Naked Bus - the Ryanair of New Zealand bus companies
December 7th, 2007 by Tim Uden
Naked Bus is a year-old bus operator with a nationwide network of bus services to most destinations in New Zealand. What makes Naked Bus a good deal is that they - like Megabus in the UK and USA - operate with a yield-management pricing system just like budget airlines such as easyJet and Ryanair. So basically you can ride the bus around New Zealand with prices starting at $1 per trip (plus a 75c booking fee) as long as you book far enough in advance. Although booking everything so far in advance can kill the spontanious carefree spirit of independent travel, the cost savings make it a real bargain.
I rode the Naked Bus from Christchurch to Blenheim (about a six-hour trip) and overall it was a good experience and I would certainly consider travelling with Naked Bus again. It was just a crappy old minibus, but newer full-size coaches operate on many routes. I paid $24 for the trip, but there were $1 fares available if I wanted to take a bus later in the day, although I was on a tight schedule so I paid extra to leave on the early bus.
One Response to “Naked Bus - the Ryanair of New Zealand bus companies”
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March 4th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Thanks you for mentioning naked bus - so called because we have “stripped out” the costs you do not need. We aim to provide the cheapest bus fares in New Zealand. You are right - we are upgrading our coaches as demand increases - and adding new services as well!
Disclainer: I work for nakedbus.com