Public transport guide for visitors to Auckland

Plan your journey

Use Journey Planner to plan trips on the go or choose a future date and time. Compare routes and transport options, and see departure times and how much your trip will cost.

To use Journey Planner and check live departures on your smartphone, download the AT Mobile app.

Fares

You can use Journey Planner online or in the AT Mobile app to find out how much your trip will cost. Journey Planner shows standard adult fares only.

When you use an AT HOP card or contactless payment method, you can transfer between AT buses, trains and ferries and pay just one fare for your entire journey. Just make sure you tag on within 30 minutes of tagging off your previous service and complete your journey within 4 hours.

Fare caps

Ride all you want on buses, trains and inner-harbour ferries and pay no more than $50 a week with the 7-day fare cap, automatically applied for HOP card users.

Customers using a contactless payment method get the $20 daily fare cap, which is also automatically applied.

Ways to pay

AT HOP card

You can pay for the bus, train and ferry using an AT HOP card. You need a HOP card or contactless payment method to pay for bus travel. Cash and debit cards (EFTPOS) are not accepted on buses.

Load funds onto your HOP card before you travel, then ‘tag on’ when you board and ‘tag off’ when you exit. AT HOP cards cost $5 and require a minimum top-up of $1.

Contactless payments

You can pay for the bus, train and most ferry services using a contactless method:*

• contactless debit and credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express or UnionPay) 
• Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay in the digital wallet of your smart device.

You cannot pay for more than one person using a contactless method, so each person travelling must have their own contactless payment method or a HOP card.

*Excludes Fullers Waiheke commercial ferries. Island Direct Waiheke ferry services are included.

Buy tickets for the train or ferry

If you do not have a HOP card or contactless payment method, you must buy a ticket before boarding.

Train and ferry tickets are available from a ticket machine at the station or terminal or at one of our customer service centres. Cash, debit and credit cards are accepted at these locations.

With any single-trip ticket, you will pay the full adult fare.

Travel tips 

Arrive early 

Some services, particularly buses, can run ahead of schedule. And if you’re travelling by train or ferry without a HOP card or contactless payment method, you’ll need time to buy a ticket before you board.

Remember to tag on and off

If you’re paying with a HOP card or contactless method, tap your card or smart device on the card reader at the start and end of your journey to tag on and off.

Always tag on and off with the same card or device, and remove your card from your wallet or phone case so that the correct card is scanned.

If you do not tag on and off correctly, you will be charged the default fare. On buses and trains, this is equivalent to 3 zones. For ferries, the default fare is the highest fare for any service that leaves through your tag-on point.

You can use your HOP card credit to pay for others

On the bus, tag on as usual then ask the bus driver for a ticket for your companion. For train or ferry travel, you can use your HOP card credit to buy single-trip tickets from a ticket machine or customer service centre.

Get child fares with a registered HOP card 

Passengers 5 to 15 years old can save 40% and travel free on weekends and public holidays with a registered HOP card.

No ticket sales at Northcote Point

If you’re travelling to or from Northcote Point, you’ll need to buy a ticket at the Downtown Ferry Terminal. There is no customer service centre or ticket machine at Northcote Point.

Day trips from Auckland 

Devonport: return trip from Downtown Ferry Terminal

The adult fare is $16 round trip when you buy tickets before you board. Keep your ticket for the return trip. Your ticket is valid until the last sailing of that same day.

When you tag on and off with a HOP card or contactless payment method, the fare is $11.60. You can save 10% more if you travel off peak.

Off-peak hours are:

• before 6am, between 9am and 3pm, and after 6:30pm on weekdays
• all day on weekends and public holidays.

HOP cards have a one-time cost of $5 each.

For bus travel in Devonport, you’ll need a HOP card or contactless payment method. You can buy a HOP card at the customer service centre.

Waiheke

Day-trip packages, available at the customer service centre, start at $84 and include:

• return sailing from the Downtown Ferry Terminal
• AT HOP card – for use on AT buses, trains and ferries
• unlimited AT bus travel on Waiheke Island.