Getting Around Sydney Sydney is served by an extensive system of public transport which consists of rail; light and mono, buses, ferries and taxis. They connect almost all parts of the city to the suburbs.
By Rail: Sydney’s underground railway system, known as the City Circle is an easy, comfortable and inexpensive way to travel around the city. There are six stations which form the main underground railway namely, Central Railway Station, Townhall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St. James, and the Museum. All the major sights of the city are located on the City Circle’s route.
Suburban, country and interstate trains depart from the Central Railway Station. The Paddy’s Markets and the Powerhouse Museum, major tourist destinations, are walking distance from this station. Townhall is located bang opposite Queen Victoria Building and is the closest station to Darling Harbour. It is also the change point for King Cross and Bondi Junction lines. The Wynyard is located north of Townhall and is the change point for travellers wishing to go north across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Circular Quay is the hub of ferry transport on Sydney Harbour. Ferries leave from here for Manly, Watson's Bay, Mosman, Taronga Park Zoo and upriver to Paramatt and It is also a major tourist gateway for The Rocks, Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens. St. James and the Museum are located north and south of the Hdye Park respectively. The latter is close to the Australian Museum.
A new rail link to King’s Cross and Sydney’s eastern suburbs was also completed recently. The new railway station is called the Martin Plaza and this link terminates at Bondi beach.
The Lightrail service runs between Central Railway Station and Lilyfield, an inner western suburb. The line is divided in to two zones; zone one is from Central Station to Convention and zone two from Pyrmont Bay to Lilyfield.
The service runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service between Central and Star City runs every 10-15 minutes from 6 am till midnight and after 12 am it runs every 30 minutes. The service between Central and Lilyfield runs every 10-15 minutes from Sunday to Thursday from 6 am to 11 pm and from 6 am to 12 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Fares depend on the zone that you travelling but a ticket for an adult cost $ 4-5 approximately and children under 5 can travel for free. You can get a 9 day pass or you can also purchase a Tramlink, depending on your journey.
A commercial Monorail service operates around the main retail area of the central business district which runs between the city and the Darling Harbour and also connects the Townhall and the World Square. The Monorail is basically used by tourists and is thus a little on the expensive side.
By Road: Buses interlink almost all parts of the city and the suburbs and are the cheapest way of getting around the city. The buses which operate in the inner city and inner suburbs are mostly state owned and run and the buses which run on the commuter network, mostly outer suburbs is run by private operators. There are two main bus terminuses; CBD and the Circular Quay. They are just a ten minute walk from each other. It is very convenient if you need to change buses.
The Red Sydney Explorer Buses cover a 28 km circuit and has 27 main stops including the Sydney Opera House, State Library, Central Station and China House. Buses depart from Circular Quay every 18 minutes between 8:40 am and 5:20 pm. You can catch the bus from one of the many bus stops along the route which have the Explorer bus sign. You can get off at any of the attractions and if you plan to take a full day tour which takes around 1 ½ hour, then keep in mind that most of the tourist attractions like the Museum close at 5 pm. So plan your day accordingly.
The Bondi Explorer covers a 30 km circuit which includes the Eastern harbourside bays and coastal beaches. The stops include Kings Cross, Bondi Beach and Paddington. The buses leave from Circular Quay from 9:15 am and one bus comes every 20-25 minutes with the last one leaving at 4:20 pm.
Outside of the city and inner suburbs, private bus companies are contracted to provide services, and operate with varying degrees of frequency and reliability. Expect significantly reduced services on weekends and off-peak, and many services stop running by 9PM.
Buying tickets for buses and trains and is a complex system. There are many types of tickets and passes available for travelling. There are Single Tickets, Ten Trip Tickets, One day Multi-modal Unlimited, My Multi Day Tripper, One Week Multi-modal Unlimited, Sydney Pass and Family Fun Day Sunday Ticket.
Alert!
On certain routes like the City Area, Bondi Junction, Parramatta Road, Norton Street, Anzac Parade and Military Road you can’t purchase a ticket on the bus and will have to buy one from a ticket agent.
On most buses there is nothing on the bus to tell you what stop you are approaching or which stop you are at. Therefore it is best to avoid confusion by either taking a map or by asking the driver.
MyMulti tickets do not work on the same numbers as MyBus. A MyMulti 1 ticket will work on any Sydney Buses bus anywhere on the network and also on any government ferry meaning that it can represent good value and less confusion.
Taxis are a convenient and easy way to get around the city. Also they are the only way of getting around late night when the public transport stops. You can hail one from the streets or get one from the taxi ranks which can be found in the suburbs. There are two meter rates; day and night. You can check the rate of the taxi by looking next to the current charge, if it shows 1 then it’s a day rate and if it shows 2 then it’s on the night rate.
Taxis accept credit cards but will charge 10% more on the fare. Passengers have to pay the toll and if you are going north, where there is no toll you will have to pay the driver’s toll when he goes back south, after dropping you to your destination.
Alert!
Passengers have the right to control the air conditioning and the radio so ask the driver. Whilst most taxi drivers behave acceptably, there have been reported incidences of taxi drivers behaving inappropriately towards women: it is always safer to sit in the back of the car.
You can also drive around the city. Roads are generally well signposted to the next major suburb or suburbs along the route. Only a handful of cross-city met-roads are signposted by number. Congestion can be expected around Bondi Beach and the other eastern suburbs beaches on summer weekends. Travel times from the city centre to the Sydney outskirts can take around 45 min in good traffic.
Water Taxis Sydney is served by an extensive system of public transport which consists of rail; light and mono, buses, ferries and taxis. They connect almost all parts of the city to the suburbs.
By Rail: Sydney’s underground railway system, known as the City Circle is an easy, comfortable and inexpensive way to travel around the city. There are six stations which form the main underground railway namely, Central Railway Station, Townhall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St. James, and the Museum. All the major sights of the city are located on the City Circle’s route.
Suburban, country and interstate trains depart from the Central Railway Station. The Paddy’s Markets and the Powerhouse Museum, major tourist destinations, are walking distance from this station. Townhall is located bang opposite Queen Victoria Building and is the closest station to Darling Harbour. It is also the change point for King Cross and Bondi Junction lines. The Wynyard is located north of Townhall and is the change point for travellers wishing to go north across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Circular Quay is the hub of ferry transport on Sydney Harbour. Ferries leave from here for Manly, Watson's Bay, Mosman, Taronga Park Zoo and upriver to Paramatt and It is also a major tourist gateway for The Rocks, Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens. St. James and the Museum are located north and south of the Hdye Park respectively. The latter is close to the Australian Museum.
A new rail link to King’s Cross and Sydney’s eastern suburbs was also completed recently. The new railway station is called the Martin Plaza and this link terminates at Bondi beach.
The Lightrail service runs between Central Railway Station and Lilyfield, an inner western suburb. The line is divided in to two zones; zone one is from Central Station to Convention and zone two from Pyrmont Bay to Lilyfield.
The service runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service between Central and Star City runs every 10-15 minutes from 6 am till midnight and after 12 am it runs every 30 minutes. The service between Central and Lilyfield runs every 10-15 minutes from Sunday to Thursday from 6 am to 11 pm and from 6 am to 12 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Fares depend on the zone that you travelling but a ticket for an adult cost $ 4-5 approximately and children under 5 can travel for free. You can get a 9 day pass or you can also purchase a Tramlink, depending on your journey.
A commercial Monorail service operates around the main retail area of the central business district which runs between the city and the Darling Harbour and also connects the Townhall and the World Square. The Monorail is basically used by tourists and is thus a little on the expensive side.
By Road: Buses interlink almost all parts of the city and the suburbs and are the cheapest way of getting around the city. The buses which operate in the inner city and inner suburbs are mostly state owned and run and the buses which run on the commuter network, mostly outer suburbs is run by private operators. There are two main bus terminuses; CBD and the Circular Quay. They are just a ten minute walk from each other. It is very convenient if you need to change buses.
The Red Sydney Explorer Buses cover a 28 km circuit and has 27 main stops including the Sydney Opera House, State Library, Central Station and China House. Buses depart from Circular Quay every 18 minutes between 8:40 am and 5:20 pm. You can catch the bus from one of the many bus stops along the route which have the Explorer bus sign. You can get off at any of the attractions and if you plan to take a full day tour which takes around 1 ½ hour, then keep in mind that most of the tourist attractions like the Museum close at 5 pm. So plan your day accordingly.
The Bondi Explorer covers a 30 km circuit which includes the Eastern harbourside bays and coastal beaches. The stops include Kings Cross, Bondi Beach and Paddington. The buses leave from Circular Quay from 9:15 am and one bus comes every 20-25 minutes with the last one leaving at 4:20 pm.
Outside of the city and inner suburbs, private bus companies are contracted to provide services, and operate with varying degrees of frequency and reliability. Expect significantly reduced services on weekends and off-peak, and many services stop running by 9PM.
Buying tickets for buses and trains and is a complex system. There are many types of tickets and passes available for travelling. There are Single Tickets, Ten Trip Tickets, One day Multi-modal Unlimited, My Multi Day Tripper, One Week Multi-modal Unlimited, Sydney Pass and Family Fun Day Sunday Ticket.
Alert!
On certain routes like the City Area, Bondi Junction, Parramatta Road, Norton Street, Anzac Parade and Military Road you can’t purchase a ticket on the bus and will have to buy one from a ticket agent.
On most buses there is nothing on the bus to tell you what stop you are approaching or which stop you are at. Therefore it is best to avoid confusion by either taking a map or by asking the driver.
MyMulti tickets do not work on the same numbers as MyBus. A MyMulti 1 ticket will work on any Sydney Buses bus anywhere on the network and also on any government ferry meaning that it can represent good value and less confusion.
Taxis are a convenient and easy way to get around the city. Also they are the only way of getting around late night when the public transport stops. You can hail one from the streets or get one from the taxi ranks which can be found in the suburbs. There are two meter rates; day and night. You can check the rate of the taxi by looking next to the current charge, if it shows 1 then it’s a day rate and if it shows 2 then it’s on the night rate.
Taxis accept credit cards but will charge 10% more on the fare. Passengers have to pay the toll and if you are going north, where there is no toll you will have to pay the driver’s toll when he goes back south, after dropping you to your destination.
Alert!
Passengers have the right to control the air conditioning and the radio so ask the driver. Whilst most taxi drivers behave acceptably, there have been reported incidences of taxi drivers behaving inappropriately towards women: it is always safer to sit in the back of the car.
You can also drive around the city. Roads are generally well signposted to the next major suburb or suburbs along the route. Only a handful of cross-city met-roads are signposted by number. Congestion can be expected around Bondi Beach and the other eastern suburbs beaches on summer weekends. Travel times from the city centre to the Sydney outskirts can take around 45 min in good traffic.
Water TaxisSydney is served by an extensive system of public transport which consists of rail; light and mono, buses, ferries and taxis. They connect almost all parts of the city to the suburbs.
By Rail: Sydney’s underground railway system, known as the City Circle is an easy, comfortable and inexpensive way to travel around the city. There are six stations which form the main underground railway namely, Central Railway Station, Townhall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St. James, and the Museum. All the major sights of the city are located on the City Circle’s route.
Suburban, country and interstate trains depart from the Central Railway Station. The Paddy’s Markets and the Powerhouse Museum, major tourist destinations, are walking distance from this station. Townhall is located bang opposite Queen Victoria Building and is the closest station to Darling Harbour. It is also the change point for King Cross and Bondi Junction lines. The Wynyard is located north of Townhall and is the change point for travellers wishing to go north across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Circular Quay is the hub of ferry transport on Sydney Harbour. Ferries leave from here for Manly, Watson's Bay, Mosman, Taronga Park Zoo and upriver to Paramatt and It is also a major tourist gateway for The Rocks, Sydney Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens. St. James and the Museum are located north and south of the Hdye Park respectively. The latter is close to the Australian Museum.
A new rail link to King’s Cross and Sydney’s eastern suburbs was also completed recently. The new railway station is called the Martin Plaza and this link terminates at Bondi beach.
The Lightrail service runs between Central Railway Station and Lilyfield, an inner western suburb. The line is divided in to two zones; zone one is from Central Station to Convention and zone two from Pyrmont Bay to Lilyfield.
The service runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The service between Central and Star City runs every 10-15 minutes from 6 am till midnight and after 12 am it runs every 30 minutes. The service between Central and Lilyfield runs every 10-15 minutes from Sunday to Thursday from 6 am to 11 pm and from 6 am to 12 am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Fares depend on the zone that you travelling but a ticket for an adult cost $ 4-5 approximately and children under 5 can travel for free. You can get a 9 day pass or you can also purchase a Tramlink, depending on your journey.
A commercial Monorail service operates around the main retail area of the central business district which runs between the city and the Darling Harbour and also connects the Townhall and the World Square. The Monorail is basically used by tourists and is thus a little on the expensive side.
By Road: Buses interlink almost all parts of the city and the suburbs and are the cheapest way of getting around the city. The buses which operate in the inner city and inner suburbs are mostly state owned and run and the buses which run on the commuter network, mostly outer suburbs is run by private operators. There are two main bus terminuses; CBD and the Circular Quay. They are just a ten minute walk from each other. It is very convenient if you need to change buses.
The Red Sydney Explorer Buses cover a 28 km circuit and has 27 main stops including the Sydney Opera House, State Library, Central Station and China House. Buses depart from Circular Quay every 18 minutes between 8:40 am and 5:20 pm. You can catch the bus from one of the many bus stops along the route which have the Explorer bus sign. You can get off at any of the attractions and if you plan to take a full day tour which takes around 1 ½ hour, then keep in mind that most of the tourist attractions like the Museum close at 5 pm. So plan your day accordingly.
The Bondi Explorer covers a 30 km circuit which includes the Eastern harbourside bays and coastal beaches. The stops include Kings Cross, Bondi Beach and Paddington. The buses leave from Circular Quay from 9:15 am and one bus comes every 20-25 minutes with the last one leaving at 4:20 pm.
Outside of the city and inner suburbs, private bus companies are contracted to provide services, and operate with varying degrees of frequency and reliability. Expect significantly reduced services on weekends and off-peak, and many services stop running by 9PM.
Buying tickets for buses and trains and is a complex system. There are many types of tickets and passes available for travelling. There are Single Tickets, Ten Trip Tickets, One day Multi-modal Unlimited, My Multi Day Tripper, One Week Multi-modal Unlimited, Sydney Pass and Family Fun Day Sunday Ticket.
Alert!
On certain routes like the City Area, Bondi Junction, Parramatta Road, Norton Street, Anzac Parade and Military Road you can’t purchase a ticket on the bus and will have to buy one from a ticket agent.
On most buses there is nothing on the bus to tell you what stop you are approaching or which stop you are at. Therefore it is best to avoid confusion by either taking a map or by asking the driver.
MyMulti tickets do not work on the same numbers as MyBus. A MyMulti 1 ticket will work on any Sydney Buses bus anywhere on the network and also on any government ferry meaning that it can represent good value and less confusion.
Taxis are a convenient and easy way to get around the city. Also they are the only way of getting around late night when the public transport stops. You can hail one from the streets or get one from the taxi ranks which can be found in the suburbs. There are two meter rates; day and night. You can check the rate of the taxi by looking next to the current charge, if it shows 1 then it’s a day rate and if it shows 2 then it’s on the night rate.
Taxis accept credit cards but will charge 10% more on the fare. Passengers have to pay the toll and if you are going north, where there is no toll you will have to pay the driver’s toll when he goes back south, after dropping you to your destination.
Alert!
Passengers have the right to control the air conditioning and the radio so ask the driver. Whilst most taxi drivers behave acceptably, there have been reported incidences of taxi drivers behaving inappropriately towards women: it is always safer to sit in the back of the car.
You can also drive around the city. Roads are generally well signposted to the next major suburb or suburbs along the route. Only a handful of cross-city met-roads are signposted by number. Congestion can be expected around Bondi Beach and the other eastern suburbs beaches on summer weekends. Travel times from the city centre to the Sydney outskirts can take around 45 min in good traffic.
Water Taxis operate 24 hours a day and are a quick, convenient way to get to waterfront restaurants, harbor attractions, and some suburbs. There are various Sydney Walking, Hiking and Bus Tours.
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