Posted in Australia on January 14, 2012

Planning a trip to Sydney? Business or pleasure? If you’re driving from interstate, keys in hand, car insurance all paid up, and ready to go, then you’re all set for Sydney. If you’re flying in and want to consider hiring a car Sydney has a range of sights waiting for you to discover. To ensure a smooth trip, take a few moments and prepare yourself with these handy hints.

Organise Transport

Sydney and its surrounding are much bigger than most visitors expect. To see all the sights on offer, you need to get your transport sorted as early as possible. Although the locals still love to complain, Sydney’s inner city transport is world class, offering an underground rail network, hundreds of regular buses, ferries across the harbour, taxis, a tram or light rail, and even a monorail. If you’re staying in the city it’s all you’ll need.

However, once you’re outside the city centre it becomes a quite different matter. To see the Blue Mountains, to visit friends, or to see any of Sydney’s famous beaches, you’ll need the mobility of your own car. Every Sydney-sider has access to their own motorised freedom machine and, when your stay is over, you won’t know how you could have done without it.

Consider a Guide or a Tour

Did we mention Sydney is big? It really is. Lot’s of visitors underestimate what a sprawling mass of suburbia it is. Taking a long time to drive across, it offers a staggering array of opportunities to get lost, not to mention surprise tollways, transit lanes, as well as the cross city tunnel.

To avoid lengthy surprise tours of the suburbs, ensure that you’ve got yourself a handy map before you set out. Ask for a GPS navigation system when you’re renting your car or make sure you have a map app on your phone.

For those who like a hard copy to hold, a Sydney UBD or Gregory’s would be best but smaller and cheaper options are available at any service station or tourist shop. Taking those few minutes to plan your journey before you set out can make all the difference.

Prepare for the Weather

While Brisbane is famous for its sun and Melbourne for its moody overcast skies, Sydney’s temperature  has a reputation for being temperamental. While a cheap brolly is never more than a frantic sprint through the rain from you, being prepared for every eventuality takes just a few moments of consideration when packing. Hats, sunscreen, and sunglasses for the damaging Australian sun. Collapsable umbrella or plastic poncho for sudden storms. If you’re going to be out at night, a jacket couldn’t hurt. Then, just to be sure, check before you leave your accommodation.

Prebook when You Can

When you’ve braved the hustle and bustle of the traffic and arrived at your destination there’s nothing worse than spending what you’ve saved on travel time looking at the back of a long queue of people. When you’re going somewhere where you’ll need to buy entry tickets, see if you can pre-book on their website. Most attractions these days, including Taronga zoo, most museums, and any theatre, want to speed up their ticket lines and have tickets you can buy and print out before you arrive. Then you can step from your car and sail straight into a day’s entertainment, stress free.