Sydney is one of the largest and most densely populated cities in Australia, so the transport links here are very well developed. In whatever area you live, you can drive very quickly and easily from one end of the metropolis to another. Public transport in Sydney - a taxi, buses, trains such as electric trains "sitiirel", trams, ferries. Also in the city there is an airport.
Buses
The buses are the most popular among residents and visitors of the city as the most accessible mode of transport with a well-developed network of messages. Tourists should know that, as a rule, the number of the bus consists of three figures, the first of which stands for the Sydney region, along which the bus runs. Payment for travel in this mode of transport occurs on the Opal Card card system. It is sold in newsagents and 7-Eleven and EzyMart stores. To pay for the trip on the bus, when entering the first door, attach the card to the reading terminal, and when exiting through the second door do the same: the electronic system will mark the end of the trip and form the bill for payment.
In some buses you can still buy paper tickets or give money to the driver, but on night routes it is impossible. Finding a bus stop is very simple: it stands for a special yellow sign with a painted bus. The final stop is indicated on the windshield of the bus, the rest are shown on the side.
To understand Sydney's bus service, you need to know the following:
- Buses, the number of which starts from one, runs between the Northern beaches and the central business district. It's more than 60 routes.
- Get to the center of Sydney from the North Shore, i.e. from one city coast to another, you can on the buses of the 200th series.
- The eastern and western parts of the city are connected by bus routes, the numbers of which begin with the number 3. All of them move strictly from east to west through the center of the metropolis.
- In the south-western areas of Sydney, 400 buses (including express routes) run, and in the north-west buses of the 500 series. District Hills serve buses 600-series. Also here you can take the express route, in the number of which there is the letter X. This bus stops only at certain stops.
- In the western suburbs, you can take the buses of the 700 series that connect this part of Sydney with the areas of Parramatta, Blacktown, Castle Hill and Penrith. From the south-western areas of Liverpool and Campbelltown, you very quickly reach the business center of the city by buses with numbers starting with the number 8. 900-th routes operate in the southern districts of the city.
A special type of bus, characteristic only for Sydney, are metro buses. These are thirteen routes that can be recognized by buses of red color and numbers starting with the letter M. By using the metro bus you will reach your destination much faster.
For the convenience of tourists, the city authorities introduced excursion buses, where travel is free. They work from 9.00 to 2.00, on weekends - to 5.00-6.00. These are the 787 (Penrith), 950 (Bankstown), 900 (Parramatta), 555 (Newcastle), 720 (Blacktown), 999 (Liverpool), 430 (Kogara), 41 (Gosford), 777 (Campbelltown), 88 Cabramatta). On these buses it is very convenient to inspect the sights of Sydney.
Tram
A trip by tram will allow you with maximum comfort to get from the Central station to the fish market or Chinatown. Payment here is also made by an Opal Card. Trams run in two directions: from Central Station to Darling Harbor and from Pirmont Bay to DALVICH HILL.
Sitireyl
This high-speed city train, which also accepts payments through the Opal Card system, has seven lines:
- T1 - connects the Western and Northern lines and the North Shore;
- T2 - runs through the Inland West and South lines through the airport;
- T3 - Bankstown district;
- T4 - the Illawar line;
- T5 - Cumberland line;
- T6 - the Carlingford line;
- T7 - Olympic Park.
The length of railway branches along the city is 2080 km, and the number of stations reaches 306. The train interval is about 30 minutes, during rush hours - 15 minutes. The fare is about 4 dollars.
Water transport
Since Sydney is one of the largest ports in Australia, a large number of ferries are moored every day at the local wharf, both sightseeing and regular. On any of them you can make the payment for travel on the Opal system. The largest carrier in the field of water transport is the company Sydney Ferries. On board the ferry of this company, you will quickly get to the eastern suburbs, inner harbor, Manley suburb, Taronga zoo or on the Parramatta river coast.
Airport
The international airport of the city is located about 13 km from the city. It has 5 runways and three passenger terminals for servicing domestic and international flights, as well as domestic cargo transportation. More than 35 airlines fly here. At the airport there is a lounge, post office, many shops and a luggage room. You can have a snack at a local cafe. From 23.00 to 6.00 flights are prohibited here.
Metro
As such, the subway in Sydney yet. The subway project was approved by the city authorities. To date, in 2019, it is planned to launch a 9 km long line that will connect the suburbs of Sydney Pirmont and Rosell.
Car rental
To rent a car in Australia, you need an international driver's license, the driver's age is more than 21 years and the driving experience is more than one year. Remember that the movement in the city is left-sided. The cost of one liter of gasoline here is about $ 1, and parking costs $ 4 an hour.
Taxi
Taxis in Sydney you can both catch on the street, and call on the phone. Machines are usually painted in yellow-black color, but there are also cars of other colors. The fare is about 2.5 dollars per kilometer.
Opal Card System
The card of this system is valid for all types of transport and is designed for one passenger. There are several types of cards: adults, children and for pensioners and beneficiaries. Also they differ by the period of action. You can purchase a daily card (no more than $ 15 a day), a weekend card (from 4.00 Sundays to 3.59 on Mondays, you travel on any type of public transport, spending only $ 2.5 a day) and a week card (after 8 paid trips further you use public transport free of charge until the end of the week). On weekends and holidays, as well as from 7 to 9 hours and from 4 pm to 6.30 pm, a 30% discount applies to the Opal card.