What is public transport like?

Public transport in Australia varies from region to region and town to town. In most cities and large towns services are good to excellent and relatively inexpensive, although some city suburbs and areas of the country are poorly served. Most Australian cities have a relatively small suburban rail network, only New South Wales (NSW) has an extensive rail network, and many regions aren’t served by trains at all; bus and rail services in most areas are severely curtailed on Sundays and in some cases on Saturdays as well.

   Poor public transport is one of the reasons most Australians are so attached to their cars – only Americans are more devoted to their cars – although it isn’t always essential to own a car, particularly if you live in a city where parking is often impossible. On the other hand, if you live in the country or a suburb off the main rail and bus routes, it’s usually essential to have your own transport.

   Bear in mind when travelling interstate that Australia is a huge country (as large as Europe or the US and over 30 times the size of the UK) with vast distances between capital cities. Flying saves you a lot of time and the loss of sleep associated with long-distance bus and train journeys, although you see little of Australia when flying around the country. Book early if you plan to travel long distance on public holidays or at the beginning or end of school holidays. Despite the vast distances involved in travelling in Australia, many Australians prefer to travel by private car.

   In cities, trains are much faster than buses, particularly during rush hours, even where new roads have been built. Most cities have an integrated public transport system, and tickets usually allow transfers between buses, ferries, trains and trams (as applicable), fares being calculated on a zone system. Buses and trams carry around 65 per cent of passengers in the major cities, where there’s a range of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual tickets, plus discounted books of ten tickets offering savings on single fares. Many cities have free town centre (downtown) shuttle buses.

For more information see Living and Working in Australia by David Hampshire