PictonNZWaitohi · Marlborough Sounds
Two Cook Strait ferries moored at Picton's terminals

Travel information

Getting to Picton, and getting around

Picton is where State Highway 1 meets the Cook Strait ferries, and the ferry terminals, railway station and coach stop are all a short walk from the town centre. Timetables change, so we link to the official ones.

Photo: AnnWoolliams / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Published

InterislanderWellington–Picton ferry: check-in, luggage, terminals BluebridgeWellington–Picton ferry: Lagoon Road terminal, free shuttle The ferry terminalsWhere they are, walking to town, the redevelopment Coastal Pacific trainPicton–Christchurch, seasonal Bus and coachInterCity and the council's Blenheim bus DrivingFrom Blenheim, Nelson, Kaikōura, Christchurch ParkingFree, all-day and long-term car parks Getting aroundOn foot, taxis, shuttles, bikes, water taxis Without a carWhat you can reach on foot, by boat and coach Cruise shipsWhich wharf, the season, getting into town

By ferry from Wellington

Two companies run vehicle and passenger ferries across Cook Strait: Interislander, owned by KiwiRail, and Bluebridge, run by StraitNZ. Both describe the crossing as about three and a half hours, and both finish with the sheltered run up Tory Channel and Queen Charlotte Sound / Tōtaranui into Picton. Each publishes its own timetable; there is no combined one.

In Picton the two terminals are in different places: Interislander’s foot passengers use the terminal on Auckland Street, and its vehicles check in on Lagoon Road; Bluebridge uses its own terminal at 1 Lagoon Road. The terminals, explained →

By train, coach or car

  • Train: the Coastal Pacific runs Christchurch–Kaikōura–Blenheim–Picton in season, timed by Great Journeys New Zealand to connect with the Interislander.
  • Coach: InterCity arrives outside the Interislander terminal from Blenheim (30 min on its timetable), Havelock (1 h 5 min), Nelson and Kaikōura (2 h 10 min) and Christchurch (5 h 15 min).
  • Car: Picton is the northern end of State Highway 1. Driving times, routes and road conditions, and where to park.

By air

Sounds Air flies between Wellington and Picton; its site lists about 23 flights a week and an approximate flight time of 30 minutes. It runs a shuttle between town and the Picton aerodrome that must be booked in advance and picks up 50 minutes before departure.

Marlborough Airport, near Blenheim, is the region’s main airport. Lochmara Lodge describes the road trip from there to Picton as about 30 minutes; taxi and shuttle companies that serve it are on Getting around.

Sounds Air flight numbers and shuttle arrangements Checked 29 September 2026. These change — confirm on soundsair.com.

Once you are here

The town centre is small. The foreshore, London Quay, High Street, the i-SITE, the railway station and the Interislander foot-passenger terminal are all within a few minutes’ walk of each other, and the walking tracks start from the edge of town. Most of the Marlborough Sounds has no road, so beyond town the everyday transport is a water taxi. Getting around →

Common questions

How long is the ferry from Wellington to Picton?

Both Interislander and Bluebridge describe the Cook Strait crossing as about three and a half hours. Weather can delay or change sailings, so check with your operator on the day.

How far is the ferry terminal from Picton town centre?

The Interislander foot-passenger terminal is on Auckland Street, a short walk from the town centre. Bluebridge's terminal at 1 Lagoon Road is under a kilometre from the centre, and Bluebridge runs a free shuttle for walk-on passengers to and from the i-SITE.

Can I get to Picton without a car?

Yes. Both ferries take foot passengers; InterCity coaches stop at the Interislander terminal; the Coastal Pacific train runs to Picton in season; and Sounds Air flies between Wellington and Picton. In town, almost everything is walkable and water taxis cover the Sounds.

How far is Picton from Blenheim?

InterCity's timetable gives 30 minutes by coach. Route planners give the road distance as roughly 27–28 km on State Highway 1.

Sources: Interislander; Bluebridge; Great Journeys New Zealand; InterCity; Sounds Air; Lochmara Lodge; Marlborough District Council. Each page in this section lists its own sources. Full list on the sources page.