Transport and Parking

 

Car Parking

Parking at the St James Theatre

The St James does not have car parking facilities.
 

Parking Elsewhere

Wellington is rather short of parking, with limited street parking available.

• There are two Wellington City Council owned car parks, both of which allow overnight parking, although the Clifton car park is across the other side of the city. See WCC Car Parking.
• The best option to locate commercial car parking buildings in the vicinity is to use the Parkopedia website. This will allow you to select the date and time range you are interested in. together with the estimated cost. See Parkopedia.

 

Transport Around Wellington

Private Cars

Courtenay Place, where the St James Theatre is located, is often congested and there are very limited vehicle drop-off or pick-up points immediately outside the theatre. A number of streets around that part of the city are one-way, so using Google or Apple Maps to navigate your way around the central city is a good idea.
 

Buses, Trains and Ferries

These are all run under Metlink branding and provide an effective and efficient means of getting in and out of the CBD and to and from the St James.

• BUS: Bus services into and across the city are frequent and a majority run via Courtenay Place. There is a bus stop immediately outside the St James for North and West bound services and one directly opposite for South and East bound services.
• TRAIN: Commuter train services run to and from Wellington Railway Station, to the Kapiti Coast, Hutt Valley and Wairarapa. There is a bus hub at Wellington Railway Station allowing connections from train to bus.
• FERRY: The East by West commuter ferry service runs to and from Queens Wharf in Wellington across the harbour to Days Bay, although the service is limited to a handful of sailings at weekends.

Timetables and journey planning options are available on the Metlink Website, or by downloading the Metlink app for Android or iPhones from the relevant app store.
 

Public Transport Fares

The greater Wellington area has its own fare payment card called Snapper which can be used on all commuter bus and train services. This provides a 25% saving on paying cash fares and for bus travel also allows transferable fares if changing routes to get to your destination. Snapper cards cost $10 and can be purchased from retailers or Service Centre locations. See Snapper Locations. Card top-ups can be performed at kiosks around the city - also see Snapper Locations - or by downloading the Snapper app for Android or iPhone. Note that other contactless payment cards, including Visa and Mastercard are not able to be directly used. The one exception is the Airport Express Bus service - see below.

SuperGold Cards provide free travel on all Metlink bus, train and ferry services on weekdays between 9am & 3pm, and after 6.30pm, as well as all day on weekends and public holidays.
 

Taxi, Uber, Ride Share, etc.

• TAXI: These are plentiful, with multiple companies operating and taxi ranks located arounf the city. There are several taxi ranks in Courtenay Place, close to the St James. Taxi Rank Locations (courtesy of WCC, but slow to load).
• UBER: Uber operate around the region. Use their app on your smartphone, or check the Uber Website.
• YOURRIDE: YourRide allows for app based pickup for some taxi services. Use their app, or check YourRide Website.
• CAR SHARE: Mevo and Cityhop both provide on-demand "hire by the hour" car sharing services allowing pick-up and drop-off at multiple locations around the city. Use their app on your smartphone, or check their respective websites.

Walking

The Wellington Central Business District (CBD) is very walkable, as most of the central area is quite flat and is only around two kilometres across - about a 30 minute walk across town.
 

Transport from Wellington Airport

There are a range of options available to travel from the airport to the city:

• BUS: The dedicated Airport Express bus (route AX) runs every 10-20 minutes, 7 days a week between the airport and Wellington Railway Station, with stops at/opposite the St James Theatre. The adult fare is fixed at $11.00 (cash or contacless cards) irrespective of the distance travelled. Cash, Snapper and contactless bank cards (e.g. Visa and Mastercard) are able to be used. SuperGold cards allow free off-peak travel. Use Door E and follow the signs from the terminal to the departure point.
• TAXI: There are a number of taxi companies operating from Wellington Airport. You will find the taxi rank just outside the baggage claim area on the ground floor, Use door D. Expect to pay between $40-$50 from airport to CBD. There is a displayboard showing fare examples for each taxi company.
• SHUTTLE: Super Shuttle provide shared ride services from and to the airport. They have a dedicated departure point just outside the baggage claim area on the ground floor, Costs vary depending on your destination, but if you are travelling with others to the same destination, fares start at $18 from airport to CBD. 
• UBER: If using Uber, they have a dedicated pick-up area one lane over from the taxi rank. Exit through Door G. Prices vary depending on time of day and demand.
• RENTAL CAR: There are seven rental car companies represented  at Wellington Airport and they are located on the Ground Level, next to Baggage Claim. Refer Wellington Airport Car Rental.
• CAR SHARE: Mevo and Cityhop both provide on-demand car sharing services from Wellington airport. For specific information and locations refer Wellington Airport Car Sharing.

Page updated 2/09/24 to relect airport bus fare increase.