Travelling from
🇩🇪New Zealand from Europe
German, Dutch, French, Swiss and Scandinavian travellers have been coming to New Zealand for decades, usually for three weeks or more and often on the road. We plan for the way Europeans travel: independent, outdoors, and interested in the place as much as the sights.
Getting here
One stop via Singapore, Dubai, Doha or Hong Kong
Entry
NZeTA for most EU and EEA passports
Time difference
10 hours ahead of Central European Time in the European summer and 12 hours ahead in the European winter
Typical stay
14–21 nights
Quoted in
NZ dollars · view in EUR
Getting here
Flights and gateways
Frankfurt, Munich, Zürich
One stop via Singapore, Dubai, Doha or Hong Kong
Paris, Amsterdam
One stop via Singapore, Dubai or Doha; two stops via Asia are often cheaper
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo
Via Doha, Dubai or Singapore
Plan on 24–28 hours with one connection. Arriving in Auckland and departing from Christchurch (or the reverse) avoids backtracking.
Before you fly
NZeTA for most EU and EEA passports
Passport holders from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, the Nordic countries and most other EU states are visa-waiver visitors and need an NZeTA plus the visitor levy before flying. A few European passports are not on the waiver list — we check yours at the first call. Entry rules are set by Immigration New Zealand and change from time to time — we help you understand the steps, but always confirm the current requirement for your passport at immigration.govt.nz before you book flights.
New Zealand is 10 hours ahead of Central European Time in the European summer and 12 hours ahead in the European winter.
Full guide to NZeTA, visas and the levyWhen to come
The months that work for travellers from Europe.
Matched to your holidays and to New Zealand's seasons, which run opposite to the northern hemisphere.
December–February
New Zealand summer during the European winter — the most popular window, book early.
March–April
Autumn: stable weather, warm water in the north, colour in the south and fewer people.
October–November
Spring: wildflowers, snow on the tops, waterfalls at their fullest.
Journey ideas that fit
Shaped for 14–21 nights.
Starting points, not packages — every one is stretched or shortened to your dates and quoted in writing.
Both Islands · 12–18 nights
Best of Both Islands
Auckland → Rotorua → Wellington → Kaikōura → Queenstown → Christchurch
South Island · 8–12 nights
The Southern Road
Christchurch → Tekapo → Mount Cook → Wānaka → Queenstown → Milford Sound
South Island · 7–10 nights
Wine & Wilderness
Marlborough → Kaikōura → Christchurch → Central Otago → Queenstown
Good to know
The small things that make it easy.
- Driving
- Left-hand side. An EU licence is accepted if it's in English, otherwise carry an international driving permit. Roads are narrow and slow — enjoy them.
- Language
- English everywhere; te reo Māori is an official language and you'll see it on signs.
- Power
- 230 V as at home; type I plugs — bring an adapter.
- Outdoors
- Great Walks and huts need booking months ahead in summer. We handle that if a multi-day walk is part of the plan.
- Money
- Cards everywhere, contactless standard. Prices include 15% GST; no tipping expected.
Questions we hear
What travellers from Europe ask us.
Can you plan a partly self-drive, partly guided trip?
That's our most common European request: a camper or hire car for the open-road days, guides and lodges for the highlights. We book the whole chain so nothing falls between.
We want to walk. Can you build a trip around tramping?
Yes — day walks, guided sections of the Great Walks, or hut-to-hut with a guide. Tell us your fitness and we'll match the tracks.
Is New Zealand good for slow travel?
It rewards it. With three weeks we'd rather give you fewer places for longer than a checklist of everything.
Start planning
Tell us your dates and who's coming.
A planner who knows what travellers from Europe need — entry steps, flight timings, the right length — replies within one business day with a first shape and an honest range. No obligation.