Getting Around

Bicycle Hire

Sydney's many steep hills make cycling a challenge. Manly has better paths for cycling but best of all is the popular Centennial Park. Recommended bike hire companies include Centennial Park Cycles, 50 Clovelly Road, Randwick (tel: (02) 9398 5027; www.cyclehire.com.au), and Inner City Cycles, 151 Glebe Point Road (tel: (02) 9660 6605; www.innercitycycles.com.au).

Public Transport

Sydney's public transport system is well developed, efficient and cheap. The Transport Infoline (tel: 131 500, in Australia only; www.131500.com.au) provides route, timetable and fare information for all buses, ferries and trains. State Transit (tel: 131 500, in Australia only; www.sydneybuses.nsw.gov.au) operates Sydney's buses. Sydney Ferries (tel: 131 500, in Australia only; www.sydneyferries.nsw.gov.au) runs the commuter ferry network that criss-crosses Sydney Harbour. CityRail (tel: 131 500, in Australia only; www.cityrail.info) operates the network of trains between the suburbs and the city. Numerous money-saving passes are available, including the SydneyPass (www.sydneypass.info), which allows unlimited travel on public buses, harbour ferries, the Sydney Explorer bus and the Bondi Explorer bus. The colour-coded TravelPass, valid for one week or more, allows unlimited travel on public transport within a designated area. A DayTripper pass is valid for travel on all regular buses, ferries and metropolitan area trains. A TravelTen bus pass is valid for 10 bus journeys. A FerryTen ticket is valid for 10 ferry trips.

Taxis

Taxis run on meters, with a 20% surcharge added between 2200-0600. Tipping is not expected, although fares are generally rounded up to the nearest dollar. Operators include Taxis Combined Services (tel: 133 300, in Australia only or (02) 8332 8888) and Premier Cabs (tel: 131 017, in Australia only).

Driving in the City

Sydney drivers are renowned for their speed and intolerance and parking is invariably difficult and/or expensive. Also, many of Sydney's motorways are tolled and most of them are fully electronic; you will have to arrange a pass before or shortly after your trip - see www.rta.nsw.gov.au for details.

Car Hire

The minimum age for hiring a car is often 25 years. Minimum third-party insurance is required. Recommended car hire firms include Avis (tel: (02) 9353 9033 or 136 333, in Australia only; www.avis.com.au), Budget (tel: 1300 362 848 or 132 727, in Australia only; www.budget.com.au), Hertz (tel: 1800 550 067 or 133 039, in Australia only; www.hertz.com.au) and Thrifty (tel: 1300 367 277; www.thrifty.com.au).