By Bus in Sydney

By Bus

To & from Sydney

Greyhound Australia and Murrays bus services are available to all major cities from Sydney. Firefly Express caters mainly to backpackers. You can purchase tickets for long-distance buses from travel agents, by telephone, or at bus terminals. Approximate travel times by bus are: Sydney to Canberra, 4 hours; Sydney to Melbourne, 11 hours; Sydney to Brisbane, 11 hours; Sydney to Adelaide, 13 hours. The main terminal is the Central Station (Eddy Avenue) terminus, just south of the city center. Lockers are available in the terminal.

Contacts

Central Station (02/9379-1777. www.cityrail.info). Firefly Express (1300/730740. www.fireflyexpress.com.au). Greyhound Australia (13-1499. www.greyhound.com.au). Murrays (13-2251. www.murrays.com.au).

Within Sydney

Bus travel in Sydney is rather slow because of the city's congested streets and undulating terrain. Fares are calculated by the number of city sections traveled. The minimum two-section bus fare (A$1.70) applies to trips throughout the inner-city area. You would pay the minimum fare, for example, for a ride from Circular Quay to Kings Cross, from Park Street to Oxford Street in Paddington, or from Bondi Junction railway station to Bondi Beach. Tickets may be purchased from the driver, who will compute the fare based on your destination. (Bus 333, running from Circular Quay to Bondi Beach, only accepts passengers who have pre-paid tickets or a travel pass.) Discounted fares are available in several forms, including Travelten passes (valid for 10 journeys), which start at A$13.60 and are available from bus stations and most newsstands. You can also buy TravelPasses, which provide unlimited travel for one week on buses, ferries, and trains in various zones. The cheapest is the A$32 Red TravelPass. It covers most of the areas visitors would want to see, with the exception of Manly and Sydney Olympic Park.

Contact

Transport Info Line (13-1500. www.sydneybuses.info).