Tranz Alpine Train Tour

My sister and I took our mother to the South Island for this bucket list trip for her 80th birthday. We caught the train from Christchurch to Greymouth. The weather was outstanding so the scenery was spectacular. The service from the staff was perfect, offering help with mobilising, bringing coffee orders to our seats and keeping the carriages impecably clean. If you are considering this trip - do it!

An experience to remember; great service, lovely views and excellent food and drinks. Very well organised by the team : thank you Downloaded the app and commentary which was very interesting

Check-in for the train was very efficient and friendly and the porter even offered to come to our hire car and unload our case for us. We had upgraded to Scenic Plus which was effectively first class. Throughout the amazing journey through incredible scenery the drinks kept flowing and the meal was very tasty. The service we received from the ladies on board was fantastic. We also had our own dedicated viewing carriage to get close up and personal with the landscape and take pictures that weren’t through glass. I can’t recommend this trip more and we will always remember the experience from checking in until leaving the train.

+3

We received poor service beginning to end. Ended up in a seat going backwards with a restricted view. Despite asking to change as this makes me travel sick, they would not change it despite several requests. We paid extra for scenic plus and based on this service I would not recommend it.

Great way to see some of the most beautiful parts of the South Island. Booking, check in etc was easy and professional - staff were helpful and friendly. Announcements on the train were helpful, letting you know when everything would be open or closed (ie cafe, open air viewing care) etc. Plenty of space to stretch out in comfy seats. Loved the open air viewing car - great for getting some epic pictures. Was happy that it ran to its scheduled time, as I had a bus tour departing immediately after the train arrived. Only downside is not being able to select your seats yourself - they are auto assigned during check in. But I did not find this a problem, as there were great views on both sides of the train, and I enjoyed popping out to the open are carriage for things on the opposite side of the train. Going in winter time meant the train was only half full, and snow was on the mountains - so I'd recommend going July to September.

The standard of service in Scenic Plus and the quality of the food provided was superb. The staff were courteous, welcoming and went above and beyond to ensure their customers had an amazing experience, we certainly did. A special thanks to Joely for her constant smiley face and her professional interaction with everyone. A very memorable trip.

One of great railway journeys. Lives up to name. We did Scenic plus which was clear worth the extra.We did C’church to greymouth on early train Good check in , staff friendly but busy desk at station . Easy to check in. Seats allocated at check in ..no choice so disappointed at that with high price. Food and drinks very good. Staff on train lovely. Good views but feel maybe car journey got more sense of NZ wonder after doing other NZ road trips later. Station at end bit chaotic and small especially for rental cars but not fault of operator. Worth doing once if in NZ

The train is similar to the Glacier Express in Switzerland as it has the same large windows for viewing the great scenery. You can download an app which describes the different areas as you pass them. A monitor in each carriage shows where you are on the journey.

Great trip, well worth it. The views and tunnels are amazing and the bridges over the gorges are breath taking. Sit either side as views same same each side. You can take your own food, and drinks, just no alcohol allowed to be consumed as it is a licensed premises, the train that is.

My mum wanted to go on this trip for her birthday so i treated us to the scenic plus package and it was worth every cent. I have worked in the hospitality industry for 10 years and the staffs service was top notch. The extra touches of the warm towel, welcome package with the postcard and the illustrated book with points of interest along our journey was well received. Throughout the trip we were well fed with plenty of food and both hot and cold drinks. This trip is something you would only do once so the scenic plus package is well worth the splurge.