- I took a round trip on the TranzAlpine in New Zealand, one of the world's most scenic rail routes.
- The landscapes were breathtaking, but the return journey felt repetitive.
- I'd suggest taking this train just one way or skipping it to do a road trip instead.
I spent six weeks exploring New Zealand's North and South Islands, and all of my research kept pointing me toward the country's famous train rides — often described as some of the most scenic in the world.
Great Journeys New Zealand runs three routes: the Northern Explorer between Auckland and Wellington, the Coastal Pacific between Picton and Christchurch, and the TranzAlpine, which crosses the Southern Alps between Christchurch and Greymouth.
To fill a free day in Christchurch, I splurged on a $320 round-trip ticket for the TranzAlpine to see what all the hype was about.
Here's how the day went, and why I think the ride is best done one way, if at all.
Check-in was smooth, especially because I didn't have luggage like many of the other passengers.
An Uber picked me up from my hostel to take me to the train station at 7:30 a.m. The 10-minute ride to the Christchurch Railway Station only cost about $8.
Once I arrived, I was surrounded by people with suitcases.
I wondered if those checking bags were taking the train to Greymouth and then connecting to another mode of transportation down the South Island's west coast — a popular route I considered exploring, but ultimately decided against.
I tried upgrading to the premium dining experience, but it was sold out.
When I got to the counter, I inquired about upgrading one leg of my journey to the Scenic Plus Experience for a few hundred dollars.
It includes premium perks like access to a private outdoor viewing carriage, regionally inspired cuisine paired with local wines, and live commentary.
Unfortunately, the all-inclusive experience was completely sold out.
My assigned seat was at a four-top table with two other passengers.
The seating arrangement felt cramped, gave me a bit of social anxiety, and I didn't like that I was facing away from the direction of travel.
We left the station at approximately 8:15 a.m.
I stayed in my seat for departure but moved to the dining carriage when it opened about 10 minutes later.
The space is intended for dining passengers only, and since it was relatively empty for most of the journey, I kept ordering refreshments so I could stay there instead of returning to the seat I didn't like.
Wandering around the train throughout the ride helped me find the best viewpoints.
I'd read beforehand that when traveling from Christchurch to Greymouth, the best scenic highlights are on the right side of the tracks.
It wasn't possible to request a specific side when booking, but since passengers only had to remain in their assigned seats for departure and arrival, I was free to explore and enjoy the scenery from different angles.
While booking my ticket, I opted to pre-purchase meals and drinks.
Extras ranged from full meals with a drink to a cheese board with wine, and even a celebration cake or bubbles.
I chose breakfast with a non-alcoholic beverage for $13.48 and dinner with a beverage for $20.54, which seemed like a good deal.
After a light breakfast, I realized pre-purchasing the meal actually cost me money instead of saving it.
At the time, I was following a keto diet, so I went with a low-carb breakfast option: black cherry, pear, and vanilla chia-seed compote and a large long black coffee.
Even after ordering a second coffee, buying those items separately would have been cheaper because I actually lost $0.36 by pre-booking the meal.
In hindsight, I wished I'd forgotten my diet and indulged in the ham-and-cheese croissant sandwich because it would have made the add-on feel more worthwhile.
The views during the first hour of the journey weren't very interesting.
At first, the tracks mostly passed through industrial and residential areas.
It felt the scenery only began to change once we reached Springfield — 40 miles outside of Christchurch — which is considered the gateway to New Zealand's Southern Alps.
Glare on the windows made it difficult to take photos from inside.
I captured a few amazing shots that were essentially ruined by reflections on the glass.
At times, it felt easier to stop trying for photos and just take in the sights.
The open-air carriage offered unobstructed angles and made it much easier to capture clear images.
Though I expected it to be cold, I wasn't fully prepared for the chilly mountain air when I stepped outside.
I only stayed for a few minutes before retreating to the dining carriage for a hot tea ($2.34), which I brought back with me to help keep warm while enjoying the panoramas.
Upon returning inside, I noticed screens in every carriage that displayed useful information.
Screens showed everything from our position along the route and elevation changes to factoids about destinations we were passing.
There was also an onboard infotainment app, which I downloaded but didn't use since the screens provided the same details without draining my phone battery.
We made a quick stop at Arthur's Pass National Park.
The train arrived just before 10:45 a.m., giving passengers a chance to hop off and snap a photo in front of the Arthur's Pass National Park sign.
With the wind picking up and a crowd of people all trying for the same shot, getting a decent picture wasn't easy.
The stop only lasted about 10 minutes, so there wasn't enough time to explore the area.
Once the journey resumed, I got more snacks in the dining carriage.
The cashier had a record of my pre-booked meals on file.
When I explained that I hadn't felt I'd gotten my money's worth at breakfast, they let me order another coffee to help make up the difference in price.
Still feeling peckish, I grabbed a keto-friendly snack: salted peanuts. These weren't included in my meal plan, so I paid $2.35 out of pocket.
I sat back and enjoyed the rest of the train ride to the west coast.
The countryside continued to impress as we traveled west, with plenty of photo opportunities along the way.
We arrived in Greymouth at 1:15 p.m.
We were instructed to disembark and that those of us returning to Christchurch would have an hour to explore the city.
I walked from the train station into the downtown area, popping into a few shops along the way.
Greymouth's Central Business District was quiet on this aptly gray Monday afternoon. As I stopped into a few shops and passed some street art, I wondered if the area might be livelier on a weekend.
Since I didn't want to risk being late for the return train, I stayed within a short walk of the station.
The train was right on time, arriving at exactly 2:15 p.m.
I waited on the platform with the intention of photographing the train as it came into the station, and I was pleased with the results.
I felt skeptical about the return journey.
Before boarding the train back to Christchurch, I was starting to regret buying a round-trip ticket.
Since we'd be following the same tracks, I doubted the scenery would have the same appeal without that initial wow factor of seeing it for the first time.
My assigned seat was much more comfortable this time.
This time, I was in a two-seat row with an outlet and no one in the seat beside me. I was finally facing forward, which made the journey much smoother.
As a result, I spent far more time in this seat than the one I'd been assigned on the way to Greymouth.
Rain changed the landscape significantly.
Though I had worried the return journey might feel redundant, I hadn't considered how much the weather could transform the setting.
Having already seen the route clearly on the way there, I found myself appreciating the cozy, moodier atmosphere that a bit of rain created.
That said, if I had only traveled one way, this may have been disappointing because the weather did obscure some of the sightlines.
I learned from my earlier mistake and was more strategic when ordering my pre-purchased dinner and drink.
Unlike the breakfast deal, which only included a non-alcoholic beverage, the dinner package allowed me to order any drink except a full-size bottle of wine.
I chose the beef-cheek entrée ($14.71) because I figured it would reheat better than the lamb shank or roast chicken.
My drink pairing was a quarter-bottle of Brancott Estate sauvignon blanc ($7.65), which felt like the perfect portion for one person.
The surroundings were familiar, but still beautiful.
The late afternoon light cast everything in a softer glow, making it easier to capture photos than it had been during the first leg.
Golden hour highlighted stunning autumn colors.
Maybe it was the wine, or perhaps it was simply that I took my favorite photos of the day during this stretch, but golden hour was the moment I briefly stopped regretting taking the same route back to Christchurch.
I went back to the viewing carriage and stayed until I was asked to go back to my seat.
The sun set as we were riding along what I thought was the most scenic part of the entire train ride: the turquoise waters of the Waimakariri River Gorge.
I stayed for about 20 minutes, until a staff member corralled everyone back to their seats as a safety precaution since we were about to go through various tunnels.
Once we came out the other side, it was twilight and there wasn't much left to see for the rest of the ride.
I didn't mind the final stretch being in the dark, since we were passing through the same industrial and residential areas I'd found underwhelming that morning.
The train pulled back into Christchurch just after 7 p.m., and within half an hour I was back at my hostel, completing the nearly 12-hour excursion.
My round-trip TranzAlpine train ride was pleasant, but I'd recommend either taking it one way or skipping it entirely.
After returning to Christchurch, I couldn't help feeling like I'd wasted both time and money on the round-trip ticket.
Though there were memorable moments in each direction, I would've rather saved money by only taking the train one way.
Looking back, I wish I would've gotten off at Greymouth and continued down the west coast by bus or rental car, as I suspect many other passengers did.
And when comparing the train to a separate road trip I took from Canterbury to Arthur's Pass, I found renting a car not only more convenient but also more rewarding.
For travelers considering the famous rail route, I'd suggest taking the train one way — or skipping it in favor of driving yourself for more flexibility and discovery.
