Getting around Sydeny a travellers guide

Sydney has a good public transport system, especially in areas closer to the city area where many attractions are. You can find out timetables, fares, and routes by phoning 131 500 within Australia for the cost of a local call, or by visiting 131500.info. The further away from the city you travel, the less frequent and comprehensive public transport services will tend to be.

The cheapest way to use the buses, trains and ferries is to purchase one of the many travel cards: multi-use tickets typically sold at a 10-20% discount. Some (for trains, buses or multi-modal) are unlimited use within a time limit (e.g. 1 day or 1 week), others (for buses and ferries only) let you travel for ten trips but have no time limit. Information about the discounted commuter tickets and leisure tickets is available from Cityrail; otherwise a quick visit to the TransitShops in Circular Quay (cnr of Loftus & Alfred Sts) or outside the Queen Victoria Building or the information booth at Central Station will get you all the info you need. Most newsagents also stock travel cards.

If you are in Sydney for a week or more, or even planning a busy day on the ferries then one of these passes will save you a few dollars. Of particular interest to short-term visitors are the CityHopper ticket ($6.80 adults and $3.40 children, cheaper if bought after 10am) which allows unlimited train travel for a day in the centre of the train network; the DayTripper ticket ($15 adults and $7 children) which allows unlimited travel on all metropolitan Cityrail trains, Sydney Bus services and Sydney Ferry services; and the longer term SydneyPass tickets, allowing unlimited travel for up to 8 days including tourist services. An alternative is the week-long Red TravelPass which includes all trains, buses and ferries in the inner Sydney area for around $30. Note that there are private buses and ferries away from the city that do not accept the above mentioned travel cards and will require the purchase of cash tickets.

Car

Outside of peak times (7am to 9am, and 4pm until 6pm) you can drive around Sydney reasonably freely. Outside of peak times travelling by car is usually at least as quick as any method of public transport. Roads are generally well sign posted to the next major suburb or suburbs along the route. Only a handful of cross-city met-roads are sign posted by number.

Many outlying areas are served by freeways many of which charge tolls ranging from from $2 to $6. On some tollways there is the option to pay in cash but three roads: the Cross-City Tunnel (which passes underneath the CBD area), the Westlink M7 (the western ring freeway) and the Lane Cove tunnel, are exclusively electronic tollways with no traditional tollbooths. Tolls may only be paid by purchasing an electronic pass from the tollway management up to 24 hours before or after using the road. The number to call or website to visit is displayed as you go pass the tolling point. Beware that if you are in a rental car and do not call in to pay the toll, the rental car company charge a substantial fee to your credit card. Tolls are payable over the phone by credit card. Driving your car in the Sydney CBD is possible but parking is expensive. Expect to pay up to $50 per day at some central parking lots, and around $25 even with specials. CBD hotels invariably charge for parking for the guests. As with the rest of Australia, driving is on the left hand side of road. Travel times from the CBD to outlying suburbs can range from 30 minutes if you use freeways to 60+ minutes if tolls are avoided. As an indication, travelling between Sydney CBD and Penrith, one of the furthest West suburbs at the base of the Blue Mountains takes approximately 60 minutes if using the M4 motorway outside of peak hour. Speed limits are posted in kilometres. Stay alert for speed limit changes and for school speed zones enforced at certain times of day. It is not unusual for high speed roads to drop to 40km/h for school zones or to 50km/h for areas with high pedestrian activity. Speed cameras often monitor these locations.

Taxi

Taxis are a convenient way to get around Sydney if you don’t know it. They can also be the only transport option available late at night when the trains and buses stop. All Sydney taxis are metered: it’s rare for drivers to forget to turn the meter on, but it’s important to check the meter because there are two meter rates: a day rate (rate 1) with a flag fall of $2.90, a distance rate of $1.68 a kilometre, a waiting rate of $0.72 a minute and a booking fee of $1.50; and a night rate (rate 2) which adds a 20% surcharge to the distance rate. The night rate applies for journeys commencing between 10pm and 6am: check the meter of your taxi at other times for a 1 or a 2 next to the current charge: if it’s set to 2, remind your driver to switch to the day rate. Passengers are expected to pay all tolls for their trip. In addition, passengers who are taken north over the Harbour Bridge, for which there is no toll, are expected to pay the driver’s southbound toll for the return into the city (currently $3). Drivers will sometimes take toll roads without asking you, and will simply add the toll amounts before quoting the fare. Do ask if you are unsure why they are asking for an amount above that shown on the meter. Multiple taxi companies provide services to potential passengers; Taxis Combined (tel 131 008) perhaps provide the most extensive coverage. Tipping is never expected anywhere in Australia, but it might be nice if you round a taxi fare up to the next dollar (or five or ten dollars, depending on the base fare).

Train

Sydneys rail system map here. Sydney has an extensive suburban rail network operated by CityRail. Sydney trains are often very crowded in peak hour, but a CityRail train may be the fastest way to get to the CBD. The complex rail network sometimes experiences delays, especially during rain. Cityrail operates with 30 minute frequency to all metropolitan stations and 10 minute frequencies to major destinations and transit hubs such as Chatswood, Bondi Junction, Hurstville, Parramatta, Bankstown, Blacktown and Liverpool. The Cityrail timetable has a weekday service and a weekend and holiday service. Cityrail also operates lines to regional cities such as Newcastle and Wollongong and into the Blue Mountains at hourly frequency. This allows you to sit back and enjoy the journey rather than suffer the hassle of driving in foreign conditions, but offers limited travel options when arriving at the destination. All stations are fully equipped with CCTV and trains at night have designated NightSafe carriages and station areas with emergency intercoms and security patrols, making catching trains at night a viable (and cheaper) alternative to taxis. In addition to the discounted tickets discussed above, Cityrail has single trip and return trip tickets valid until 4am the day after purchase. There are discounted single and return trip tickets for children, students and pensioners. A return trip ticket is much cheaper than two single tickets if you purchase it after 9am (called off peak). Outside of operating hours, between 12am (1am on Fridays and Saturdays) and 5am, NightRide buses are available on most routes within Sydney. Any CityRail train ticket is valid for the equivalent NightRide bus except a single. If you don’t have a ticket, you’ll need to buy a NightRide single from the driver, which is more expensive than a single for the train. NightRide buses stop at most CityRail stations and a few additional stops. They don’t travel on the same routes. If you intend catching a NightRide bus home, check the NightRide route map on the back cover of each timetable or at the station while you are waiting for your train. You must always purchase a ticket for the entire journey before boarding a train from either the ticket office or from the ticket machines that are located on most stations. Ticket offices have limited opening hours at suburban stations. There is no opportunity to buy a ticket onboard or at the destination. If you are caught by an inspector travelling without a ticket the fine is at least $200 and up to $550. If you are found with a student or pensioner ticket and you don’t have the appropriate authorisation card, the same fine applies. Be aware that the ticket machines accept up to $50 notes but will only give $20 in change. Within the city area there is a light rail system run by Metro Light Rail. It connects Central station to Darling Harbour, Star City Casino and the inner western suburbs.

Bus

Sydney has an extensive bus network.

Sydney Buses (Government Buses)

Most of the buses in the inner city and inner suburbs are run by the government owned Sydney Buses. Their buses are mainly blue and white, with The rest of the commuter network is run by private bus companies. These services don’t compete so you’ll usually only have one way of getting somewhere by bus. A Sydney bus fare depends on how far you are travelling, measured in “sections” of about 1.8 kilometres. Tickets can be bought in cash when boarding the bus. State your destination to the driver. Drivers may be able to give change for a $20 note, but it pays to use lower-denomination coins and notes. One day bus-only tickets (Bustripper/$11.70) are also available when boarding the bus. All other discount tickets (10-ride/Travelten|7-day/Travelpass) must be bought in advance from newsagents or railway stations before getting on the bus. There are two main bus termination points in the [Sydney/City|CBD], at Wynyard and Citcular Quay. These two point are about 10 minutes walk from each other or a one-stop train trip. You will need to make this walk if connection from buses from North to the East. Check the destination of the bus. From late night to dawn, most buses cease running with the exception of a few trunk routes that run at a reduced frequency.

Private Buses

Outside of the city and inner suburbs, private bus companies provide services to varying degrees of frequency and reliability (but generally significantly less frequent during off-peak periods and weekends). They do not accept tickets from government buses or multi-modal tickets, although single fares cost the same.

Tourist Buses

The red Sydney Explorer loop bus. The Explorer visits 26 stops around the city, and a ticket ($36) allows unlimited rides for one day and services run every 20 minutes.

Ferry

Sydney Ferries run all around the harbour and up the Parramatta River. The central hub is at Circular Quay at the north of the CBD. More than just a utilitarian means of transport, the ferries are a great way to see the harbourside. The best ferry excursion for visitors is from Circular Quay to Manly. Be prepared to take a stunning photograph of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge as you leave Circular Quay.
Metro and Monorail
In 1997 the Metro Light Rail opened, and now operates one route from Central to Lilyfield in Sydney’s Inner West. The Sydney Monorail was built for the 1988 Bicentennary celebrations. It runs on a loop through the central business district and Darling Harbour, linking many tourist attractions Both Metro Light Rail and the Monorail are operated by Connex. The Light Rail is rather small, yet it is very reliable. The line travels 7.2 km from Central Station to Lilyfield, making 14 stops. The line runs on-street from Central to Haymarket, and then follows the alignment of an old goods line through Ultimo, Pyrmont and Glebe to Lilyfield.

Bike

If you want to see a particular area of the city, a bicycle may be suitable. However, Sydney is a reasonably hilly city and many parts of it are not at all cyclist friendly. It is illegal for adults to ride bicycles on footpaths unless they are especially marked for cyclists or they are cycling with children under 12. Bicycle helmets are required by law, as are lights and reflectors at night.

Bonza Bike Tours, + 61 (0)2 9331 1127, (e-mail: info@bonzabiketours.com),. Bonza Bike Tours offers bike hire/rental for full and half days. They offer top of the line equipment, and hire/rental includes a bicycle (men’s or women’s), helmet, bike lock, bike mounted bag (for smaller items), and secure storage for larger bags while you are out. Bonza can provide you with information on some of the best areas to visit.

Note: Prices have been included in this article for indicative purposes only. Prices will change and we have no control over that so take the prices as a guide only.

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