New Zealand Travel Tours

New Zealand Travel Tours questions and answers

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Question: Which Travel company similar to Thomas and cook is better? Especially in tours from India to New Zealand?
I am thinking about a tour from India to New Zealand. Spanning over 7 to 12 days. I do not know which travel companies arrange such tours apart from Thomas and Cook. But I also heard that Thomas and Cook have their prices to the higher side. Could some one suggest as to which travel companies offer a good value for money and which tour planners are good.

Answer: You could try TCI, Raj Travels, Cox and Kings, Kesri Travels.

They all have offices in Bombay.

 

Question: Best new zealand tours?
hi there,

i am looking to travel to new zealand and as its a real outdoors destination i am after a tour that involves lots of activities and chance to enjoy some hikes. i am trying to steer clear of the usual party buses and wonder if anyone had any good recommendations? i am in my 20s and want a social side to it but dont want to be up partying every night.

Answer: sounds like you have an excellent trip lined up and the outdoor side is definetely the best thing to new zealand. the cities are nothing special and i would recommend spending as much time as you can ejoying the amazing scenery and landscapes. there are a few options for your trip - one would be to hire a campervan but this might get costly, the other (and sounds like the way you are going) is a tour - for an active trip with others thats not too party style i would check out http://www.flyingkiwi.com who offer great value trips in the wilderness, other options wuld be something like kiwi ecperience but thats very 18-30 style, have a great time

 

Question: How much were the offical lions tours to New Zealand in 2005 and what did you get for your money?
I am looking on travelling on one of the official lions tours to South Africa in 2009 for the test matches only and was wondering how much it is likely to cost me.

Answer: Depending on where you live its hard to give you an amount - currency and all that.
Flights from UK to NZ with decent accomodation plus 3 test matches for 2 people was for memory $4,500 -£5,000.
Worth it if you can.

 

Question: Self Drive or Tour Travel in New Zealand?
Hi there, I'm planning a trip to NZ in September with family...me, wife, son & daughter (5 & 2 yrs old). I would love the freedom of self drive rather then taking a tour. However I have 2 young kids and am wondering whether things will be easy for me. What is your advice? This is my first time to NZ and is the timing right to visit both islands? Also where can I get good info/tips on self drive travel? Thanks very much!

Answer: New Zealand isnt a very big country and driving is pretty straight forward with major roads connecting all towns. September is fine to visit both islands, it will be starting to get warmer and there will not be as much snow in the south island. touring with children will probably be harder rather than self driving and you can choose what activities/sights to see and when and where to stop.

AA is Nzs motoring club and they have plenty of maps, ideas and links to car rentals.

http://www.aatravel.co.nz/main/index.php

Try and stay away from the larger rental companies hertz avis budget etc as they are very expensive.

 

Question: Travel to Africa, Europe, Or Australia- New Zealand?
We are a couple, around 25 years old from India. We would like to travel some destinations around November 1st and 2nd week for 15-17 days and the possible destinations include the ones from Europe, Africa, and Australia-New Zealand.

- Any suggestions for a great itinerary which would not be hectic and yet fun filled?
- Is it better to travel alone or with a tour company in a group?
- We are vegetarians and hope to have some good Indian restaurants around.

I would appreciate suggestions from you.

Answer: New Zealand for sure, but you could easily spend a month there are not have had a chance to see everything you will want too. If you go, I would recommend spending the most time on the South Island. Like adrenaline, go to Queenstown then glacier hiking. Get a car on the South Island and explore. Highly recommend the drive across South Otago starting from Dunedin. The tourist centres in New Zealand are always excellent so stop there first. And, lots of good Indian food places :-)

 

Question: What is the best way to stay and travel in New Zealand?
I will be taking my family (2 Adults and 2 Children) for vacation to New Zealand South Island. We plan to spend 2-3 weeks from end of Nov to early Dec to explore the places of interest here. We plan to travel on our own instead of joining a tour package.

1) Is it better to book a campervan and travel around or to book a car and stay in motel/hotel along the way?

2) Can you recommend good websites that offer good information and value for money bookings of campervan and hotels?

3) When is the year end school holiday in New Zealand?

4) Is there any itinerary that we can follow during our 3 weeks stay here?

5) Can you recommend good tour agents in New Zealand who may be able to assist us ?

Answer: 1. This time of year is starting to be the busy time...but you should be ok to get accommodation if you need it in the larger centres, but in some smaller places it MAY be harder ( eg I worked at the information centre in Franz Josef ( Glacier) where its quite isolated and while there are quite a few places to stay they were occasionally booked out).
I would go by yourselves as it gives you more flexibility to do what you want for as long as you want.....

2. look below for some options that may be of help/
3. School ends near Christmas and will be off until around Waitangi Day ( Feb 6th) so you miss the school rush there!

4. You might...if you hire a campervan is to try going in the opposite direction to the main flow....which I think is north to south.....you can find some deals as some companies need to get cars, campervans back in the "starting" places eg Auckland, Picton, Christhcurch, Queenstown and will give you better deals often if you end in those places.

Most people agree the South Island is more scenic, the North has more main centres, people and culture...although there are exceptions......If you want to see more scenery then do a circuit around the South Island...I personally love the West Coast of the South Island...I think its spectacular....but look at the AA travel ( 101 things kiwis love...it will give you an idea as to the things WE like in NZ).

If you look at the sites you will get some help. Maybe you could work out a possible route and then ask again to see if thats fesible and ask for places to see or that places people recommend.....there are not a huge number of roads in some places so some routes will be easy...I guess the direction might be of greater issue....Anyway have fun. I love New Zealand. After travelling around Europe, the natural beauty here is REALLY hard to beat.

 

Question: Travel in New Zealand?
I am a 62 year old single woman wanting to see as much of the country as I can on a limited budget .Would it be cheaper to book an escorted tour in New Zealand or here in the U.K. ?

Answer: My opinion tours can be expensive and not getting the 'discounted' rate with accommodation. You are better on your own and staying at backpackers for $20 a night. If you still want a tour package I would just do your research on the net to see your options and book once you are in NZ. It's a bit of a hard one, because there is so many different areas in NZ and where would you be spending most of your time.
I would suggest the South island is better for touring at your own speed – more to see. Queenstown is the most expensive – it’s classed or compared to Aspen of USA. But is gorgeous there… The Nelson region and Abel Tasman National Park is a MUST! http://nelsonnz.com Great beaches, vineyards, outdoor adventure and art centres.
Near by is Abel Tasman National Park, http://www.abeltasman.co.nz Kaiterteri – golden sand beaches.

Great site also - http://www.backpackerboard.co.nz

 

Question: How much money should I bring to New Zealand?
I am planning to travel for 4 weeks in New Zealand in February. I plan to spend most nights in hostels, but might like a few nights in hotels. As far as food goes, I would like a combination of fast food/groceries and sit-down restaurants. I don't plan to do any big expensive tours but may rent a car for up to a week, and plan to do plenty of hiking, kayaking, and sight-seeing. How much money do I need to bring?

Answer: If you choose your backpackers hostels wisely, NZ$ 30 a night is a possibility. Fuel is NZ$ 1.58 a litre of regular fuel, and most rental cars here will do 100km on 8 litres. Doing a tour of the entire country will be about 3.000km.
If you cook yourself, food and drink will amount to about NZ$ 10 a day if you buy nice things and the odd bottle of wine.
Restaurant dinners will run between 15 and 40 dollars, depending on your choices.
If you travel by bus, like Atomic Shuttles, NZ$ 10 for every 100km return trip is likely.

 

Question: How much money will 2 people need for 6 months Travelling within South America, New Zealand, OZ, Asia?
How much money will 2 people need to travel to the following countries:

South America - Spending 2 Months
Will be travelling all over. Treks etc, tours

New Zealand - Spending 1 Month
Will Be doing sky dives, bungees.

OZ - Spending 2 months
Will be swimming with dolphins, sharks, all sorts

Asia - spending 1 month
will be going bangkok,thiland,etc

I have already got my round the world flight ticket, i just need spending money and living cost amount for all the above countries visiting for 6 months

Answer: I always aim for a minimum of $2000 a month

 

Question: Cheap tour to New Zealand?
Hi!

I am planning to travel to New Zealand (Christchurch) from Malaysia or Singapore. Anyone knows a cheap flight/ tour package?

Answer: Try http://www.bbcarefreetravel.com and go to book travel. They usually give good package deals. Also they list a lot of different airlines, hotels, and car rentals and prices so you can shop around on this site.