The quicker flights from New Zealand to Indianapolis, USA, are from Auckland. These take between about 16h and 17h. The average flight time out of Auckland is more like 25h though, which is how long most airlines take, and longer flights can take about 42h. You can also fly from Wellington, and these flights will take from 17h to 23h, depending on the number of layovers in between, leaving every day of the week. If you’re nearer to Christchurch, flights take off daily as well, with a total travel time varying between 17h and 29h.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any direct flights between any of the New Zealand airports and Indianapolis, but you can take one-stop flights from Auckland Airport (AKL). These take a variety of routes, with layovers spread between Chicago O’Hare Airport (ORD), Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), San Francisco Airport (SFO) and Los Angeles Airport (LAX). Other flights from Auckland make two stops, either at LAX and then Las Vegas McCarran Airport (LAS) or at LAX and then Houston. You can also fly from Wellington Airport (WLG), with a number of two-stop routes offered, mainly flying first to Auckland and then to Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles or San Francisco. You can also fly with Nadi Airport (NAN) in Fiji or Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) as your first stop. The same kind of Indianapolis flight deals are offered from Christchurch Airport, with additional options being to fly via Hong Kong Airport (HKG) and then on to Toronto Airport (YYZ), Seattle-Tacoma Airport (SEA) or Dallas-Fort Worth Airport (DFW). All of these flights terminate at Indianapolis International Airport (IND), Indianapolis.
Indianapolis Airport is about 8 miles (13 km) from the centre of Indianapolis. You can get there conveniently and cost effectively by taking the Line 8 bus, which will usually make the journey in just under 40min. The other options include taking a taxi or using a hire car, which will be a shorter trip of about 17min.
If you’re visiting Indianapolis as a family, the kids will love Children’s Museum of Indianapolis – one of the biggest in the world. On the more adult side, there’s Indianapolis Museum of Art, in Newfield’s Park, which houses works by Picasso and other luminaries. The Indy 500 race is one of the most iconic motorsports events in the US. It’s held at the end of May and is worth experiencing if you’re visiting around that time. White River State Park is in the midst of the city, but you’d struggle to believe it when you’re there. It’s a peaceful place to walk and is home to Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial, Indiana State Museum and Indianapolis Zoo.
If you hold a New Zealand passport, you won’t need a visa to visit Indianapolis; it is one of the countries on the USA visa waiver list, which only requires an ESTA authorisation. This can be obtained online before you arrive. Once you have this, you can enter the US as many times as you want for a period of two years and stay for up to 90 days at a time.
If you book a flight to Indianapolis, you will be flying into Indianapolis, which is the city’s only airport. Indianapolis (IND) is located 13.3 km from the centre of Indianapolis.