Take the Northern Explorer Train from Wellington to Auckland

Summary: From check in to departure, we were treated like royalty. The scenic plus carriage is beautiful, the food is amazing, the temperature remained comfortable, the carriage was quiet from outside noise and the staff members very engaging and professional. The information available on the app is well worth logging into, and the use of free Wi-Fi was perfect to keep track of our travels. The staff members were very engaging, very knowledgeable and very professional. The food selection throughout the journey, was beautifully presented and sourced from areas in NZ that we passed through on our 11 hour journey! The scenic plus experience as well worth the money paid. I suggest you put it on your bucket list!

Summary: An extraordinary journey that allowed us to view the north island in complete comfort. Very attentive staff, everyone and particularly our conductor, Bruce, provided utmost hospitality and care until the very end. The dining wagon was well stocked at reasonable prices. The toilet for people with disabilities is excellent.

Summary: Staff and crew were warm and welcoming... A wonderful way to see the beauty of our country...Cafe had an array of wonderful food to choose from and great coffee....seats were comfortable and been able to walk around and out to the viewing Carriage was a delight ..altho extremely chilly.. One of the highlights of my trip is BRUCE the duty manager...this man couldn't do any more for you if he tried....he changed our seats so we would be more comfortable and his commentaries on up coming sites was filled with wonderful knowledge and humor.....After arriving in Auckland 11 and a half hrs later,.... Bruce still went above and beyond... he waited with us all to make sure we got to our taxi's..Ubers and tour buses safely before finishing for the day..... This journey is extremely worthwhile even just to meet Bruce 🚂🚃🚞

Summary: 10/10 great and friendly service great food and beverages spectacular views/senary love it and the Crew/team are tops

Summary: Great trip! They give you easy directions at check-in. Train was comfortable and food (for purchase) was good.

Summary: What a beautiful way to see the countryside of the North Island. Everyone talks about the scenery on the South Island, but the North Island is just as beautiful. There are two options which I was not made aware of making the booking. There is the scenic tour and the scenic plus. Scenic plus gives you meals and the pleasure of using the dining car. You can still get packaged food and drinks in the scenic tour for $. I saw a lot of people bring their own food. There are restrooms on the train. You have an assigned seat, so you don’t have to plow your way on to the train. Overhead racks are at each seat for your belongings. Be patient when getting your luggage at the end of the journey, it is not very organized. Someone from the train will be out at the station to help you find a ride, Uber is my go to. They did have a few vans that would drop you off at your hotel but would make several stops. If you use a cab, make sure it is the blue dome ones. Apparently there are others that will scam you into a ride. Overall it was a good experience.

Summary: Lovely way to see the landscape of NZ without the stress of driving. The seats were comfy and snacks from the dining car were good value.

Summary: Lovely train journey , large windows got great views , good size open platform - good buffet on board if not dining package

Summary: This is a great way to really appreciate the diverse scenery and landscape of New Zealand. The trip was comfortable and the explanations of the sights great.

Summary: We had an outstanding trip on the northern explorer and to see parts of our great country I haven't seen before was great. Maybe one thing I could say, is that having air conditioning in the cartages would be great.