Destination Guides > Australia > Australian Capital Territory > Canberra > Coming & Going
Canberra
Coming & Going
Air
Canberra’s airport (tel (02) 6275 2236; website www.canberraairport.com.au) has frequent flights to most major Australian destinations although backpackers rarely use it.
The airport is located 7km east of the city centre and is served by the AirLiner shuttle bus (tel (02) 6299 3722; website www.airliner.com.au), which runs every 30 minutes and costs $9 each way.
Bus
There are direct buses to Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and country destinations in New South Wales including the ski resorts in the Snowy Mountains.
Murrays Coaches (tel 13 22 51; website www.murrays.com.au) run express bus services from Canberra to Sydney; Woollongong; Batemans Bay and Narooma on the South Coast plus Cooma and Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains.
Greyhound Australia (tel 1300 GREYHOUND or 1300 473 946; website www.greyhound.com.au) buses go to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney.
Buses terminate at the Jolimont Transit Centre at 65-57 Northbourne Avenue.
Train
Trains between Canberra and Sydney use the train station on Wentworth Avenue in Kingston. Buses 39, 80, 83 and 84 run between the station and the city centre.
Hitchhiking
There are a few good hitching spots that are relatively easy to get to by public transport. It is usually not too difficult to get a lift out of Canberra.
Northbourne Avenue runs north from the city centre and splits into the Barton and Federal Highways that join the Hume Freeway, which connects Melbourne and Sydney. Hitching from Canberra is best on one of these two roads.
If you’re heading to Melbourne, it’s best to get to the Barton Highway, which meets the Hume Freeway near Yass. Buses 51, 52, 56, 251, 252 or 253 take you to where the Barton Highway branches off from Northbourne Avenue.
The Federal Highway is your best bet for a lift to Sydney. This road joins the Hume Highway near Goulburn. Take bus 36 to get to the Federal Highway.
