Getting around Sydney
Trains, the Metro, harbour ferries and tap-and-go fares, from the airport to the suburbs
Sydney's trains and its driverless Metro do the heavy lifting, and on the harbour the ferries are ordinary public transport, not a tourist extra. You pay the same way on all of them: tap a contactless bank card, phone or watch on the reader, or carry an Opal card. Fares stop rising once you reach a daily cap, and from Friday to Sunday that cap is half the weekday one. Buses fill the gaps but thin out in the suburbs, which, we think, helps explain the busy roads. A car earns its keep for the Blue Mountains and the coast, not for the city.
- Get about by: train and Metro, with ferries across the harbour.
- Pay with: a contactless bank card, phone or watch; an Opal card for children.
- From the airport: the train to Central in about 13 minutes, plus an $18.61 station fee.
- Spend at most: $19.30 a day Monday to Thursday, $9.65 Friday to Sunday, as an adult, plus the airport fee if you use it.
How this page was madeWe have family in Carlingford and have been coming to Sydney since 1986, most recently in February 2026. The trains, the Metro, the harbour ferries and the intercity line over the Hawkesbury are things we use; those parts are ours. The airports, fares, tolls and night services come from Transport for NSW, Sydney Metro and the other sources named on the page.
Last updated 2 November 2026
From the airports and other gateways
Sydney Airport lies on Botany Bay, south of the city centre. Its international and domestic terminals are a few kilometres apart, and each has its own station on the Airport Line. For most arrivals the train is the quickest way in; the table sets it beside the alternatives.
| Option | Where it takes you | Time | Fare basis | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Train (Airport Line) | Central, then on through the city's underground stations | About 13 minutes to Central | An ordinary Opal fare plus the station access fee: $18.61 adult, $16.64 child or concession | The fee makes it dear for a group, and it does not count towards the fare caps |
| Bus 420 or 350 | The 420 to Mascot and Burwood; the 350, from the domestic terminal only, to Bondi Junction | Slower than the train | An ordinary bus fare; no station fee | Neither goes into the city centre; awkward with large bags |
| Taxi | Your door | Depends on traffic | A flat-fare trial from 3 November 2025: $60 to the city centre, $80 in a maxi taxi, tolls included | Whether the trial is still running is not stated; ask before you set off |
| Hire car | Anywhere | Depends on traffic | Daily hire, plus electronic tolls | Parking in the city is costly, and you do not need a car there |
The station access fee is charged on top of your fare each time you use an airport station, and it does not count towards the fare caps, though it has its own weekly cap of $37.75 for an adult. For three adults the fees alone come to $55.83; add three fares and the train costs more than the $60 taxi fare, if that fare is still offered.
Western Sydney International
Sydney's second airport, at Badgerys Creek in the west, opened on Sunday 25 October 2026, with a Jetstar flight to the Gold Coast first. There is no train yet: the airport's Metro line is not expected before late 2027, and sources differ on the date.
Until the Metro opens, public buses run every 30 minutes from about 5am to 10pm — the 790 to Penrith, the 845 to Campbelltown, the 825 and 860 to Liverpool and the 772 to Mount Druitt — and the free WSI Link bus runs every 30 minutes to St Marys station, on the train line into the city, from 4.30am to midnight (to 1am on Friday and Saturday nights). Transport for NSW publishes no through journey time to the city centre, so plan it on the Trip Planner.
Bus routes, hours and the WSI Link from Transport for NSW, Getting to and from Western Sydney International Airport, read 2 November 2026; opening day from published reports.Central, the cruise terminals and the regions
Central Station is where NSW TrainLink regional trains and coaches arrive, and where the intercity lines start. Cruise ships berth at the Overseas Passenger Terminal at Circular Quay, beside the trains, the ferries and the light rail, or at White Bay in Rozelle, further out and with no station nearby, where a taxi is simplest. For journeys from Sydney to other Australian cities, see getting around Australia.
Choose how to move
| Mode | Best for | Coverage | Payment | Hours or frequency | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro | Fast, frequent trips through the city and to the north-west | Tallawong through Chatswood, Martin Place and Central to Sydenham and, since 30 October 2026, on to Bankstown | Tap a card or Opal | Every 4 minutes at peak, 5 in the day, 10 in the evening and at weekends | One line so far, and it misses Circular Quay |
| Train | Most trips across the city and the suburbs | The whole metropolitan area, and intercity lines to the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Newcastle | Tap a card or Opal | Most lines stop between about midnight and 4.30am | Not every station is step-free; weekend trackwork is common |
| Ferry | Crossing the harbour, Manly, Taronga Zoo and the river | Circular Quay to Manly, Watsons Bay and the inner harbour, and up the river to Parramatta | Tap a card or Opal | Varies by route; check the timetable | Slower than the train for ordinary journeys |
| Light rail | Short hops where the trains do not reach | Central to Randwick and Kingsford, the inner west to Dulwich Hill, and Westmead to Carlingford via Parramatta | Tap a card or Opal | About 5am to 1am | Slower than the map suggests |
| Bus | Gaps between the lines, and beaches such as Bondi | Everywhere, but thin in the outer suburbs | Tap a card or Opal; no cash | Varies by route; NightRide buses overnight | Infrequent away from the main roads |
| Walking | The city centre, Circular Quay, the Rocks and the Opera House | The centre and the harbour foreshore | Free | Any time | Hilly, and the city spreads far beyond it |
| Bike | Leisure rides in the parks, along the water and across the Harbour Bridge; see our guide to cycling in Sydney | Park and river paths, the Bridge cycleway, and pieces of separated lanes in the city | Hire in Centennial Park, Sydney Olympic Park and Manly; Lime, HelloBike and Ario e-bikes by app | Park hire about 8.30am to 5.30pm; shared e-bikes only inside their zones | Separated lanes do not join up and the city is hilly; helmets compulsory; no bikes on buses |
| Taxi or rideshare | Late nights, luggage, early flights | Everywhere | Card or app | Any time | Tolls are added to the fare |
| Car | Day trips to the Blue Mountains, the Hunter and the coast | Everywhere | Electronic tolls only | Any time | Traffic, tolls and costly parking in the city |
Once we are on the trains, and especially the Metro, travel in Sydney is sorted: they are fast, frequent and easy to read. The suburban buses are another matter; where we stay they run infrequently and cover little, which helps explain the traffic. Bondi Beach has no station, so take a train to Bondi Junction and a bus down to the sand.
The ferries are the part of the network we return to most. We have crossed the harbour on them many, many times, and they are still the best way to see Sydney; our ferry from Parramatta to Circular Quay page follows the river route stop by stop.
Buses
Buses go where the rails do not — Bondi Beach and the Northern Beaches among them — and take the same tap or Opal card, inside the same daily caps; no cash or paper tickets are sold on board. Transport for NSW's own guide sets out the routine: find your stop and departure in the Trip Planner or the Opal Travel app, both of which show where your bus is in real time; be at the stop about five minutes early; raise your hand as your bus approaches; tap on at the front as you board; press the stop button before your stop, and tap off as you leave.
For route maps and timetables, go to the Bus section of transportnsw.info, which has network maps by region and route, travel alerts and live departures for any stop by its Stop ID; Transport Info answers on 131 500. Away from the main roads services can be infrequent, so check the last bus back before you set off.
Transport for NSW, Bus pages and Bus Basics guide, read 2 November 2026.The intercity lines
Opal reaches well beyond the city. Intercity trains run from Central to the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Newcastle, and down the South Coast, on the same fares and caps. The line north to Gosford crosses the Hawkesbury River and runs along the water past tiny Wondabyne; in February 2026 it was spectacular, and from Friday to Sunday the whole day still costs no more than the $9.65 cap.
Travelling with children
Sydney is an easy city to get round with children: under-fours ride free, the Metro is step-free with level boarding, and a ferry across the harbour is a day out in itself. The one thing to sort before you start is a child's Opal card, because a bank card can pay only an adult fare.
Pay, transfer and navigate
Tap a card, or carry an Opal
An adult can simply tap a contactless credit or debit card, phone or watch on the reader on every Metro, train, ferry, light rail and bus, with nothing to set up. Use one card for each person, and the same card all day so the caps work. Tap on as you board or enter the station, and tap off at the end of each trip; forget, and you can be charged the highest fare for that trip.
The Opal card is Sydney's own travel card. It is free from Opal retailers, including convenience stores and newsagents, and you add money before you travel. Children aged 4 to 15 need a Child/Youth Opal card to pay child fares; children aged three and under travel free. Concessions are for eligible residents and must be applied for online, so most visitors pay adult fares. Opal single-trip tickets are sold at some stations and wharves, cost more and are not valid on buses.
| Cap or fee | Adult | Child or concession |
|---|---|---|
| Daily cap, Monday to Thursday | $19.30 | $9.65 |
| Daily cap, Friday to Sunday and public holidays | $9.65 | $4.80 |
| Weekly cap, Monday to Sunday | $50 | $25 |
| Airport station access fee, each use | $18.61 | $16.64 |
From Friday to Sunday and on public holidays the adult daily cap halves to $9.65. That is the day for Manly, the Blue Mountains or the Central Coast: however far you travel on the network, the day's fares stop there, the airport fee aside.
Changing and saving
Change between modes — train to ferry, say — within 60 minutes and, for an adult, $2 comes off the second fare. Several trips on the same mode within 60 minutes count as one journey, and the train and the Metro count as one mode. Travel outside the weekday peaks on the Metro, trains, buses and light rail and the fare is 30% lower; the ferries have no off-peak discount.
The Metro to Bankstown, and the planner
Since Friday 30 October 2026 the Metro has run on from Sydenham to Bankstown along the converted railway, making a single 66 km line from Tallawong. Plan every journey on the Trip Planner at transportnsw.info or its app, which carries live times, trackwork and alerts; at weekends buses often replace trains on part of a line. Transport Info answers on 131 500.
One ordinary journey: Central to Manly on a Sunday
This is the day we would give anyone on their first visit.
- Tap on at Central with your bank card and take any train running round the City Circle (the T2, T3 or T8) to Circular Quay; the Metro does not go there.
- Tap off at Circular Quay and walk to Wharf 3, where the Manly ferries leave.
- Tap on at the wharf and board the ferry. Changing from train to ferry within 60 minutes takes $2 off an adult ferry fare.
- Ride about 30 minutes past the Opera House, across the open water inside the Heads, and tap off at Manly.
- Come back the same way. It is Sunday, so however many trips you make, the adult day stops at $9.65.
A private fast ferry also runs to Manly, in about 20 minutes. Its operator says Opal is accepted and the caps apply; it does not say whether a bank card works, so carry an Opal card if you want that crossing.
When the default does not fit
Pick your circumstance, or show all five.
Luggage, or reduced mobility
The Metro is the easy part: Sydney Metro is fully accessible, every station has lifts, and a boarding ramp means no step into the carriage. Most trains are accessible too, but not every station is step-free; the Trip Planner shows each station's facilities. Prams and strollers travel free.
Late at night, or an early flight
Most trains stop between about midnight and 4.30am, and NightRide buses replace them overnight. The light rail runs from about 5am to 1am. For a dawn flight, check the first airport train in the planner; before then, book a taxi.
With a bicycle
Bicycles travel free on the Metro, trains, ferries and light rail, but not on buses. Converted e-bikes have been banned on trains and the Metro since 1 November 2025, under a rule the NSW Government announced that September. Where riding works, and the rules to follow, are in our guide to cycling in Sydney.
Driving in the city
If your licence is not in English, carry an official translation or an International Driving Permit with it. Parking in the city centre is costly, and the trains are usually quicker.
Every toll is electronic: Sydney's motorways, the Harbour Bridge and the harbour tunnel have no toll booths. In your own car, a Linkt Sydney Pass covers up to 30 days; in a hire car, ask how the company bills tolls before you drive off, because its fees can exceed the tolls.
If something goes wrong
What to do when a journey goes wrong.
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| Your card will not tap | Try another card or your phone; failing that, buy an Opal card at a retailer, or a single-trip ticket at a station or wharf. |
| You forgot to tap off | You may be charged the highest fare for that trip; check your card's activity online and contact Transport for NSW if it looks wrong. |
| Trackwork or replacement buses | Check alerts on the Trip Planner before you set off; buses replace trains on many weekends. |
| You missed the last train | Look for a NightRide bus in the planner; otherwise take a taxi or rideshare. |
| A station is not step-free | Check the station in the planner; every Metro station has lifts. |
| You left something on board | Report it online through Transport for NSW's lost property form; if it is not found within 28 days, the enquiry is closed. |
| You feel unsafe | Call 131 500 to report a safety concern; in an emergency, call 000. |
A final word on getting around Sydney
Sydney asks little of a visitor: tap a card, take the train or the Metro, and keep a day from Friday to Sunday for the long rides. Then get on a ferry. Crossing the harbour is how the city is meant to be seen, and it is paid with the same tap, inside the same daily cap, as a bus.
Andrew + Margaret
- Sydney Overview
- Sydney Harbour Highlight
- Parramatta to Circular Quay by ferry Journeys
- Where to stay in Sydney Decide
- Day trips from Sydney Decide
- Getting around Australia Practical
- Transport for NSW — Trip Planner and alerts Official
- Getting to and from Sydney Airport Official
- Get an Opal card Official
- Sydney Metro Official
- Accessible travel Official
- Linkt — toll passes Practical