Cruise days ashore without hiring a car
One day in port, a fixed departure time and no room for a wrong turn. Hiring a car for a few hours is the riskiest way to spend that day — a private driver is the calmest.
What you don't have to deal with
- Met at the cruise terminal, no rental desk detour
- Back on board well before all-aboard time
- Your itinerary, not a shared group's fixed route
- No parking, no fuel stop, no return paperwork
- Vehicle stays with you between stops
- Fixed price for the whole vehicle, agreed before the day
The honest version
A port day has one hard constraint: the ship leaves without you. Everything else — how long you spend somewhere, what you skip, when you eat — is flexible, and that is exactly the wrong shape for a rental car, where you spend the start of the day at a counter and the end of it worrying about the return.
A private driver inverts it. You are met at the terminal, you say what you want to see, and the day gets built around the departure time. If something takes longer than expected, your driver adjusts the rest rather than you doing mental arithmetic on a state highway.
It also beats a group excursion for anyone who wants a specific day: one particular winery, a family grave, a walk somebody recommended, a slower pace for a passenger with limited mobility. The vehicle is yours, so the day is yours.
We meet ships at the main New Zealand ports, including Auckland, Tauranga, Wellington, Lyttelton, Port Chalmers and Picton. Tell us the ship, the date and the all-aboard time when you book.
A private driver, not a rental and not a shared ride
Highway 1 Tours & Transfers is a New Zealand owned private transfer company with NZTA-licensed, P-endorsed drivers. Every booking is a private hire: your own vehicle and driver, a fixed price agreed before you travel, door-to-door pickups from airports, hotels, cruise and ferry terminals, and the same team for airport transfers, point-to-point trips between towns and full days of sightseeing anywhere in the country.
Frequently asked questions
Read next
- Auckland without a rental car
Auckland is where most visitors land, and it is the worst possible place to meet left-hand driving for the first time. It is also the easiest New Zealand city to enjoy without a car of your own.
- Rotorua without a rental car
Most people reach Rotorua as part of a North Island loop, and the attractions are spread out around the lakes. A private driver covers the arrival leg and the days out without a rental car in between.
- Wellington without a rental car
Wellington is steep, tightly packed and famously short on parking. It is one of the easiest cities in the country to visit without a car — and one of the least pleasant to learn left-hand driving in.
More on travelling without a car: all rental car alternative guides · private day tours (13 guides in this series)
Other services we offer
A private transfer is only part of what we do. The same NZTA-licensed drivers and vehicles cover tours, hourly hire, airport and cruise work, corporate travel and group bookings throughout New Zealand.
Private, luxury & multi-day travel
Private touring, chauffeur hire, honeymoon travel and a driver for your whole New Zealand trip.
Explore private travelArriving in New Zealand
First-time visitor guides to landing at Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, Wellington and Dunedin.
Read the arrival guidesIsland & region guides
What each part of New Zealand is known for, how long the drives really take, and how to travel it without a rental car.
Explore destinationsVisiting New Zealand
Driving on the left, kilometres to miles, money and tipping, the seasons, and travelling without a rental car.
Read visitor infoAirport shuttle alternative
Private airport transfers instead of a shared shuttle — your group alone, direct to the terminal, price agreed first.
Compare the optionsCity taxi, upgraded
A fixed-price private car instead of the taxi rank — city-by-city guides across New Zealand.
See your citySuburb airport transfers
Local detail on the run to Auckland, Christchurch or Wellington Airport from your own suburb.
Find your suburbPrivate day tours & sightseeing
Keep the same driver for the day and shape the route around what you'd like to see nationwide.
See private toursBy-the-hour driver hire
A driver and vehicle held for a block of time — best when your travel starts and finishes in the same town.
Book hourly hireAirport transfers
Flight-tracked pickups and drop-offs at every main New Zealand airport, door to door.
Airport transfersCruise port transfers & shore days
Met at the terminal in Auckland, Tauranga, Akaroa or Picton — back on board well before all-aboard time.
Cruise transfersSki field transfers
Winter-ready vehicles and alpine drivers for Queenstown, Wānaka, Mt Hutt and Ruapehu — gear included.
Ski transfersCorporate & executive travel
Business accounts, client and staff runs, event movements and consolidated invoicing.
Talk to usGroups, fleets & rental car alternative
Multiple vehicles on one booking for larger parties, or a driven alternative to hiring a car.
Rental car alternativeWhat transfers and taxis cost
Plain answers on what moves the price of an airport run in New Zealand, and how a fixed total compares with a meter.
Fares & costsWeddings, balls & big occasions
Private transport for weddings, school balls, corporate events, funerals, large groups and accessible travel.
Occasion transportConcerts & event transport
Ride there and ride home for the big nights — concerts, festivals and events across New Zealand.
Event transport
Please note: by-the-hour driver hire is only suitable when your travel starts and finishes in the same town. If you're finishing somewhere else, book a private transfer or a day trip so your fare covers the driver's travel.