Getting around Auckland: AT HOP, contactless and the new City Rail Link

Auckland's buses, trains and ferries are run by Auckland Transport (AT), and if you've used Opal or myki, you already know the drill: tag on, tag off, and the system works out the fare.

The short version

• You can pay with an AT HOP card or by tapping a contactless bank card or phone. Both get the same adult fare, which is cheaper than cash [1][2].
• Fares go by zones crossed. In 2026 an adult HOP or contactless trip costs NZ$3 for one zone up to NZ$7.90 for four or more zones [2].
• A HOP card caps your spending at NZ$50 per 7 days. Contactless caps at NZ$20 a day but has no weekly cap [3][4].
• The City Rail Link opened to passengers on 13 September 2026, with new underground stations in midtown and on Karangahape Road [8].
• To the airport by public transport, take a train to Puhinui and change to the AirportLink bus, which runs every 10 minutes [7].

AT HOP or your bank card?

This is the first decision you'll make, and the answer depends on how often you travel and who's travelling with you.

Contactless works on AT buses, trains and most ferries with Visa, Mastercard, American Express or UnionPay, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay [4]. Tag on and off with the same card or device, or you'll be charged two default fares. Your day's travel is billed as one charge overnight [4].

Here's the Australian catch. AT says there are no transaction fees for New Zealand-issued cards, but cards issued overseas may attract one [4]. Your Commonwealth Bank or ANZ card from home could add an international fee to every daily charge. Fine for your first week, annoying for a year.

AT HOP is a reloadable card, like Opal. The card itself costs NZ$5 and that's not refundable [5]. Register it online and you can top up online, set up auto top-up, get concessions and recover your balance if you lose it [5].

Our take: if you're commuting five days a week, have kids, or will use the Waiheke ferry, get a HOP card. If you're just visiting, house-hunting or still waiting on a New Zealand bank card, tap and go.

Where to buy a HOP card

You can order one online for NZ$10 (that includes NZ$5 of credit) with free NZ Post delivery, though it can take up to 12 working days [5]. If you want one today, buy at a HOP retailer for NZ$5 plus at least NZ$1 of credit, or at a vending machine for NZ$25 including NZ$20 of credit [5]. Machines are at both airport terminals and at the Downtown and Devonport ferry terminals [5].

How fares and caps work

Auckland is split into nine fare zones, from City and Isthmus out to Warkworth and Waiheke [1]. You pay by how many zones you cross, and the most you'll pay for a bus or train trip is a four-zone fare, however far you go [1].

These fares took effect on 1 February 2026 [2].

Two Australian surprises. First, cash isn't accepted on AT buses [7]. Second, if you forget to tag off on a contactless card, you're charged a default three-zone fare on buses and trains [4].

Transfers

A journey can combine buses, trains and inner ferries for one fare. You need to tag on to the next service within 30 minutes of tagging off the last one, and finish the whole journey within four hours [1].

The caps

• AT HOP 7-day cap: your 7-day period starts with your first eligible trip and runs to midnight seven days later. Once you've spent NZ$50 in that window, the rest is free. You still need to tag on and off every trip [3].
• Contactless daily cap: NZ$20 a day [4].
• What counts: buses, trains and the inner-harbour ferries to Devonport, Bayswater, Birkenhead and Northcote Point. Mid-harbour, outer-harbour and Waiheke ferries don't count towards either cap [3].

Kids, students and seniors

Under-fives travel free with a paying adult. Kids aged 5 to 15 get 40% off with a registered HOP card, and they travel free on weekends and public holidays [1]. Full-time tertiary and secondary students at Auckland institutions get 40% off too [1]. SuperGold holders (a New Zealand programme, not something your Australian Seniors Card gets you) travel free after 9am on weekdays and all day on weekends [1].

Trains and the City Rail Link

Auckland's train network is smaller than Sydney's or Melbourne's, but it got a big upgrade in 2026. The City Rail Link (CRL) opened officially on 11 September 2026, with public services from Sunday 13 September [8].

The CRL is a tunnel under the city centre that turns Waitematā Station (Britomart) from a dead end into a through station [8]. It adds two new underground stations:

• Te Waihorotiu, in midtown
• Karanga-a-Hape, with entrances at Mercury Lane and Beresford Square on Karangahape Road

Maungawhau (Mount Eden) Station was also rebuilt to connect to the tunnel [8]. If you're choosing a suburb to rent in, a home near a train line just got more useful. AT's journey planner can show trips on the new network [8].

Ferries: Devonport, Waiheke and the rest

Ferries are one of the best things about living in Auckland, and the reason Aucklanders on the North Shore put up with the harbour bridge less often.

Fares from 1 February 2026 [2]. A ferry fare also includes bus and train travel inside the zone where the ferry trip starts and ends [1].

Devonport is the easy weekend trip. A Devonport day return ticket costs NZ$24 for adults, or use your HOP card and the inner-harbour fare [6].

Waiheke Island is where it gets fiddly. Two operators run the route [6]:

• Fullers360 accepts AT HOP but not contactless.
• Island Direct accepts AT HOP and contactless.

Waiheke trips don't count towards the fare caps, so check the operator's own fares before you go [3][6]. Rangitoto ferries are a separate tourist service, so check with the operator before assuming your HOP card will work [6].

Getting to the airport for flights home

Most trips home to Australia leave from Auckland Airport's international terminal. There's no direct train, but the public transport route is reliable.

1. Take a train to Puhinui Station. It's on the South City and East West lines [7].
2. Change to the AirportLink bus. It runs every 10 minutes from 4:30am to 12:40am, seven days a week, with room for luggage [7].
3. Allow about 20 minutes on the bus. It's 18 to 20 minutes from Puhinui to the international terminal, stop A [7].
4. Tag on and off with the same card so the train and bus count as one journey [1].
5. Arrive at least three hours before an international flight, as the airport recommends [10].

From the central isthmus, the route 38 bus from Onehunga is another option. It runs every 15 to 20 minutes during the day and takes 30 to 35 minutes to reach the airport [7].

If you land without a HOP card, there are vending machines at both terminals, or just tap your Australian card and sort out a HOP later [5].

Cycling and the Aussie angle

Auckland is hillier and windier than most of Australia's capital cities, and its cycle network is still patchy outside the central suburbs. E-bikes are popular for exactly that reason. As at home, you must wear a helmet on a bike in New Zealand. AT is moving its cycling and walking information to Auckland Council, so check both sites for current maps.

A few other things that differ from home:

• No Opal or myki here. Your Australian transport cards don't work, and there's no national card yet. Wellington and Christchurch have their own systems.
• Your Australian licence works for up to 12 months, if you decide you need a car after all [9]. See Buying a car in Auckland before you do.
• Smartraveller notes that taxis and rideshares in New Zealand meet standards similar to Australia's [9].

Want to know which suburbs make the best ferry or train commute? Ask in Cooee New Zealand, our Facebook group for Australians in New Zealand.

Sources

1. Bus and train fares – Auckland Transport
2. Public transport fare changes – Auckland Transport
3. 7-day fare cap for Auckland public transport – Auckland Transport
4. Using contactless payments on Auckland public transport – Auckland Transport
5. Buy an AT HOP card – Auckland Transport
6. Ferry fares – Auckland Transport
7. Airport services – Auckland Transport
8. City Rail Link
9. New Zealand travel advice – Smartraveller
10. Transport to and from the airport – Auckland Airport

Keep reading

• Moving to Auckland from Australia: the complete guide
• Buying a car in Auckland: WoF, rego and Japanese imports
• Cost of living in Auckland vs Sydney and Melbourne
• Your Australian driver's licence abroad