xxx

I did a text search for Canberra and did not find the answer I needed. Please excuse me if this question has been asked and answered before.<BR><BR>I want to take a bus or train to Canberra from Sydney, stay 1 or 2 nights, then return. I know I can pick up a day tour in Sydney, but most posters on this formum say they wish they had planned at least one or two nights in Canberra,instead of a day trip.<BR><BR>If I do this on my own, is it easy to pick up a Canberra city tour from the bus or train terminal when I arrive in Canberra? Does the Canberra Explorer Bus still leave from the Visitor's Centre? (my guide book is 4 years old). If so, is the Visitor's Centre close to the train or bus terminal? <BR><BR>This is my third trip to Sydney and I want to make sure I get to Canberra this time. Thanking you in advance.

melanie

Are you aware of the severe fire conditions in Canberra? When is your trip?

xxx

Yes, I had heard of them, but I didn't realize the fires were so extensive. (I just did a google search). Thank you for calling this to my attention and my apologies for asking a question about touring during this tragic time. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Alan

Hi, xxx!<BR>Yes, the fires are tragic, and particularly unusual this season because Canberra is not usually a &quot;victim&quot;, but you shouldn't feel bad about asking tour questions... life goes on, and in a few weeks the tours will be back on as if nothing had happened. Aussies live with bush fires every summer... last year it was the Blue Mountains, but a month later the tour buses were back, and, frankly, the Mountains merchants were very happy indeed to see them. So come to Canberra when the present crisis has passed... you'll be glad you did, and they will welcome you! May I say, however, that I was VERY appreciative of your thoughtful reply (above), as, I am sure, were other posters.<BR>The quickest way to get to Canberra is by train, and you can check the timetable at www.countrylink.nsw.gov.au/<BR>The visitor's centre (the one I know of, at the entrance to the city, anyway) is not close to Canberra Station, but there will surely be taxis or shuttle buses meeting the trains, as they are relatively few per day. It is really very easy to drive from Sydney to Canberra... if you took an ordinary commuter train to Liverpool and then hired a car (you're already away from the traffic, and it's highway all the way) you would get there in under three hours of driving. Canberra, modelled on Washington, is set out very logically, and is well-signposted. The attractions are all within easy driving distance of each other, and there is parking available right there at just about all of them. That said, I must say that the geometric layout of the town is one that I, personally, find very confusing -- maybe it's just me -- and even though I have driven there countless times, I never fail to get completely lost and drive hopelessly around in circles looking for the right sign. The good news on that one is that you just can't get lost for long, as all roads seem to lead back into the centre of the city! If you're brave anough to try it this way, you would probably enjoy yourself more than on one of the tours, which tend to shunt you in and out of places like Parliament House before you've had a chance to get more than a cursory look at the place. <BR>I think two nights is just about right. You might even get a chance to get out to Cockington Green, a fifteen-minute drive from the city, which is unexpectedly delightful. The tourist information centre is more than helpful with maps, etc.<BR>You wouldn't think so to look at it right now, but Canberra can be quite bitterly cold in the winter. What time of year were you planning to come?

Prue

Just a note that now we have the relatively new motorway out of the city past the airport it is a very easy drive to Canberra even from the city - no traffic lights and much quicker than the past.

xxx

Thank you both for your information and suggestions. I'm coming to Australia mid-February. My plan is to use public transportation--a little reluctant to rent a car. Hopefully a car is not essential.<BR><BR>I want to catch a bus or taxi from the railway station to the Civic area. The three hotels I am considering are all in Civic, 2 on Northbourne and 1 on Akuna. The first day I want to catch an Explorer hop-on-hop-off bus from either the Tourist Centre or the Visitor's Centre, whichever is closer to my hotel (both centres are on Northbourne). My guidebook says it makes 18 stops during its circuit and that 2-,4-,and 6-hour passes are available as well as 1-,2-, and 3-day passes. As I said earlier, my guidebook is a little old, so some of this info may not be correct. The second day I want to go to the sites I didn't get to the first day, and do a little shopping at the Canberra Centre and Gorman House Markets. It looks like both of these markets are in the same general area as my hotel, but it's a little hard to tell because the map I have isn't very good. I plan to leave Canberra and head back to Sydney late morning or early afternoon on the third day, depending on the bus or train schedule (i.e., 2 nights in Canberra). <BR><BR>I realize mid-February is only a couple of weeks away, so if you think it would be inadvisable to visit Canberra at this time, please let me know. (And Alan, thank you for your kind words)

jt

Strongly suggest u reconsider daytrip which, if done correctly, gives you a great majority of the highlights with only a fraction of the expense, complications, and wasted time of most overnighter approaches.<BR><BR>Daytrip lets u leave early and return late, not wasting unusable fractions of days in Syd. Saves u packing/unpacking checkin/checkout. Lets u travel door to door between Syd hotel and Canb museums instead of all kinds of inconvenient and expensive connections. Gives you relief from getting around bewildering Canb road layout.<BR><BR>Make efficient use of daytrip, and double your coverage. Eat before joining bus, so when they stop for brunch half way to Canb u can stroll the quaint historic village instead. At all museums, plan ahead using web sites, etc. Run thru the whole thing for a quick overview, then work back hitting the true highlights (instead of the first semi-interesting thing). Especially for the war museum; get to the sub-sub-sub basement pronto! Only dally with the tourguide in Parliament.

Alan

Hi, again, xxx!<BR>Forget my words about Canberra being bitterly cold if you are coming in mid-February.... it's still very hot then. Don't forget the Areogard!<BR> Not knowing what the next few weeks will bring in the way of NEW bushfire crises, it's a bit hard to say whether you are choosing the right time or not... if the crisis of a few days ago does not recur, I would imagine that it will be business as usual, and the casual tourist will probably not see much evidence of the recent tragic events. Remember how New York, six weeks after the September 11 attack, was actively courting the tourist trade again? The same will probably apply here.<BR>I can't agree with the one-day trip suggested above, though I can see the sense in it regarding check-in/check out, etc. But it's a bit like seeing Washington in a day... AND travelling in from Philadelphia to do it! The Australian War memorial, frankly, is worth half a day on its own. And the new National Museum is worth the rest of the day. Then there's the Australian Film and Sound Archives (which houses, among other things, Australia's first oscar, one of the three or four most valuable in the world, for reasons you will find out when you get there. They show almost-continuous screenings of historic movies, and it's woerth a couple of hours there. Then there's Parliament House, the Science Museum, the Art Gallery, the American War Memorial.... in a day? I can't see it, sorry. <BR>The main tourist office is on Northbourne Avenue.... I don't think you will find much difference in the Canberra of today and your several-years-old map, so use it with confidence. I don't know anything about the hotel options you mentioned... I always stay at the Hotel Queanbeyan, which is about ten minutes' drive out of town, back in NSW; while I would recommmend it to anyone with a car, it would surely be quite unsuitable for you. I'm sure other posters who know the area better than I will chime in with suggestions.<BR>Have a great trip!

jt

I thought Alan earlier conceded that Canb wasn't a big draw relative to Syd. I was coming from that angle; unless the questioner has experienced Syd for weeks, it's not likely worth tearing yourself away overnight for the mixed bag of Canb. <BR><BR>If you were taking that time out of a visit to Melbourne, or even Rome, London, Paris, Kathmandu... I would say fine - sacrifice a whole bunch of days for Canb. But Syd is so exceptional and endlessly facinating that Canb is just a minor diversion, with better museums but not much else.<BR><BR>Some of Canb museums are great, but u don't need to see all of them, some of which not up hi standards. And altho it's a novelty to find wild kangaroo right up to the edge of town, didn't that indulgence in an unbroken &quot;green belt&quot; lead to the current disaster?<BR><BR>Bugs me all the more, since valuable equipment was lost in the fire that will set back world astronomy for years. Canb was finishing critical sensors for export that was lost due to that city's goofy layout, it appears.

xxx

Thanks to all of you for your responses. I especially appreciate the differing viewpoints of Alan and jt. It is valuable to have two different perspectives and you both raise good points. <BR><BR>Jt, upon reflection, it does seem like a lot of schlepping around just for one extra night. I think I'll wait until I get to Sydney and simply play it by ear. If I'm feeling energetic, I'll check out of my hotel and take the train to Canberra. If I don't feel like the hassle, I'll simply take a bus tour from the hotel. Either way, I'm greatly looking forward to both Sydney and Canberra. Thank you once again.