Visitor Information

Getting from the airport to town and exploring the city
 
Sydney's Kingsford-Smith Airport (SYD) is about eight kilometres (five miles) south of the city centre in the suburb of 'Mascot'. Taxis are readily available outside the terminal and there is a new Airport Link Underground Railway connecting the airport with the city's circle line in a journey time of around ten minutes. There is a range of bus services offering 'pick-ups' and 'drop-offs' at all hotels in the city centre and northern and eastern beaches areas.
Getting around the city swiftly is best accomplished by train, as taxis and buses are frequently caught in traffic jams. CityRail and Sydney Light Rail (SLR) operate services around the city centre, with ferries and a hydrofoil operating services to the North Shore from Circular Quay.

 The Australian Tourist Commission (ATC) offers several ways to help you plan your trip Down Under, which are laid out below. You can also write to the Australian Tourist Commission at Level 4, 80 William St., Woolloomooloo, Sydney NSW 2011 (tel.02/9360 1111; fax 02/9331 2538).

For help with piecing together an itinerary, or to find out more about any aspect of traveling in Australia, contact the ATC's Aussie Helpline at tel. 805/775-2000 or fax 805/775-4448 in the United States and Canada; tel. 0990/022 000 or fax 0171/940 5221 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, or to simply order brochures call tel. 0990/561 434 in the U.K. and 01/402 6896 in Ireland; and 0800/65 0303 or fax 09/377 9562 in New Zealand. When you call, request a copy of the ATC's comprehensive brochure, the Australian Vacation Planner. The ATC also publishes Australia Unplugged, an excellent, hip guide to the country's coolest offerings.

The ATC also maintains a network of "Aussie Specialist" travel agents in several hundred cities across North America, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and many other countries. These agents are committed to a continuous training program on the best destinations, hotels, deals, and tours in Oz. They will know better than most general travel agents on how to package an itinerary that's right for you. To find the Aussie Specialist nearest you, call the Aussie Helpline or the ATC in Sydney, or check the ATC Web site.

The Australian Tourist Commission's excellent Web site, www.australia.com, has more than 10,000 pages of listings for tour operators, hotels, car-rental companies, specialist travel outfitters, public holidays, maps, distance charts, and much more.

Other Useful Web Sites

The Australian Embassy in Washington, D.C., has a handy Web site at www.austemb.org. The site posts loads of links to sites on tourism; cultural and educational matters; briefings on the economy, trade, sport, geography, and the people; and events listings. It's written with North Americans in mind, though much of the information is relevant no matter where you are traveling from.

All Australian telephone numbers are listed in the Telstra White Pages (search by name) and Yellow Pages (search by subject)-www.whitepages.com.au and www.yellowpages.com.au.

For the latest on the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, visit the official site at www.sydney.olympic.org.

Check out the latest weather forecasts and research average temperature, rainfall, and humidity on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's site at www.bom.gov.au.

Pick up cool suggestions on sporting activities, restaurants, shops, attractions, and festivals as well as current film and other cultural listings, an extensive accommodation directory, and lifestyle feature stories on Sydney at www.sydney.citysearch.com.au.