Getting Around Canberra

If you are from the sydney area. the best & fastest way to get to Canberra, is by Greyhound bus/Coach

Sometimes the fare can be $15 whenbooked online. Specials Return fare can be $49.

So whenever i goto Canberra I leave at 8am in the morning & i arrive in canberra just before noon

Then coming back i leave at 9am & arrive in Sydney at 4pm

The Bus leaves outside Eddie Ave (near central station) at 6am, 8am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 5pm & 8pm

The Bus Arrives at the jolimont center in Civic

Its cheaper than catching a plane to Canberra & its faster than train

The view from Mount Ainslie on a clear day is beautiful . The climb is about 860 metres with some handrails.However if you are challenged in any way, there is vehicular access from the back.Picnic facilities at the top make this a great half day outing.The picture attached gives you some idea of the track to climb

Traveliing within Canberra without your own car is a bit difficult.However,there are buses that connect the different suburbs of Canberra.There are no trains within canberra.Taxis are also in plenty.However,the buses are convinient to go from one suburb to another,you might have to take a cab in case your destination is away from the bus stop.Canberra being a vast place,this makes sense rather than taking a cab to travel the entire way.Of course if you have a car,it is most convinient.

Grey hound and Murrays are two renowned bus companies that ply buses to Canberra.You could reach Canberra from Sydney(starts from Eddy avenue in Sydney central) in 4 and a half hours by bus.The buses are comfortable and often if not always play a movie(so make sure you get seat closer to the front if you want to see the movie and go to the rear side if you dont want to watch it!)There are no refreshments sold on the bus,so carry a small snack if you must.There is a toilet in the bus.
While buying tickets,try to go purchase it from the company counter directly and not from the tourist information centre,as it works out cheaper this way.The tourist centre offers a slightly higher price for the same ticket(guess it is their commission/service charge)

Don't say I have not warned you... ;-)

If you really need a taxi at a certain time on a certain day, best book it a week in advance LOL

The numbers of cars operating on a certain day seems to be heavily related to the session periods of Parliament, and if an airplane arrives five minutes early or late the taxi service gets totally chaotic.

My first priority in Canberra was reporting about the Hockey Champions Trophy, so I had to work until very late at night. That is why I stayed at a motel close to the hockey centre in Lyneham, so I could walk and did not depend on any kind of transportation.

But sometimes I would have needed to meet teams in their city hotel during the day, or get back from dinner in the city centre, and as the car rental company I had booked a car with was so terribly busy that they could not deliver the car to my motel I would have needed a taxi to get there, as I did not want to spend my time waiting for a bus which would arrive - or not...

Once I felt very lucky when I spotted a taxi arriving in front of my motel and dropping off a passenger, after I had not succeeded to book a taxi for an hour later. So - already on the way to the bus stop and an unknown future - I sprinted to the taxi and asked the driver to take me to the city centre. But he said he could not serve me because this other passenger would only drop his luggage and would be back in a minute...

So I waited and asked this business man if he probably would travel to the city centre, and we could share the taxi. He was delighted that he could help me out because he had been in similar situations on most of his trips to Canberra - and even more delighted to learn some German swearwords from me, and an excuse why he did not want to play golf with his business partners...

(If you are interested... You just have to say: "I do not play golf yet. I still have sex.")

With several cycling fanatics among our politicians, the city has spent millions on an extensive bicycle path network plus on-road cycle lanes along arterial roads. Canberra is just hilly enough to keep our cyclists fighting fit. But if you prefer a more leisurely ride, there are some flat bits too. Like a circuit of Lake Burley Griffin, or the university, or the suburbs of the Inner North. A map of cycle paths is available from government shopfronts, tourism outlets and some newsgencies so you can plan your own tour.

Bicycles can be hired on an hourly basis from Mr Spokes near the ferry terminal at Acton Park on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin. Or you can arrange a longer-term rental from Capital Bicycle Hire, Dial-A-Bicycle or Canberra Cycles. Even the YHA Youth Hostel can rent you one.