Coastal Pacific treinreis van Picton naar Christchurch

We thoroughly enjoyed the train trip from Picton to Christchurch. The boarding process was easy because our bags had been checked through from the ferry. The seats are more comfortable than airline seats, and the view is exciting. The observation car is a great idea. No glass to ruin photos. There was a bit of a delay due to the track control system, but that was not a problem for us. They kept us informed. If you want to hear a narration, you plug your headphones in. We were able to buy prepackaged meals in the dining car and sit at a table to eat them. The scenery was so beautiful, from green hills dotted with sheep, to glacial rivers, and sea shores. Definitely preferable to an airline flight if you have the time.

Boarded the train at Christchurch on a very dark and drizzly morning. The carriages were more spacious and had more tables than the Tranzalpine. Unfortunately we were seated next to a door and it was very draughty, especially as they had problems with it not automatically closing, As it was raining most of the trip, I ventured out to the open air observation car to see the views . It was blowing a gale so wrap up well. The kaikoura coastline was amazing and managed to see some seals on the rocks plus grab some great photos This route wasnt as spectacular as the Tranz Alpine The trip overall was enjoyable.

We took the train from Kaikoura to Christchurch in late April. We got the seat requests we put in. It's generally better to sit on the right side, with views of mountains, and also the setting sun and moon. The observation car was cool for pictures, but also loud, cold and rickety. Ambience and seating was nice and comfortable inside the main cars. The only thing that wasn't that pleasant was that it was very noisy with a group of 7-8 passengers playing word games loudly the whole time. It was quieter in the dining car (which closed at some point). Train was slightly late.