Will I Need a Car in Sydney?
 

I'll be teaching in Ettalong (about an hour north of Sydney) at the Australian Songwriters Conference (June 6 - 9) and will have three days in Sydney before -- and three days after.

With only three days off (at a time) I don't want the hassle of flying somewhere else -- plus I hope to return to Australia next year, so I don't feel the need to see everything on this trip.

Will I need a car in Sydney? I'm guessing there will be sights I'd want to see that are not right in the heart of the city. I'll want a taste of the city, but will also want to enjoy walking and seeing some beautiful scenery, strolling along beaches, etc ...

Will I be unable to see surrounding areas and be frustrated without a car?

PS. My transportation to and from Ettalong will be taken care of.

You don't need a car. If beaches and hiking you can take a bus to Bondi and do the coast walk all the way to Coogee.

If you want to go somewhere less urban, take the train to Cronulla and then the ferry to Bundeena. There are beautiful walks out to Jibbon Beach in the Royal National Park. Going north, you can take a bus to Palm Beach and ferry across to The Basin or Great Mackeral Beach where there are also excellent walks in the Kuringai National Park.

Alternatively, trains serve the Blue Mountains regularly. IMHO a car would be a hindrance.

All of the above can be googled.

No!

A car in Sydney can be just a nuisance. Parking is awful, and traffic can be pretty crook.

Although we grizzle about it, public transport in Sydney is pretty good, especially compared with most places in US.

You can get to most places withput difficulty.

Thanks for the input. I live in Nashville and formerly lived in Los Angeles. It would be virtually IMPOSSIBLE to get around without a car. The only option would be taxis -- and that would be extremely expensive.

Good to know I won't have to drive to see the sights. Thanks.

I also forgot to mention the harbour. Especially on the north shore, there are great walks and beautiful little beaches. The Spit to Manly is one walk.

And there are some lovely harbour walks you can combine with ferry rides, eg Cremorne Point to Mosman Bay. Bradley's Head is accessible from Taronga Zoo Wharf, and so on.

The Northern Beaches can be reached by long slow bus trips from the city.

I haven't done this yet mind you, but I was considering the same dillema myself recently and discovered that I can get to the Blue Mountains from Sydney for a little over AUD$20 on the train.

I was already aware that the inner city itself is quite accessible through it's various (and varied) public transport systems (trains; buses; monorail; ferries) but the fact that I can also get to the blue mountains without excessive cost or hassle made my decision to not bother with a car.

I would like to see the Blue Mtns ... but my concern is, without a car, what could I see after I got off the train?

I know I could get to the area by train -- but then, will I have access to the sights I'd want to see?

Oh you'll see lots. They have a sky rail (like the one that runs through the rain forrest in cairns).

http://www.scenicworld.com.au/attractions_skyway.asp

There is, I think, a hop on and off bus, from Katoomba station.