Getting Around Christchurch
Christchurch is mostly flat with a grid-pattern layout, making navigation straightforward for visitors. The central city is contained by the "four avenues": Bealey Avenue to the north, Fitzgerald Avenue to the east, Deans Avenue to the west, and Moorhouse Avenue to the south. Be aware of one-way streets and bus-and-taxi-only intersections in the central city.
Public Transport: Buses
The city bus service is called Metro, and it's the primary public transport option for visitors. All buses interconnect through the Bus Interchange on Lichfield Street, just east of Colombo Street.
A standard cash bus fare within the city is $6, or $3 with a Metrocard. The Metrocard costs $5 to purchase and requires a minimum top-up of $5 (so the initial cost is $10). Using a Metrocard offers excellent value: you travel free for the rest of the day after paying for two trips, with a maximum weekly cost of $24.
Bus services cover the whole city and areas of interest to visitors outside the central city, including Sumner and New Brighton beaches, Lyttelton, and the Gondola.
The core bus network has four main cross-city routes that run every 15 minutes during the day, seven days a week:
- Route 1 runs north–south between Belfast and Princess Margaret Hospital, with some services extending north to Kaiapoi and Rangiora, or south to Cashmere
- Route 3 runs northwest–southeast between the Airport (or Sheffield Crescent on alternating services) and Sumner
- Route 5 runs west–east between Hornby and New Brighton, with some services continuing west to Rolleston
- Route 7 runs southwest-northeast between Halswell and Queenspark
- The Orbiter is a circular route through the inner suburbs, starting and ending at Eastgate
In some areas, buses may be infrequent, particularly on weekends, when there may only be one or two buses per hour. Contact Metro Info at the Bus Interchange (Lichfield Street and Colombo Street) for assistance: phone +64 3 366 8855, open Monday–Friday 8AM–5:30PM and Saturday–Sunday 9AM–5PM.
Public Transport: Tram
Christchurch has a small heritage tram loop. However, it is best regarded as a tourist attraction rather than a practical transport system due to its limited coverage, high price ($40 for a day pass), limited operating hours, and route that often makes walking faster than tram travel.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Taxis are available throughout the city. You can contact Blue Star (+64 3 3799799), First Direct (+64 3 3775555), or Gold Band (+64 3 3795795). Uber is also available in Christchurch.
Cycling
Many people get around Christchurch by bicycle. Special-purpose bicycle lanes have been added to many streets to promote cycling, and the city is more bike-friendly than many other New Zealand cities. The Central City has a uniform 30 km/h speed limit on all streets, making it relatively safe to cycle even on main streets. Drivers in the area are generally friendly toward cyclists.
Car Rental and Parking
Rental cars are available, with most depots located on the airport side of town and a few near the Central Business District. Parking in the city uses a pay-and-display system costing $2.60 per hour. You can pay with coins, credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express), or by mobile phone text message (the latter two attract a 50-cent surcharge). Display the ticket with the expiry time visible on your car's dashboard.
Electric Scooters
Lime and Beam electric scooters can be hired by the minute using a phone app. Note that these scooters do not come with safety equipment such as helmets, and pedestrians may need to watch out for inexperienced riders.
Walking
Christchurch is walkable, particularly in the central city and surrounding inner suburbs. The grid-pattern layout makes navigation straightforward on foot.
Getting from Christchurch Airport to the City
Christchurch International Airport is located 12 km northwest of the city centre. There are several ways to reach the city:
By Bus: Three regular public bus services operate from the airport to the city centre. Route 29 travels via Fendalton, Route 3 travels via the University of Canterbury and Riccarton, and Route 8 travels through Burnside. The 30-minute trip costs $6.00 in cash or $3.00 with a Metrocard. Between the routes, buses operate every 15–30 minutes during the day, seven days a week.
By Shuttle: A door-to-door shuttle service to all parts of Christchurch is available. The price to the city centre is $24 for the first person and $5 for each additional person travelling to the same destination.
By Taxi or Ride-Hailing: Taxi stands are close to the terminal building, with fares to the city centre typically ranging from $45–65. Uber is also available.
By Rental Car: Rental car parks are close to the terminal building.
On Foot: If you have light luggage and a few hours to spare, you can walk to the airport. There is a footpath alongside Fendalton Road and Memorial Avenue all the way to the airport. The 8 km walk through residential neighbourhoods is pleasant.
Long-Distance Rail Services
Christchurch railway station is located at Troup Drive, Addington, adjacent to Tower Junction shopping centre. Shuttles from the station are chargeable, or you can walk into town along the edge of Hagley Park in about 45 minutes. The station has limited facilities.
Two scenic rail services connect Christchurch to other regions:
The TranzAlpine: This train runs coast-to-coast between Christchurch and Greymouth on the West Coast. It departs from Christchurch daily at 8:15AM, arriving at Greymouth at 12:45PM, then leaves Greymouth at 1:45PM and returns to Christchurch at 6:05PM. This can be done as a day trip. The journey showcases the fields of the Canterbury Plains, followed by spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River, climbs into the Southern Alps, and descends through lush beech rainforest to Greymouth.
The Coastal Pacific: This train runs between Picton and Christchurch. At Picton, it connects with Cook Strait ferries from Wellington in the North Island. The train departs Christchurch at 7AM and arrives in Picton at 1:15PM, connecting with the 2PM ferry to Wellington. The 9AM ferry from Wellington connects with the train departing Picton at 2:15PM and arriving in Christchurch at 8:30PM. Canterbury Shuttles pick-ups for the Coastal Pacific are available from 6–6:30AM.