Daily Transportation in Sydney

 

 

One of the first things that expats must do is to familiarise themselves on how to get around their new host city. In the case of Sydney, travelling in and around this populous city is not much of problem because of its extensive network of public transportation. 

Driving a car in the Harbour City of Australia is not a popular way of travelling especially for those who work in the Central Business District. These areas suffer from heavy traffic and congestion that's why most locals make use of the public transportation. However, working expats who are going to live in the suburbs or have plans on regular out of town vacations are best to own a car. Just keep in mind to get a New South Whales Driver's License after three months of stay to be able to drive legally in Sydney. 

Public Transportation 

Buses 

  • Buses are considered to be one of the oldest types of public transportation in Sydney. It has routes that pass on destinations that are unreachable via trains such as the suburbs, North West and Northern Beaches. Most buses don’t have signage or posts indicating the nearest stop so newcomers in Sydney are advised to utilise the Sydney Buses website because it contains real-time schedules, route maps and trip planner feature that can be extremely helpful. 

Trains 

  • The Sydney Trains boasts an extensive suburban network with 176 stations. Expats who don’t want to get caught in traffic will love this public transportation because it services the whole metropolitan except the northern and north-west beaches. Trains arrive at ten minutes interval during peak hours which is usually from 7-9 am and 4:30-7pm. Expats should brace themselves for overcrowding on those hours and carry a bottle of water to avoid heat exhaustion, especially when travelling during summer because there are some trains that have low cooling. 

Ferries 

  • Harbour Ferries is commonly used by the locals of Sydney because it is free from traffic and passes through Circular Quay Ferry Terminal located in the north of the Central Business District. It arrives every 30 minutes and passes on nine routes. Aside from its purpose for daily transportation, ferries are also an excellent way to take in the sites of the harbour side where passengers can get a fantastic view of the picture-worthy Sydney Opera House. 

Tickets 

The Opal Card is a universal ticket used on Sydney’s buses, trains and ferries. It can be bought in more than 1000 resellers in the city or straight from the website. Opal Cards can be topped-up in multiples of AUD$10 but has AUD$15 daily cap which is a good way of budgeting someone’s travel especially on distant areas.