If you're going to travel the nearly 9,000 miles to New Zealand, you better be sure to see as much as you can while you're there. Like the scenic Via Rail journey in Canada, KiwiRail's cross-country train ride from Christchurch to Greymouth lets travelers see the country in style, enjoying tons of local food and drinks along the way.
KiwiRail, which operates The Great Journeys of New Zealand, celebrated 30 years on the tracks last month, and its TranzAlpine route is still one of the most popular travel experiences for visitors and locals in New Zealand. The journey takes just under five hours, making stops in several cities along the way. Guests can choose to hop off and explore, or continue the journey all the way to the end of the line.
BOOK YOUR TRIP: The Great Journeys Of New Zealand Train Trip, TripAdvisor
While on board, you'll travel across the stunning Canterbury Plains, passing photo-ready spots like Lake Sarah and Arthur's Pass. The train's panoramic windows, glass shelves and skylights are designed so you never miss a thing, and the spacious, reclining seats allow plenty of room to stretch out.
When you want to take a stroll, you can head to the open-air carriage for an even better view, or the café carriage for a snack or some bubbly. Trust us, the tricked-out food car's menu will blow whatever granola bar you planned to stash in your bag out of the water.
Supplied by a Wellington-based company called Wishbone, the menu includes meals like hearty brunch wraps, lamb shanks, and smoked salmon soba noodles. New Zealand's Whittaker's chocolate and Kapiti Ice Cream brands provide dessert.
There's also a bar on board, serving up a huge variety of local beers, wines, and pre-mixed cocktails. One of the most popular drinks is Monteith beer, made at a brewery on the west coast of New Zealand. It's like sipping your way across Epcot, but way cooler.
One-way tickets for the TranzAlpine journey start at $119.
Follow Delish on Instagram.
Download the Delish app.
