Transportation

Canberra by air

Canberra is well connected by air to all major Australian cities. Travellers coming from overseas can fly to one of the major hub airports, like Sydney or Melbourne, and then catch a domestic flight to Canberra. Attention should be paid to the transfer, as customs processing will take place at the hub, not at Canberra airport, and may take significant time. It would be advised to allow at least 3 hours between the international and domestic flights.

Canberra is also connected internationally through a number of flights. Currently, Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways operate flights to and from Canberra. While the flights are advertised as “direct”, both companies operate slightly “indirect” flights. Singapore Airlines operates Canberra-Singapore, and Singapore-Sydney-Canberra flights. Qatar Airways operates Canberra-Sydney-Doha and Doha-Sydney-Canberra flights. The flights with a stop-over in Sydney do not require to change the aircraft, however, they may still require the customs processing in Sydney.

Once arrived at Canberra Airport, the traveller can reach the CBD by taxi or by bus. Details for airport bus service can be found here: https://www.canberraairport.com.au/transport/public-transport/

Canberra by road

Canberra is approx. 300 kilometres by road from Sydney. Therefore, many travellers prefer to fly to Sydney and then catch a bus or rent a car and drive themselves to Canberra.

For those choosing to ride the bus to Canberra, the two most popular bus service operators are Murrays and Greyhound. Both operate direct buses between Sydney Airport and Canberra CBD (Jolimont Centre).

Canberra by train

There is also a train operating between Sydney and Canberra. The train is slow (approx. 4.5 hours) and is rather a scenic choice for those who prefer relax and enjoy the Aussie bush landscape. The trains run between Sydney Central station and Canberra Railway station. Note that the railway station is not in the CBD. A bus can be booked together with the train to connect between Canberra Railway station and Canberra CBD. In this case, on the booking webpage choose “Canberra West Row, Civic” as destination, instead of “Canberra – Station (Kingston)”. Bookings can be made at the following link: https://transportnsw.info/regional-bookings/