Transportation around Sydney

I was trying to figure out the best way to see Sydney and I thought that I would walk or use the various modes of transportation (bus, train or ferry). I read that there was a cap of $15 a day, but is that for the bus and train? Does the ferry charge you each time you get on or does it have a day pass? I would like to just hop on and off to see whatever I wanted to, but it seems a little complicated. Does anyone have any clarification or a good website to go to that explains everything. So far the websites I've been to doesn't quite explain it well enough. Thanks in advance!

We spent our 4th visit there just walking, doing the hop on hop off bus, and taking the ferry across to the zoo, and around the bay. Simple as that.

Like just about all hop on hop off buses, they come in 24hr, 48hr and longer passes. A good idea for what you want. IIRC, the ferry does as well.

I was trying to figure out the best way to see Sydney and I thought that I would walk or use the various modes of transportation (bus, train or ferry). I read that there was a cap of $15 a day, but is that for the bus and train? Does the ferry charge you each time you get on or does it have a day pass? I would like to just hop on and off to see whatever I wanted to, but it seems a little complicated. Does anyone have any clarification or a good website to go to that explains everything. So far the websites I've been to doesn't quite explain it well enough. Thanks in advance!

Walking was the best and most pleasant way - whether it was around The Rocks, the Quay, Botanical Garden, took ferries to Darling Harbour, Manly and Tauranga Zoo and the train to Bondi Beach. I went to the Sydney Quarantine Museum (fascinating) but in this moment can't recall how we got there - the visit was incredible. Blue Mountains was a small-ish coach van. It's one of the most delightful and easy places to get around in the world. Think I used buses for shopping too - no worries, you will do fine. Have a great visit :)

Thanks so much for responding and your help! I'm so excited :D

You have to look at the Opal Card website, under the section for visitors. We have only recently stopped being able to get paper tickets so we are still getting our heads around it all if we are not frequent public transport users.

But with the Opal card you have a cap, as you said, of $15 per day and you can use it on buses, trains and the standard ferries. There is an Opal travel app and it has a trip planner which will tell you exactly what to do to get to and from anywhere.

The annoying thing with Opal cards is that you cannot buy them at most train stations. However there are places to buy them at Central Staion and Circular Quay, which is where most tourists would want to be.

I read that there was a cap of $15 a day, but is that for the bus and train?

Yes...for bus, train and ferry

Does the ferry charge you each time you get on or does it have a day pass?

Yes...it charges you each time

As mentioned, the daily cap is $15 (a round trip to Manly on the ferry is almost $15 so if you make one more trip on public transport, the rest of the day is free)

There is also a weekly cap of $60

The fare on Sunday for all forms of transport is $2.50

Remember to tap on and, equally important, to tap off

Note that it is difficult for overseas visitors to get a refund on your unused money on the card so do not overload the card

I was trying to figure out the best way to see Sydney and I thought that I would walk or use the various modes of transportation (bus, train or ferry). I read that there was a cap of $15 a day, but is that for the bus and train? Does the ferry charge you each time you get on or does it have a day pass? I would like to just hop on and off to see whatever I wanted to, but it seems a little complicated. Does anyone have any clarification or a good website to go to that explains everything. So far the websites I've been to doesn't quite explain it well enough. Thanks in advance!

You don't say how long you're in Sydney and where you're arriving (Airport? OPT?) and tbh The Rocks, Harbour, Bridge, Opera House and Botanical Gdns are all within easy walking distance.

But public transport in Sydney is incredibly easy to use and understand (spent 9 days there last week as a Vegemite munchin', Opal card carryin' Pom) and the opal card is the way to go - buses, public ferries, trains, light rail - even travel to the Blue Mountains is covered.

Everything you need to know:

Opal Card: https://www.opal.com.au/ (even where to buy)

NSW Transit planner: http://www.transportnsw.info/en/maps-and-timetables/index.page

OMG you guys are so awesome! Thank you so much as you have cleared up all my questions and have been extremely helpful!!

I'm traveling solo and will only be in Sydney for 2 1/2 days before my cruise.

OMG you guys are so awesome! Thank you so much as you have cleared up all my questions and have been extremely helpful!!

 

I'm traveling solo and will only be in Sydney for 2 1/2 days before my cruise.

You'll find we love helping, so any other topics, ask away.

This thread is a great help to me as well! We'll be in Sydney for about 3 days at the end of a cruise in March 2018; I'm already planning!

This thread is a great help to me as well! We'll be in Sydney for about 3 days at the end of a cruise in March 2018; I'm already planning!

LOL I know what you mean. I'm planning everything now but unfortunately you have to wait until 2018 :( I just can't help being excited.

Hello

We will be in Sydney for 5 days (Dec 2-6) and we hear so much about the Blue Mountains. Would you recommend using a Tour Company or is it possible to take a train from Central? If you say the train, what train would we take and what should we do after we got off the train? Also, How much is the train? We are senior citizens looking forward to visiting Sydney.

Regards from Colorado, USA

Hello

We will be in Sydney for 5 days (Dec 2-6) and we hear so much about the Blue Mountains. Would you recommend using a Tour Company or is it possible to take a train from Central? If you say the train, what train would we take and what should we do after we got off the train? Also, How much is the train? We are senior citizens looking forward to visiting Sydney.

 

Regards from Colorado, USA

You can do it by train, simply catch the Katoomba/Blue Mts line train. The signboards are pretty handy in pointing you to the right platform.

However a tour may be a better option, often includes wildlife park.

Fare I'd need to get back to you about, but google NSW rail and you will find timetables and fares. I don't think you will be eligible for seniors fares, but ask.

Only Australian Seniors are eligible for seniors concessions on public transport http://www.transportnsw.info/en/tickets/eligibility-concessions/senior.page?

that link will also help you find the fares.

I'd do a tour because the services are not frequent to the various sites in the mountains and this will maximise your time.

Only Australian Seniors are eligible for seniors concessions on public transport http://www.transportnsw.info/en/tickets/eligibility-concessions/senior.page?

 

that link will also help you find the fares.

 

I'd do a tour because the services are not frequent to the various sites in the mountains and this will maximise your time.

I have known some visitors to be given it, guess at a glance they looked old. I know they're not "eligible" but can't hurt to ask.

Yes, the blue mountains train is very easy from Central station and not too pricey really. I live at the end of the blue mountains line, and even a full cost ticket for me is only around $8.30 if I travel during peak times or under $6 if I wait till the off peak trains. A full trip to Lithgow is around 3 hours, to Katoomba it's 2, and the Blue Mountains themselves don't really start till you go through Penrith about an hour after leaving Sydney. The trip planner website is great for working out the timetable options, fares, etc. Also the trip view app if you're using data and smartphones while you're in the Sydney area, I find that is excellent for helping me figure out which platform to go to, when the next train is, what my connection options are, etc as I'm traveling around the city.

As far as what to do, let me know what kind of things you're interested in and I'm happy to give a few pointers. I've lived in five villages of the blue mountains and gotten to know a fair few others over the years!

If you're fairly mobile and active and would enjoy some beautiful bush walks, I'd head to Wentworth Falls. The lookouts and tracks at the end of Falls Road are stunning and much less touristy than Katoomba, but they are about a 20 minute walk from the station. There are a few good and longstanding cafes and things there, too - I've been visiting Schwarz' Patisserie and the Conservation Hut for well over 20 years now! Katoomba is more touristy and busy but you can get a good overview there - the Explorer bus runs a loop of all the major tourist points of Katoomba and Leura like the three sisters lookout, scenic world, Leura Mall, etc. It takes about an hour to do a whole loop of the stops and I believe they give a bit of a tour and give you some information on the way. You can hop on/hop off as you see fit and spend more time in a few places.

My favourite places are further up the mountains past Katoomba, though. The upper mountains are largely ignored, so if you like to see things without feeling too touristy that's the place to be. Blackheath has some stunning walks and lookouts and is a great little village. Some great little bakeries, antique shops, and if you catch a taxi or bus to Govett's Leap you'll see all the beauty of the mountains and are pretty likely to have it all to yourself. If you're up for the full round trip, the views between Mt Victoria and Lithgow are the best of the whole journey, and the station in Lithgow is right in the main street so there are plenty of shops and cafes nearby. If you like wildlife, there's a quoll sanctuary and beautiful little restaurant a quick taxi ride away, they have a few resident kangaroos, an emu, some dingos, and they're all very friendly. Not all the animals are around all the time (only the quolls and dingos are actually captive in any way) but it's a nice spot up in the bush. If you like any kind of train history, coal mining history, etc there's plenty to see around town, too.

Eek, that's way too much already! But yes, do the Blue Mountains, and you can do a tour if you like but it's very easy to manage trains and people are very friendly on the whole and will point you in the right direction. I came from the US originally and from an area where I was not at all used to having decent (or any!) public transport, so I was surprised how straightforward it was here.

Oh, and I wouldn't try to get the senior concession. If they check your ticket on board, the fine is up to $200 if you can't produce a valid NSW concession card.

We will be in Sydney for two days in February 2018. We are on the Queen Elizabeth.

We spent 6 days post cruise in Sydney in 2010 so now we want to explore further.

I think that we will be buying the Opal card and probably loading $30 on each to over the two days. Is that logical?

We were thinking of going to Lithgow and returning on the same day.

I know that is very manageable but do you suggest that we spend some time at one of the stops?

We love seeing the countryside and watching the scenery so the train is the best option I am sure.

I thank you in advance.

I have known some visitors to be given it, guess at a glance they looked old. I know they're not "eligible" but can't hurt to ask.

Not any more. I am from Queensland and I have to apply for a new Seniors Concession Opal card, with my Queensland Seniors Card, every time I visit Sydney.

We will be in Sydney for two days in February 2018. We are on the Queen Elizabeth.

We spent 6 days post cruise in Sydney in 2010 so now we want to explore further.

I think that we will be buying the Opal card and probably loading $30 on each to over the two days. Is that logical?

We were thinking of going to Lithgow and returning on the same day.

I know that is very manageable but do you suggest that we spend some time at one of the stops?

We love seeing the countryside and watching the scenery so the train is the best option I am sure.

I thank you in advance.

With six days, I would spend one or two nights in the Blue Mountains (Katoomba).

With six days, I would spend one or two nights in the Blue Mountains (Katoomba).

I was not clear. We spent 6 days in Sydney in 2010. This time around we will have two days as Queen Elizabeth does her turn around. ;)

I was not clear. We spent 6 days in Sydney in 2010. This time around we will have two days as Queen Elizabeth does her turn around. ;)

Sorry, it was my mistake, as I'm a speed reader.

With only two days in Sydney, did you choose Lithgow for the rail journey, rather than the destination? Have you been to Katoomba or Leura en route before. Both places are more interesting than Lithgow, in my opinion. Katoomba has the Three Sisters, with spectacular scenery, whilst Leura is a lovely little village surrounded by beautiful gardens. I believe there is a hop on hop off bus which goes from Katoomba.

Thanks for that Marion. I too read fast. In fact I took a 586 question test in under 45 minutes. Who knows if I answered correctly? ;)

Your suggestion is what we are thinking of doing after reading more here.

I appreciate your help.

I second the suggestion to go to either Katoomba or Leura rather than Lithgow.

A completely different suggestion is to catch a train heading south to Kiama. It's a coast town, has some very lovely heritage cottages which are now artisan stores, a lighthouse and the famous (well to Sydney people) blowhole. It's about 2.5 hrs each way and goes through the Royal National Park and then down the coast line. You could even get off along the way if you wanted to explore for example the National Park or one of the southern beaches.

I will be in Sydney post cruise for 8 days in November.

Rough itinerary is to spend 2 days in Sydney, the Rocks and the Quay.Most likely walking, not using transportation much.

2 days in Katoomba - one day using hop on/hop off bus, possibly renting car for second day to go to Blue Mtn Botanic Garden.

1 day each Kiama, Manly, Taranga, walk Bondi to Coogee

then last morning train to airport.

My questions

1. should i buy an opal card online before i leave home (USA) to avoid lines coming off ship - or wait until we get there?
   
2. advantages/disadvantage of train vs bus to Katoomba?
   
3. will all my transportation (other than ho/ho and car in Blue Mtns) be covered by opal card?
   
4. can i get the card with $60 weekly pass plus 13.80 for train to airport for last day?
   

Thanks for your help with my planning!

kathy

I will be in Sydney post cruise for 8 days in November.

Rough itinerary is to spend 2 days in Sydney, the Rocks and the Quay.Most likely walking, not using transportation much.

2 days in Katoomba - one day using hop on/hop off bus, possibly renting car for second day to go to Blue Mtn Botanic Garden.

1 day each Kiama, Manly, Taranga, walk Bondi to Coogee

then last morning train to airport.

 

My questions

1. should i buy an opal card online before i leave home (USA) to avoid lines coming off ship - or wait until we get there?
   
2. advantages/disadvantage of train vs bus to Katoomba?
   
3. will all my transportation (other than ho/ho and car in Blue Mtns) be covered by opal card?
   
4. can i get the card with $60 weekly pass plus 13.80 for train to airport for last day?
   

Thanks for your help with my planning!kathy

If you buy opal card on line, you will need to allow sufficient time for delivery of the card. I think this is a good idea. I buy mine at the airport where there is no queue, however, I have seen long queues at Circular Quay when ships are in.

I have only travelled by train, which I enjoyed. Sit on left.

Yes

You can buy airport gate pass at the airport before you leave station, if need be.