We decided upon the TranzAlpine to make our way to the West Coast from Christchurch, rather than driving. It was a great decision. The train was comfortable and warm. The trip was scenic and relaxing, an amazing way to see some spectacular scenery. We also had some great photo opportunities from the open air carriage. The booking process was simple... more

Loved the trip. Comfortable train, with periodic helpful information provided by the conductor. It was the low tourist season (Aug), so it wasn't too busy. Gorgeous views. Great to have the viewing platform, though watch out for the tunnels, or you'll be breathing soot. more

We were really looking forward to this part of the trip. But it didn't live up to expectations -- especially in comparison to our earlier Taieri Gorge Railway trip. While the scenery was faboulus, I like to be outside to get photos -- on this train the space was extremely limited (our train was mostly full) AND you got covered... more

We took the TranzAlpine train from Greymouth to Christchurch after many days of driving around both North and South Islands. It provided a much needed respite from negotiating those twisting and turning NZ roads and allowed the driver (husband) and navigator (wife) a bit of 'time out'! We had driven from Queenstown to Fox Glacier (we recommend Ropatini's B &... more

Interesting scenery but not as spectacular as I had hoped. I did Christchurch-Greymouth return in a day ,and we got the same commentary from the same person, with the same pathetic jokes, both ways. There really should be a "sient" car for those who don't want repetition. The train is old but comfortable enough with big windows. There is a... more

It takes a lot to get me to rate any service, product, etc., as low as this one. As a traveler I am fully aware things won't always be to my liking, that the world isn't perfect, etc., but this experience left me furious. My husband and I were on a HAL cruise to New Zealand with one of our... more

We took the Tranz Alpine train from Greymouth (west coast) to Christchurh (east coast). It was better than driving since we got to relax and view the scenery. We saw lots of mountains and streams, fields of lupine and a river gorge. It is about a 4 hour trip one way. You can either sit inside or go to the... more

The TranzAlpine train ride was exactly what we were hoping for. We booked online the night before, and did a day excursion from Christchurch, stopping in the tiny town of Moana before taking the return train back to Christchurch. It was a relaxing and pleasant way to see some great scenery. It was the beginning of summer so the fields... more

Watch out if you want to take photos from the open observation car. I ended up covered in a fine layer of diesel engine soot after spending some time there shooting photos. We took the train back to Christchurch after spending almost 2 weeks in the Southern Alps. The sceenry was nice but nothing compared to the rest of the... more