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Northern Explorer Train Journey from Wellington to Auckland
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Reviewed 7 December 2017

The train was 15 minutes late getting away and lost another 15 minutes on the journey to Hamilton, however, it was a great rail journey. We could relax and enjoy the scenery. Ruapehu still had good snow cover so that was a bonus. Saw some lovely small inland towns. Love the windowless viewing car.

In the café car the food was great and so was the price.

Date of experience: December 2017
Thank pandot61
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GreatJourneysofNZ, Manager at Northern Explorer Train, responded to this reviewResponded 18 January 2018

Apologies for the short delay, hopefully the enjoyable journey outweighed this! Really glad you got to see Ruapehu covered in snow, something about snow makes it look so beautiful!

Hope to see you on another one of our great journeys again soon.

Sorrel, Great Journeys of NZ Team

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Reviewed 5 December 2017

We went from Hamilton to National Park (then onward to the Château).
The train was on time and boarding was easy. Luggage tagged and seat given by the train manager.
Seats are comfortable - some have a table for 4 (2 sit backwards) and some are airline style. Plenty of room and comfortable.
The trains in NZ are narrower than Europe so there isn't as much room - the aisle is quite narrow.

In cabin there is a screen with a map. There is also commentary on the headset at various points along the route.

The dining car has very few tables but the cabin seats have a tray table.
The food and drinks are fairly priced - cafe prices really. Sandwiches were fresh, espresso available, wine and beer (and water) also.

The trip will take you through bits of the country that you don't really get to see by car. It isn't fast but it isn't slow either - 3 hours to get to National Park was a pretty fair time and you get to stand up if you want (harder to do in a car).

Date of experience: December 2017
Thank WayneK160
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GreatJourneysofNZ, Manager at Northern Explorer Train, responded to this reviewResponded 18 January 2018

Thank you for your positive feedback and so glad to hear your enjoyed the journey. We definitely aren't about being fast, we want passengers to be able to relax and have time to take in the scenery so hope you had a chance to do that!

Sorrel, The Great Journeys of NZ Team

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Reviewed 3 December 2017

My only constructive feedback is that you can skip the Auckland-National Park leg of the journey, especially if you have already made your way down to Lake Taupo. However, the remainder of the journey was well worth the price tag. Comfortable cars, easy to get around the train to the restrooms, viewing car, and food car. The staff were friendly. The seating was comfortable and views were incredible. Throughout the journey, they provide headphones for you to listen to a recording which explains what you are looking at. We did have an unscheduled stop due to a power line having fallen onto the tracks. At this point, the staff allowed us to get off the train to get pictures with the train and stretch our legs. Final piece of advice: the food is first come, first served...so make sure you grab what you want early!

Date of experience: November 2017
Thank markitiki
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robin H, Online Crew at Northern Explorer Train, responded to this reviewResponded 18 September 2018

Hi mbaumgartl,

Many thanks for taking the time to review your experience on the Northern Explorer.

Some great pieces of advice here for other travellers - thank you for your input!

Have you tried our other journeys? If you get the chance, the TranzAlpine is stunning!

All the best,

Robin | The Great Journeys of New Zealand

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Reviewed 30 November 2017

The thought of spending 8 hours on a train can be daunting. However, the trip went very quickly.

Once we were out of town, the scenery was amazing. I could have spent the whole trip in the viewing carriage.

The staff who looked after us were great! Both those who responded promptly to my online queries, and those who were on the train on the day.

We pre-ordered food, which was quite reasonable. (Certainly better than airline food!)

It was a memorable experience.

Date of experience: November 2017
Thank keepmeprivate
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robin H, Online Crew at Northern Explorer Train, responded to this reviewResponded 18 September 2018

HI B F,

Many thanks for taking the time to review your experience on the Northern Explorer.
We're pleased to hear you took advantage of the open air viewing carriage - great place to take photos.
Glad to hear the food was better than you expected - always a nice surprise when you're travelling.

Hope to see you again.

Best,

Robin | The Great Journeys of New Zealand

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Reviewed 20 November 2017 via mobile

Nice ride from Auckland to Wellington. The staff of the train was amazing. They have nice food and of course the view is one of the best thing in this trip. Mostly the people is old and I think is not a good idea for little kids because the ride is minimum 12 hours. Good idea for a nice playlist or a good book.

Date of experience: November 2017
Thank Roland O
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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