Almost every international visitor arrives in Sydney. From there, suburban trains reach the Blue Mountains, the Central Coast and Newcastle; regional trains, coaches and short flights cover the rest, and a car opens up everything in between.
By air
Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) is the main gateway, with direct flights from Asia, North America, the Middle East and New Zealand. A second airport, Western Sydney International (WSI), opened to passengers on 25 October 2026 and its route list is still growing; check which airport your flight uses. Within NSW, regional airports include Ballina Byron (BNK), Coffs Harbour (CFS), Newcastle (NTL) near Port Stephens, Broken Hill (BHQ) and Orange (OAG). Gold Coast (OOL) in Queensland is close to Byron Bay, and Canberra (CBR) suits the Snowy Mountains.
By train
Sydney’s suburban network extends well beyond the city: the Blue Mountains Line runs to Katoomba and Lithgow, the Central Coast and Newcastle Line to Gosford and Newcastle, and the South Coast Line to Kiama and Bomaderry (for Jervis Bay). These all take the Opal card or a contactless bank card. Further afield, NSW TrainLink runs regional trains, including the XPT north towards Coffs Harbour and Brisbane, the Central West service through Orange, and the weekly Outback Xplorer to Broken Hill, plus connecting coaches. Regional trains need a booked ticket.
By coach
NSW TrainLink coaches link many regional towns with train stations. Private operators such as Greyhound run the coast between Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay and Brisbane, and Port Stephens Coaches connects Sydney with Nelson Bay. In winter, ski coaches run to the Snowy Mountains.
| To | Train / coach | Flight | Car |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mountains (Katoomba) | About 2 h by train | No | About 1 h 45 |
| Central Coast (Gosford) | About 1 h 30 by train | No | About 1 h 15 |
| Newcastle | About 2 h 45 by train | No | About 2 h |
| Hunter Valley (Pokolbin) | Train to the Hunter, then taxi or tour | No | About 2 h |
| Port Stephens (Nelson Bay) | About 3 h 30 by coach | To Newcastle, about 1 h | About 2 h 30 |
| Jervis Bay (Huskisson) | Train to Bomaderry, then bus or taxi | No | About 2 h 45 |
| Coffs Harbour | About 8–9 h by XPT | About 1 h 15 | About 6 h |
| Byron Bay | Train and coach, a long day | To Ballina, about 1 h 30 | About 8–9 h |
| Snowy Mountains (Jindabyne) | Ski-season coaches; limited otherwise | To Canberra, about 1 h | About 5 h 30 |
| Orange | About 4 h 30–5 h by train | About 1 h | About 3 h 30 |
| Broken Hill | About 13 h, weekly Outback Xplorer | About 2 h 30 | About 12–13 h |
Times are approximate and depend on traffic and connections; always check current timetables on Transport for NSW and the operators’ sites.
Getting around Sydney
Trains, the Metro, buses, light rail and the harbour ferries all use the Opal system. Tap on and off with an Opal card or simply with a contactless credit or debit card or phone. Fares are capped per day and per week, and the Sydney Airport stations add a station access fee. Ferries are one of the best-value sights in the city.
Driving
Australians drive on the left. Most foreign licences can be used for short visits, with an International Driving Permit if your licence is not in English. Several Sydney motorways and tunnels are tolled electronically, so ask your rental company how tolls are billed. Speed limits are strictly enforced by cameras, as is mobile phone use. In the country, watch for kangaroos and other animals around dawn and dusk, plan fuel stops, and do not drive tired: distances are much longer than they look on the map.
Car hire
You do not need a car in Sydney, where parking is expensive. A car is most useful for the Hunter Valley, the South Coast, Orange and Mudgee, the Snowy Mountains outside ski season and any coastal road trip. Many rental agreements exclude unsealed roads, which matters in the outback. Pick up at the airport or on your way out of the city.
Where next?
Pick a destination from the destination guides, each of which has a dedicated page on getting there, and see where to stay along your route.
