By Plane -- Air New Zealand National & Link (tel. 0800/767-767 in NZ) provides daily service to Hamilton Airport (www.hamiltonairport.co.nz). The airport is about 15 minutes south of the city. A shuttle service is provided by Roadcat Transport (tel. 07/823-2559; www.roadcat.co.nz) or Super Shuttle (tel. 0800/748-885;www.supershuttle.co.nz).
By Coach (Bus) -- Both InterCity (tel. 09/623-1503) and Newmans (tel. 09/623-1504) link Hamilton to other major centers. Within Hamilton, Busit (tel. 0800/428-7546;www.busit.co.nz), runs the free CBD Shuttle, which loops around the inner city; while the Orbiter connects the city's suburbs and main shopping areas. You'll find details of their departure times at the Transport Centre, corner of Bryce and Anglesea sts. (tel. 07/839-6650), which is the central transport hub for all local and regional buses, shuttles, taxis, and car hire services. It's open Monday through Thursday, 8:30am to 5pm, Friday until 7pm and weekends 9:30am to 3:30pm; and lockers are available for luggage storage.
By Train -- The Tranz Scenic Overlander route passes through Hamilton on the route between Auckland and Wellington. Call tel. 0800/872-467 or visit www.tranzscenic.co.nz for timetables and reservations.
By Car -- Hamilton is on State Highway 1, so you'll pass through it heading north or south. It's usually slightly over an hour's drive from Auckland, but the stretch of road between the two cities is notorious for bad accidents that result in fatalities. Please take particular notice of all yellow-line road markings, which designate no-passing sections of a highway. It's 1 to 1 1/2 hours to Rotorua, Tauranga, or Taupo.
For rental cars call Waikato Car Rentals, Brooklyn Road, Hamilton (tel. 0800/154-444 in NZ, or 07/855-0094; www.waikatocarrentals.co.nz).
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
