Rental Cars
Jan 9th, 2004, 11:16 PM
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Rental Cars
Hi, We will be in Australia in Feb. and were planning on renting a car in Sydney and driving to the Blue Mountains and then on to Melbourne and take ferry to Tasmania. Would it be better to rent a car in Sydney or Katoomba? I've heard the Sydney traffic is terrible. Is it possible to take a train to Katoomaba and rent a car there? Thanks
Jan 9th, 2004, 11:34 PM
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Hi. I live in Sydney (originally from San Fran though).
Katoomba is to Sydney sort of what the Napa Valley is to San Francisco...
Yes, you can easily take a train to Katoomba, but I would be very surprised if you could rent a car there, and even if you could, it would cost you more than renting one in Sydney.
As for the traffic, whoever told you that Sydney traffic is bad has never lived in the US, I would suspect.
They have put in a lot of new motorways in Sydney in the last few years, and the concept of "traffic" may have come from the fact that you used to have to drive through the city streets in order to get from one place to the other.
In the past 5 years, that is no longer true, and in fact, there is a relatively new 5 lane highway running most of the way from Sydney to Katoomba. I took it up there a couple years ago and it took only a couple hours to get there at most...an nothing akin to the traffic that you would experience anywhere in the US.
The only tricky part is driving on the left side of the road from the right side of the car, if you're not used to it...and lanes are generally narrower here so there's not as much margin for error as there is in most places in the US...so be very sure you're comfortable with the idea of driving, in essence, backwards from what you're used to.
Driving the bridge here in Sydney can be a bit odd at first too, as the different lanes drop you in different places at the other end of the bridge, so you can't afford to get in the wrong lane when you get onto the bridge!
Anyway, if I were you and you want a car the whole time, I'd just pick one up at the airport. Cars are usually cheaper if you book them through a wholesaler, such as Qantas Holidays, in advance.
Driving to Melbourne won't be a problem for you, as the roads are quite good and open. However, be aware that it is a VERY long drive from Sydney to Melbourne...about 8 to 12 hours depending on how you go and, unlike most of the US, there is not much of interest to see along the way.
You might want to consider taking a flight from Sydney to Melbourne and back...you can usually book these in conjunction with your overseas flight at a discounted rate and they can be very cheap.
Melbourne is a bit harder and more congested to drive in, and has tram lines all over the place which make it confusing, so I don't know if you'll want a car there when you get there.
Also, be aware that the Tasmanian ferries have just started service from Sydney. You can get details of their sailings at this website:
http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au
I think my suggestion would be to either get or not get a car while in Sydney...you can pretty much take trains or ferries wherever you may need to go and it's a great way to travel around here!
Catch a flight to Melbourne to look around there, and then come back to Sydney and take the ferry to Tassie. Much less hassle and stress.
Be aware that if you take a car on the ferry to Tassie, it will cost you MORE. You can get a cabin on the ferry without a car probably for a pretty good price.
Well, those are my tips. Be sure to go to the Taronga Zoo while you're in Sydney...even if you don't like animals, the views from the giraffe and bird areas are fabulous!
Also, be sure to either do the bridge climb or go up in the south pylon of the bridge. Again, fantastic views. And stop by Mrs. Macquarie's chair in the botanic gardens for a lovely nature walk and again great views.
You can visit Bondi Beach or Manly, both very famous and interesting beaches, by bus for Bondi and ferry for Manly. The ferry to Manly is still one of my favourites!
If you have any more questions, post here and I'll check back.
Katoomba is to Sydney sort of what the Napa Valley is to San Francisco...
Yes, you can easily take a train to Katoomba, but I would be very surprised if you could rent a car there, and even if you could, it would cost you more than renting one in Sydney.
As for the traffic, whoever told you that Sydney traffic is bad has never lived in the US, I would suspect.
They have put in a lot of new motorways in Sydney in the last few years, and the concept of "traffic" may have come from the fact that you used to have to drive through the city streets in order to get from one place to the other.
In the past 5 years, that is no longer true, and in fact, there is a relatively new 5 lane highway running most of the way from Sydney to Katoomba. I took it up there a couple years ago and it took only a couple hours to get there at most...an nothing akin to the traffic that you would experience anywhere in the US.
The only tricky part is driving on the left side of the road from the right side of the car, if you're not used to it...and lanes are generally narrower here so there's not as much margin for error as there is in most places in the US...so be very sure you're comfortable with the idea of driving, in essence, backwards from what you're used to.
Driving the bridge here in Sydney can be a bit odd at first too, as the different lanes drop you in different places at the other end of the bridge, so you can't afford to get in the wrong lane when you get onto the bridge!
Anyway, if I were you and you want a car the whole time, I'd just pick one up at the airport. Cars are usually cheaper if you book them through a wholesaler, such as Qantas Holidays, in advance.
Driving to Melbourne won't be a problem for you, as the roads are quite good and open. However, be aware that it is a VERY long drive from Sydney to Melbourne...about 8 to 12 hours depending on how you go and, unlike most of the US, there is not much of interest to see along the way.
You might want to consider taking a flight from Sydney to Melbourne and back...you can usually book these in conjunction with your overseas flight at a discounted rate and they can be very cheap.
Melbourne is a bit harder and more congested to drive in, and has tram lines all over the place which make it confusing, so I don't know if you'll want a car there when you get there.
Also, be aware that the Tasmanian ferries have just started service from Sydney. You can get details of their sailings at this website:
http://www.spiritoftasmania.com.au
I think my suggestion would be to either get or not get a car while in Sydney...you can pretty much take trains or ferries wherever you may need to go and it's a great way to travel around here!
Catch a flight to Melbourne to look around there, and then come back to Sydney and take the ferry to Tassie. Much less hassle and stress.
Be aware that if you take a car on the ferry to Tassie, it will cost you MORE. You can get a cabin on the ferry without a car probably for a pretty good price.
Well, those are my tips. Be sure to go to the Taronga Zoo while you're in Sydney...even if you don't like animals, the views from the giraffe and bird areas are fabulous!
Also, be sure to either do the bridge climb or go up in the south pylon of the bridge. Again, fantastic views. And stop by Mrs. Macquarie's chair in the botanic gardens for a lovely nature walk and again great views.
You can visit Bondi Beach or Manly, both very famous and interesting beaches, by bus for Bondi and ferry for Manly. The ferry to Manly is still one of my favourites!
If you have any more questions, post here and I'll check back.
Jan 10th, 2004, 04:28 AM
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Hi, Eagle!
It is certainly possible to train to Katoomba (two hours)and rent a car there; this has the advantage of getting you out of the city without hassle. But if your plan was to drop the car in Melbourne, you're stuck with the major companies who will allow this.... I have no experience of the companies in Katoomba or whether this facility is available. I think if I were you I would do a bit of ringing around in Sydney to find who will let you do this at reasonable rates, and then ask them if they have a branch in the Blue Mountains where you could pick the car up. There shouldn't, surely, be any extra charge for this -- not that I'd know, really.
I'm sure Sydney traffic isn't as bad as some places you've been to, but it's confusing and busy enough, thank you, especially heading west; and the main point here is that it is not at all a pleasant drive until you get WAY out of Sydney and can see the mountains ahead of you. The train doesn't take in much great scenery along this route either, but it's less unpleasant than traffic-filled freeways.
Benderbabe's suggestion of the Sydney-Tasmania ferry is a good one and might remove the necessity of your renting at all until you get to Tasmania. You can easily see the Blue Mountains without a car, and the trip from Sydney to Melbourne isn't all that wonderful -- you'd probably want to stick to the coast, and that, alas, is the long way. Inland has the advantage of allowing you to detour through Canberra, but, again, you can see this from Sydney by train.
It is certainly possible to train to Katoomba (two hours)and rent a car there; this has the advantage of getting you out of the city without hassle. But if your plan was to drop the car in Melbourne, you're stuck with the major companies who will allow this.... I have no experience of the companies in Katoomba or whether this facility is available. I think if I were you I would do a bit of ringing around in Sydney to find who will let you do this at reasonable rates, and then ask them if they have a branch in the Blue Mountains where you could pick the car up. There shouldn't, surely, be any extra charge for this -- not that I'd know, really.
I'm sure Sydney traffic isn't as bad as some places you've been to, but it's confusing and busy enough, thank you, especially heading west; and the main point here is that it is not at all a pleasant drive until you get WAY out of Sydney and can see the mountains ahead of you. The train doesn't take in much great scenery along this route either, but it's less unpleasant than traffic-filled freeways.
Benderbabe's suggestion of the Sydney-Tasmania ferry is a good one and might remove the necessity of your renting at all until you get to Tasmania. You can easily see the Blue Mountains without a car, and the trip from Sydney to Melbourne isn't all that wonderful -- you'd probably want to stick to the coast, and that, alas, is the long way. Inland has the advantage of allowing you to detour through Canberra, but, again, you can see this from Sydney by train.
Jan 11th, 2004, 09:37 PM
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Hi, Thanks for your help. It gives me much to think about. Will check out the site for a ferry from Syd to Tassie. We will return to Sydney from Tassie and catch a flight to Cairns and GBR for 10 days or so. Thought we would rent a car in Cairns. Would love to go to Lizard Island but It's rather expensive. Have been thinking about taking a day trip there. Any suggestions? As you can guess we are planning our own trip. Will be in Australia for a month.(Feb)
Jan 12th, 2004, 05:44 PM
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There are SO many great spots all over Queensland! I just LOVE it up there!
If you will have a car, and want something more quiet and quaint in the Cairns area, might I suggest the "Sebel Reef House" in Palm Cove. We stayed there about 6 months ago...we usually stay in "luxury" accom, this was considered "boutique" meaning "cheaper than luxury"...but every bit as nice. Here's a link:
http://www.reefhouse.com.au/index.html
As for islands up there, yes, they ARE expensive. Heron Island is supposed to be nice, especially for snorkelling...not luxurious, but beachy. Here's a link:
http://www.reefhouse.com.au/index.html
I would be sure to take one of the catamarans to the "outer barrier reef"...there are a bunch of boats that go out to the reef for the day, docking at pontoons. You snorkel, dive, have a luxurious lunch of shrimp (prawn)..it's fantastic and worth the money. Quicksilver operates a good one.
Hope that helps.
If you will have a car, and want something more quiet and quaint in the Cairns area, might I suggest the "Sebel Reef House" in Palm Cove. We stayed there about 6 months ago...we usually stay in "luxury" accom, this was considered "boutique" meaning "cheaper than luxury"...but every bit as nice. Here's a link:
http://www.reefhouse.com.au/index.html
As for islands up there, yes, they ARE expensive. Heron Island is supposed to be nice, especially for snorkelling...not luxurious, but beachy. Here's a link:
http://www.reefhouse.com.au/index.html
I would be sure to take one of the catamarans to the "outer barrier reef"...there are a bunch of boats that go out to the reef for the day, docking at pontoons. You snorkel, dive, have a luxurious lunch of shrimp (prawn)..it's fantastic and worth the money. Quicksilver operates a good one.
Hope that helps.
Jan 12th, 2004, 05:45 PM
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Oops...had my reefhouse link still on the clipboard...here's that link to Heron Island:
http://www.heronisland.com/accom.htm
http://www.heronisland.com/accom.htm
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