Transportation in Sydney

We'll be spending 3 nights post-cruise in Sydney in late Feb. We have a group of 7 people, two of which have modest mobility issues (can still walk but not a long ways).

What are the best ways to get around in Sydney? Is the light rail very useful to get to the usual tourist places (such that I should pick a hotel next to a station)? Or the other train system?

Is the HOHO bus pretty good? I assume we don't have to initially get on at the start point for the route, but instead could get on mid-route if we find a hotel near one of the stops.

I'm seeing very mixed reviews on the Sydney Explorer HOHO bus. Lots of really bad reviews at TA, but Viator shows very positive reviews (although the sell tickets for it on that site, so...).

I found a pretty good hotel deal where the HOHO bus stops right in front of it, which would be super convenient. But the bad reviews have me concerned. There's so many that it seems like more than just a few rare complainers.

I wouldn't recommend the HOHO bus as a mode of transport. Also, depending on the mobility issues of some of your party (you mentioned they're modest) you'll probably find that you can do a fair bit of walking very easily, and just use transport to get between the longer distances, or when you're tired.

Sydney as a city is a bit spread out, the CBD and the main places you would probably want to visit aren't that far apart, and there are good transport options.

The CBD is serviced by the City Circle trains. They run regularly (like every 5-10 minutes) in both directions from Town Hall to Central.

Central is not actually in the middle of the CBD, it's a little bit out to the south, but is the hub where you would transfer if you wanted to catch a train out of the city, or the light rail (I'll come to that later). It's also the closest train station to Paddy's Markets and China Town

Going round the city circle Museum is next and then St James Station, which is a good spot to get off if you want to visit Hyde Park or the Botanical Gardens, and also for shopping.

Circular Quay is next and will probably be your main station (depending on where your hotel is) and is the best place to get off to visit the Rocks, the Opera House, and to catch ferries.

Wynyard is next, and then Town Hall. Town Hall is more geographically in the middle of the city and would be the best station for walking to Darling Harbour and exploring the shopping precincts. It's only a 10 minute stroll down to the eastern side of Darling Harbour (Cockle Bay) where the restaurants and cafes are, along with the aquarium and wildlife world.

The light rail that goes from Central doesn't yet go through the city itself, but skirts around the outside. If you're not up to walking from Town Hall to Darling Harbour, then you could catch the light rail from Central which has a stop on the western side of Darling Harbour. There is quite a bit of construction going on here at the moment, but its where the main shopping part is (although it's very expensive, and a bit touristy, but that's coming from a local :p).

The light rail is also your best option if you want to go to the casino and Pyrmont, and on to the fish markest.

Then there are the buses !!! You could catch any number of buses going in any number of directions, and there is a free bus that goes from near Central down towards circular quay.

If you want some more specific help, let me know where your hotel is located, and what you are interested in seeing in Sydney while you're here and I'll see if I can help with transport options

I wouldn't recommend the HOHO bus as a mode of transport. Also, depending on the mobility issues of some of your party (you mentioned they're modest) you'll probably find that you can do a fair bit of walking very easily, and just use transport to get between the longer distances, or when you're tired.

 

Sydney as a city is a bit spread out, the CBD and the main places you would probably want to visit aren't that far apart, and there are good transport options.

 

The CBD is serviced by the City Circle trains. They run regularly (like every 5-10 minutes) in both directions from Town Hall to Central.

 

Central is not actually in the middle of the CBD, it's a little bit out to the south, but is the hub where you would transfer if you wanted to catch a train out of the city, or the light rail (I'll come to that later). It's also the closest train station to Paddy's Markets and China Town

 

Going round the city circle Museum is next and then St James Station, which is a good spot to get off if you want to visit Hyde Park or the Botanical Gardens, and also for shopping.

 

Circular Quay is next and will probably be your main station (depending on where your hotel is) and is the best place to get off to visit the Rocks, the Opera House, and to catch ferries.

 

Wynyard is next, and then Town Hall. Town Hall is more geographically in the middle of the city and would be the best station for walking to Darling Harbour and exploring the shopping precincts. It's only a 10 minute stroll down to the eastern side of Darling Harbour (Cockle Bay) where the restaurants and cafes are, along with the aquarium and wildlife world.

 

The light rail that goes from Central doesn't yet go through the city itself, but skirts around the outside. If you're not up to walking from Town Hall to Darling Harbour, then you could catch the light rail from Central which has a stop on the western side of Darling Harbour. There is quite a bit of construction going on here at the moment, but its where the main shopping part is (although it's very expensive, and a bit touristy, but that's coming from a local :p).

 

The light rail is also your best option if you want to go to the casino and Pyrmont, and on to the fish markest.

 

Then there are the buses !!! You could catch any number of buses going in any number of directions, and there is a free bus that goes from near Central down towards circular quay.

 

If you want some more specific help, let me know where your hotel is located, and what you are interested in seeing in Sydney while you're here and I'll see if I can help with transport options

Thanks for the info! I'll have to look at a map of that City Circle line you mentioned and see how close the stops are to the attractions we'll likely want to see. What I'm trying to avoid is much walking, so I thought the HOHO bus was likely to get us a lot closer to various attractions than a train would.

I'm also working backwards from the transportation to pick a hotel, rather than the other way around. The Circular Quay area is a tad pricey for hotels, so I'm looking a mile or two away where prices are about half as much.

If we didn't have the limited mobility folks with us on this trip, we'd do a lot more walking like we usually do. But we don't have that option for this trip.

These two have been mentioned a number of times as being a good location, virtually above Wynyard Station, and good value for money.

http://www.theyorkapartments.com.au/

https://www.tfehotels.com/brands/travelodge-hotels/travelodge-wynyard-york-street

Edit - I just checked and there is a HoHo bus stop somewhere around the Wynyard area - in George St so about a block away from those two places to stay.

I've had relatives stay at the Rydges Central Sydney which is in Surry Hills. It's only a short walk from Central station.

Otherwise Wynyard has lots of hotel and even serviced apartments which may be suitable.

If you want a hotel that is close to the central shopping, have a look at the Grace Hotel.

However, I would not want to be using Sydney for shopping if I was from overseas. I live in Canberra which is about 300 km away and the shopping here can be a bit like a big country town, so I do appreciate shopping in the centre of Sydney.

If you make a bit of a list of the sites that you want to see, people will be able to work out a hotel and the best method of transport to get to those spots.

Thanks for all the responses. A few days ago we went ahead and booked refundable rooms at The Sydney Boulevard Hotel. We can always change to something else, but I wanted to get something in place post-cruise before they start filling up. I picked that one because it gets good reviews, is about half the price of many Circular Quay hotels, and both routes of the HOHO bus stop directly in front of the hotel.

It's not very close to any train stations though. I looked some at the train maps (and the bus maps) and I'm finding them more confusing than other cities where we've used public transport. I'm also concerned about the stations not always being very close to various tourist destinations (leaving a bit too much walking for the old folks). While I don't like some of the reviews I'm reading on the HOHO bus either, I'm leaning toward that for getting us closer to key tourist attractions, and it's easier to figure out and use (especially herding a group of 7 people). We'll probably just head out from the hotel on one route one day, and the other route a 2nd day. The 3rd we might just taxi (or the younger ones might walk the 25 mins) to the harbor and do a day on the Captain Cook HOHO. Or find a van tour we really like to do something outside the city one day.

We could still change plans and hotels, but since we've never been to Sydney before and just want to hit the main tourist sites in our 3 days there, this seems like the simplest option.

If you have any idea what you may want to see and do, we may be able to give better pointers.

As an aside the Grace which was recommended above, had an offer on (not sure if it's finished) that included a shopping voucher to Westfield Sydney.

The Grace us pretty handy to stations but gain a lot will depend what you want to do.

If you have any idea what you may want to see and do, we may be able to give better pointers.

 

As an aside the Grace which was recommended above, had an offer on (not sure if it's finished) that included a shopping voucher to Westfield Sydney.

 

The Grace us pretty handy to stations but gain a lot will depend what you want to do.

That's one of the problems too - we're not really sure yet what to see, other than the obvious (the Opera House, the Bridge, harbor cruise, maybe the Taronga Zoo acros the harbor, etc.). That's also where the HOHO bus might help a little - automatically taking us to many of the major tourist sites.

I just need to do more research on the sightseeing attractions there (beyond the obvious).

That's one of the problems too - we're not really sure yet what to see, other than the obvious (the Opera House, the Bridge, harbor cruise, maybe the Taronga Zoo acros the harbor, etc.). That's also where the HOHO bus might help a little - automatically taking us to many of the major tourist sites.

 

I just need to do more research on the sightseeing attractions there (beyond the obvious).

Well the Opera House, the Bridge, and the Ferry (both for a harbour cruise and to the zoo) are all close to Circular Quay Station so the train would be a good bet.

That's one of the problems too - we're not really sure yet what to see, other than the obvious (the Opera House, the Bridge, harbor cruise, maybe the Taronga Zoo acros the harbor, etc.). That's also where the HOHO bus might help a little - automatically taking us to many of the major tourist sites.

 

I just need to do more research on the sightseeing attractions there (beyond the obvious).

Catch the ferry to Manly. You'll get great views of the harbour there and back. I'd suggest going late afternoon, walk though from the harbour side where the ferry docks, to the ocean - it's a short. flat walk. Have dinner in Manly, then catch the ferry back to Circular Quay. Our granddaughter always wants to do that when she comes to Sydney.

There is so much to recommend you do while you're here we could all come up with a list a mile long ! Without knowing much about what you like and don't like, these are the things we take friends/family to do:

• Backstage tour of the Opera House
  
• Walk from the Art Gallery through the botanic gardens and round to the Opera House (may be too long a walk for some of your group though)
  
• Walk from the Opera House around Circular Quay and up into the Rocks. If you are here over a weekend, then there is a market on Friday nights and one on Sundays. It's all flat walking
  
• Catch a ferry to Manly - take the slow ferry not the fast jetcat and enjoy the trip as much as the destination
  
• Do one of those 'coffee' cruises of the harbour (they last about an hour and a half and do a commentary of major landmarks. They also offer lunch & dinner cruises but the coffee one is best value for money)
  
• Take the ferry to Taronga Zoo and then take the bus up to the top entrance. Don't enter from the bottom entrance unless you want to be walking up hill all the time
  
• Go to the Aquarium at Darling Harbour
  
• If you're not up for the actual bridge climb, you can walk over the Harbour Bridge to Milsons Point and then catch a train back to either Wynyard or Town Hall
  
• Visit the Queen Victoria Building
  
• Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains
  

Depending on what actual dates you are here, there is likely to be some kind of Chinese New Year celebrations going on at that time of the year, including dragon boat racing at Darling Harbour

There is so much to recommend you do while you're here we could all come up with a list a mile long ! Without knowing much about what you like and don't like, these are the things we take friends/family to do:

• Backstage tour of the Opera House
  
• Walk from the Art Gallery through the botanic gardens and round to the Opera House (may be too long a walk for some of your group though)
  
• Walk from the Opera House around Circular Quay and up into the Rocks. If you are here over a weekend, then there is a market on Friday nights and one on Sundays. It's all flat walking
  
• Catch a ferry to Manly - take the slow ferry not the fast jetcat and enjoy the trip as much as the destination
  
• Do one of those 'coffee' cruises of the harbour (they last about an hour and a half and do a commentary of major landmarks. They also offer lunch & dinner cruises but the coffee one is best value for money)
  
• Take the ferry to Taronga Zoo and then take the bus up to the top entrance. Don't enter from the bottom entrance unless you want to be walking up hill all the time
  
• Go to the Aquarium at Darling Harbour
  
• If you're not up for the actual bridge climb, you can walk over the Harbour Bridge to Milsons Point and then catch a train back to either Wynyard or Town Hall
  
• Visit the Queen Victoria Building
  
• Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains
  

Depending on what actual dates you are here, there is likely to be some kind of Chinese New Year celebrations going on at that time of the year, including dragon boat racing at Darling Harbour

Agree with every one of these.

Except the bus to the top at the zoo, take the cable car instead it gives you a great overview of the zoo. (it is still there isn't it, hate to admit I haven't been to the zoo for a few years).

Also if you are in town on a Sunday The Rocks Markets are a good visit if you are into that sort of thing.

There is so much to recommend you do while you're here we could all come up with a list a mile long ! Without knowing much about what you like and don't like, these are the things we take friends/family to do:

• Backstage tour of the Opera House
  
• Walk from the Art Gallery through the botanic gardens and round to the Opera House (may be too long a walk for some of your group though)
  
• Walk from the Opera House around Circular Quay and up into the Rocks. If you are here over a weekend, then there is a market on Friday nights and one on Sundays. It's all flat walking
  
• Catch a ferry to Manly - take the slow ferry not the fast jetcat and enjoy the trip as much as the destination
  
• Do one of those 'coffee' cruises of the harbour (they last about an hour and a half and do a commentary of major landmarks. They also offer lunch & dinner cruises but the coffee one is best value for money)
  
• Take the ferry to Taronga Zoo and then take the bus up to the top entrance. Don't enter from the bottom entrance unless you want to be walking up hill all the time
  
• Go to the Aquarium at Darling Harbour
  
• If you're not up for the actual bridge climb, you can walk over the Harbour Bridge to Milsons Point and then catch a train back to either Wynyard or Town Hall
  
• Visit the Queen Victoria Building
  
• Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains
  

Depending on what actual dates you are here, there is likely to be some kind of Chinese New Year celebrations going on at that time of the year, including dragon boat racing at Darling Harbour

You have helped me also! I have saved your comments from this thread for my research. We are staying 3 days after our cruise March 16, 17 and 18. the 18th is a Friday so I was happy to read about the Friday Market. We are staying at an apartment through Airbnb across the harbor with killer views of the Opera House and Bridge so your advice regarding transport is very nice indeed!

There is so much to recommend you do while you're here we could all come up with a list a mile long ! Without knowing much about what you like and don't like, these are the things we take friends/family to do:

• Backstage tour of the Opera House
  
• Walk from the Art Gallery through the botanic gardens and round to the Opera House (may be too long a walk for some of your group though)
  
• Walk from the Opera House around Circular Quay and up into the Rocks. If you are here over a weekend, then there is a market on Friday nights and one on Sundays. It's all flat walking
  
• Catch a ferry to Manly - take the slow ferry not the fast jetcat and enjoy the trip as much as the destination
  
• Do one of those 'coffee' cruises of the harbour (they last about an hour and a half and do a commentary of major landmarks. They also offer lunch & dinner cruises but the coffee one is best value for money)
  
• Take the ferry to Taronga Zoo and then take the bus up to the top entrance. Don't enter from the bottom entrance unless you want to be walking up hill all the time
  
• Go to the Aquarium at Darling Harbour
  
• If you're not up for the actual bridge climb, you can walk over the Harbour Bridge to Milsons Point and then catch a train back to either Wynyard or Town Hall
  
• Visit the Queen Victoria Building
  
• Take a day trip to the Blue Mountains
  

Depending on what actual dates you are here, there is likely to be some kind of Chinese New Year celebrations going on at that time of the year, including dragon boat racing at Darling Harbour

Thanks for the suggestions! I'd seen most of those listed in my cursory looks but just hadn't found the time to look more closely yet. It's good to have an endorsement of certain items like this.

I was thinking of the Captain Cook HOHO boat for one day to get to Manley, the zoo, etc. As you mentioned, getting the tourist commentary along with the ride seemed a bit more worthwhile than just a basic ferry ride.

The bridge climb has always looked tempting, albeit quite pricey. A few of us are still considering it (I'm the youngest of the group at 56, so not sure many of us could do it). Not being able to bring a camera is a real disappointment though.

We definitely have the Opera House tour on our list though.

We're there from Saturday morning to Tuesday morning (2/27-3/1).

There is so much to recommend you do while you're here we could all come up with a list a mile long !

Thanks for the suggestions! I'd seen most of those listed in my cursory looks but just hadn't found the time to look more closely yet. It's good to have an endorsement of certain items like this.

 

I was thinking of the Captain Cook HOHO boat for one day to get to Manley, the zoo, etc. As you mentioned, getting the tourist commentary along with the ride seemed a bit more worthwhile than just a basic ferry ride.

 

The bridge climb has always looked tempting, albeit quite pricey. A few of us are still considering it (I'm the youngest of the group at 56, so not sure many of us could do it). Not being able to bring a camera is a real disappointment though.

 

We definitely have the Opera House tour on our list though.

 

 

 

We're there from Saturday morning to Tuesday morning (2/27-3/1).

We have people in their 80s doing the Bridge Climb. Alternatively just walk on the deck of the bridge for free.

The reason cameras and all other types of loose items are forbidden is for safety reasons, can you imagine what might happen if you dropped your camera onto the moving cars and pedestrians below you? Like most other high impact tourist places, they do take photos of you.

I had a look at some of the comments on the Sydney Explorer bus and many of them just seem to be written by serial complainers. The condition of the vehicles look fine every time one goes past me.

Sydney is a very busy and compact city. The best way to get around it is to walk as traffic is horrendous so no wonder the ho ho buses have trouble maintaining some sort of timetable.

Our main street through downtown (George St) is being ripped up from this October to build a light rail system down the middle of it.

With the building of the new light rail down George St, many bus services will now terminate on the city fringes. Buses will no longer travel along George St as from Oct 4.

The free 555 bus has also been ditched.

Walking seems to be the best option or catch the train.

With the building of the new light rail down George St, many bus services will now terminate on the city fringes. Buses will no longer travel along George St as from Oct 4.

The free 555 bus has also been ditched.

Walking seems to be the best option or catch the train.

The changes aren't just to those bus routes using George St. All buses from my part of Sydney that currently travel down York St to the QVB will now terminate at Lang Park, the stop before Wynyard. :mad: Oh, but the bus will continue on to Barangaroo :rolleyes:

I assume the change will also affect bus routes that come in from the south, that used to go right through to Lang Park or Wynyard. Not sure what is happening to routes from the east and west.

I predict that getting around the inner city area will be chaotic as commuters to the southern or northern ends of the city (depending on where they come from) crowd onto trains for the last/first part of their journey, or walk through what will become increasingly crowded footpaths.

Sure, the city roads are clogged but why are they cutting back on public transport routes instead of banning private vehicles? :mad:

My advice to anyone trying to get around Sydney by public transport from October onwards is to allow plenty of time and be prepared for chaos.

am not too keen on the Boulevard hotel as it sits there by itself on Williams St.

it is walking distance from Kings Cross which is the red light area of Sydney.

transportation would be taxis or buses from here.

have a look at the travelodge hotels- phillip, wynyard