[ortiz34]

I will be moving to Christchurch in May and staying until December or January. I'm coming from the US. Im seeking advice on what to do about transportation while I am here. Is it possible to lease a car for 6 months? Should I just buy a car? Do I even need a car in Christchurch? I plan on getting a flat in Addington, a mile or so from my employer and buying a bike to go back and forth. Would you recommend I get a car if I want to go to other places in Christchurch or Canterbury?

[Mal]

You could certainly get around Christchurch easily by public transport / bike, but if you want to keep your options open travelling further afield you will probably want a vehicle.

Personally, I would buy one if I were here for 6 months. We bought a campervan for a 3 month trip around the country last year (after which we decided to come back here to live) and it took us around 4 hours to sell it at the backpackers car market in Auckland when we were done travelling. We ended up selling it for $250 less than we bought it, considerably cheaper than 3 months rental!

For most people its a risk trade off, if you rent you don't have to worry about repairs, resale, wof, rego, etc, but you pay the price.

[nippa&pippa]

Well I tried without car for four months using buses in chch to get around. You just simple get metro card to save you money on bus fare.
$2.50 for single trip in bus without metro card, even from Burnside to Sumner is a single trip (bus no 3). With metro card will cost just $1.80 for 2hour unlimited stops, ie if you catch another bus within 2hour after caught first bus, it is free. Without card, you had to pay another $2.50 on next bus. Once i caught four bus in 2 hour, save me $7.50 :nice1
You get bus timetables from anywhere but best to get all of them are at bus exchange as majority of buses going into bus exchange halfway from A to B, make easier to exchange buses there. You get metro card at bus exchange then you can top-up on the bus (but had to be cash). Then every time you board the bus, you scan your card on the top of black box in the front of bus driver. Buses in chch is unbelieveable reliable and quick unlike UK!! and very helpful (most of them happy to stop outside your house (if on the bus route)...well i got two young children on tow maybe reasons they happy to help :laugh )
Now i got a car after my husband manage to get his landrover! i still use bus to city centre as easy to not worry about parking in city centre.