Dec
15
Kiwi Train Travel – the Overlander
December 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment
I’ve always been very sceptical of train travel in New Zealand. It’s slow, routes are extremely limited and, for a long time now, the infrastructure has had few upgrades. On the other hand, New Zealand has some of the most scenic train rides in the world with popular tourist routes including the Overlander, TransCoastal and the Transalpine. Train travel is fairly priced, even these “tourist” routes are reasonably priced.
The Overlander is the only one located in the North Island and runs between Auckland and Wellington. To fly this distance takes less than 2 hours, to drive around 8 … but the Overland will take a mammoth twelve hours to cover the same distance. The advantages of train travel are the beautiful views and relaxing journey.
The last section of the train carriage houses a semi-circular lounge with large windows, perfect for site-seeing and taking in the various landscapes. This makes it easy to film and photograph things and shows the real value of train travel in New Zealand: tourism. As it’s too slow for business travellers, its use as a sightseeing tour vehicle is both highlighted and optimised for. In many ways, this is a wise move although most New Zealanders would be happy to see faster connections on more modernised rails.
While both food and drink are available on all long-haul kiwi trains, you can also book your ticket in such a way to make use of stops (and real restaurants and hotels) along the way. The Overlander stops in small and interesting towns between Auckland and Wellington and, with a little forsight, can provide a great stop-over experience.
You should not imagine a fast and smooth journey when you travel by train in New Zealand. You can expect an easy journey through beautiful countryside with friendly passengers and helpful railway staff.
Want to learn more about train travel New Zealand, then visit http://indietravelpodcast.com and pick up a free online travel magazine while you’re there.
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