Diamond Harbour ferry with lower fares than cash and daily and weekly fare caps.
From the airport
Christchurch Airport is about 12 km north-west of the centre. Metro buses, including the Purple line and route 29, run to the central Bus Interchange in about 30 minutes; a taxi takes about 20 minutes.
Do you need a car?
Not for the city itself, where walking, buses and bikes work well. For Akaroa, Kaikōura, Hanmer Springs, Castle Hill and the wider South Island, a car or campervan is by far the easiest option.
Reaching the day trips
| Destination | Travel time | How |
|---|---|---|
| Akaroa | About 1 hour 30 minutes by car | Car, shuttle bus or tour |
| Hanmer Springs | About 1 hour 45 minutes by car | Car or shuttle bus |
| Kaikōura | About 2 hours 30 minutes by car | Car or coach |
| Arthur's Pass | About 2 hours by car or 2 hours 30 minutes by TranzAlpine | Car or TranzAlpine train |
| Castle Hill (Kura Tāwhiti) | About 1 hour 20 minutes by car | Car |
| Waipara Valley | About 50 minutes by car | Car or wine tour |
Questions travellers ask
+Do you need a car in Christchurch?
Not for the city itself, where walking, buses and bikes work well. For Akaroa, Kaikōura, Hanmer Springs, Castle Hill and the wider South Island, a car or campervan is by far the easiest option.
+How do you get from the airport to Christchurch?
Christchurch Airport is about 12 km north-west of the centre. Metro buses, including the Purple line and route 29, run to the central Bus Interchange in about 30 minutes; a taxi takes about 20 minutes.
+What is the best way to get around Christchurch?
Walking: Most central sights, from the Botanic Gardens to Cathedral Square and the Riverside Market, are within a 15-minute walk of each other on flat ground.