Emergency

In the event of an emergency, call 000 to contact the police, ambulance and fire service. For a searchable list of all police stations in NSW, go to www.police.nsw.gov.au.

Internet Access

The vast majority of hotels and hostels offer their guests internet access, although you'll still have to pay for it in many hostels and top hotels. Libraries are a good bet for free wi-fi and bookable terminals.

Medical Services

Money

There are plenty of ATMs throughout Sydney. Foreign-exchange offices are found in Kings Cross and around Chinatown, Circular Quay and Central Station.

Tourist Information

Sydney Visitor Centres Have a wide range of brochures, and staff can book accommodation, tours and attractions. Branches in The Rocks ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02-8273 0000; www.bestof.com.au; cnr Argyle & Playfair Sts; dCircular Quay) and Darling Harbour ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02-8273 0000; www.bestof.com.au; Palm Grove, behind IMAX; h9.30am-5.30pm; dTown Hall).

City Host Information Kiosks Branches in Circular Quay ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au; cnr Pitt & Alfred Sts; h9am-5pm; dCircular Quay), Haymarket ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au; Dixon St; h11am-7pm; dTown Hall), Kings Cross ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au; cnr Darlinghurst Rd & Springfield Ave; h9am-5pm; dKings Cross) and Town Hall ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au; George St; h9am-5pm; dTown Hall).

Air

Also known as Kingsford Smith Airport, Sydney Airport has separate international (T1) and domestic (T2 and T3) sections, 4km apart on either side of the runway. Each has left-luggage services, ATMs, currency exchange bureaux and rental-car counters.

Airlines flying to other Australian destinations include:

AJetstar (www.jetstar.com.au) Flies to Ballina Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Hamilton Island, Townsville, Cairns, Melbourne, Hobart, Launceston, Adelaide, Uluru, Darwin and Perth.

AQantas (www.qantas.com.au) Flies to Canberra, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Dubbo, Tamworth, Moree, Port Macquarie, Armidale, Coffs Harbour, Lord Howe Island, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Toowoomba, Fraser Coast, Hamilton Island, Cairns, Darwin, Alice Springs, Broome, Karratha, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne and Hobart.

ARegional Express (www.rex.com.au) Flies to Newcastle, Taree, Ballina Byron Bay, Grafton, Lismore, Armidale, Dubbo, Parkes, Orange, Bathurst, Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Merimbula, Broken Hill and Mildura.

ATigerair (www.tigerair.com/au/en) Flies to Coffs Harbour, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Mackay, Whitsunday Coast, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne.

AVirgin Australia (www.virginaustralia.com) Flies to Canberra, Albury, Port Macquarie, Coffs Harbour, Ballina Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Hervey Bay, Mackay, Hamilton Island, Townsville, Cairns, Darwin, Uluru, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Launceston and Hobart.

Bus

Long-distance bus services arrive at Sydney Coach Terminal ( GOOGLE MAP ; %02-9281 9366; www.sydneycoachterminal.com.au; Eddy Ave; h6am-6pm; dCentral), underneath Central Station. The major operators are:

Train

NSW TrainLink (13 22 32; www.nswtrainlink.info) connects Sydney's Central station with destinations including Melbourne (from $70, 11 hours), Broken Hill (from $70, 13½ hours), Canberra (from $40, 4¼ hours), Coffs Harbour (from $67, nine hours) and Brisbane (from $70, 14¼ hours).

Sydney's local train network, run by Sydney Trains (13 15 00; www.sydneytrains.info) includes regular direct services to NSW destinations such as Kiama (2¼ hours), Wollongong (1½ hours), Katoomba (two hours), Gosford (1½ hours) and Newcastle's Hamilton station (1½ hours). For all of these services, peak/off-peak fares are $8.30/5.81.

The famous Indian Pacific (1800 703 357; www.greatsouthernrail.com.au) heads clear across the continent from Sydney to Perth.

To/From the Airport

Bus Services from the airport are limited but there is a direct bus to Bondi Junction (routes 400 & 410, $4.50, 1¼ hours) which departs roughly every 20 minutes.

Shuttle Airport shuttles head to hotels and hostels in the city centre, and some reach surrounding suburbs and beach destinations. Operators include Sydney Airporter (02-9666 9988; www.kst.com.au), Super Shuttle (1300 018 460; www.signaturelimousinessydney.com.au), Airport Shuttle North (1300 505 100; www.airportshuttlenorth.com) and Manly Express (02-8068 8473; www.manlyexpress.com.au).

Taxi Fares from the airport are approximately $45 to $55 to the city centre, $55 to $65 to North Sydney and $90 to $100 to Manly.

Train Trains from both the domestic and international terminals, connecting into the main train network, are run by Airport Link (www.airportlink.com.au; adult/child $18/14; h4.30am-12.30am). They’re frequent (every 10 minutes), quick (13 minutes to Central) and easy to use, but airport tickets are charged at a hefty premium. If there are a few of you it’s cheaper to catch a cab. Another alternative is to catch the bus to Rockdale station (routes 400 & 410, $3.50, 12 minutes) and then catch the regular train to Central ($3, 15 minutes).

Car & Motorcycle

Avoid driving in central Sydney if you can: there’s a confusing one-way street system, parking’s elusive and expensive (even at hotels), and parking inspectors, tolls and tow-away zones proliferate. Conversely, a car is handy for accessing Sydney’s outer reaches (particularly the beaches) and for day trips.

All of the major international car rental companies have offices at Sydney Airport and other locations. The main city hub for rental cars is William St, Darlinghurst. Reliable local operators include Bayswater Car Rental (02-9360 3622; www.bayswatercarrental.com.au), cut-price Ace Rentals (02-8338 1055; www.acerentalcars.com.au) and, for campervans, Jucy Rentals (1800 150 850; www.jucy.com.au).

There are hefty tolls on most of Sydney’s motorways and major links (including the Harbour Bridge, Harbour Tunnel, Cross City Tunnel and Eastern Distributor). The tolling system is electronic, meaning that it’s up to you to organise an electronic tag or visitors’ pass through any of the following websites: www.roam.com.au, www.roamexpress.com.au or www.myetoll.com.au. Note that some car-hire companies now supply etags.

The Sydney Travellers Car Market is based in the Kings Cross Car Park off Ward Ave. This provides useful information about the paperwork needed to buy, sell and register vehicles. Sellers can leave their vehicles in the market for one week for free (after which it's $60 per week). Vehicles are only permitted to be left overnight between Monday and Thursday at no cost; usual car-park charges apply from Friday to Sunday. Note that you're not permitted to sleep in the vehicle while it is in the car park. It is also illegal to sell vehicles on the street anywhere in central Sydney.

Public Transport

ATransport NSW (13 15 00; www.transportnsw.info) is the body that coordinates all of the state-run bus, ferry, train and light rail services. You’ll find a useful journey planner on their website.

Sydneysiders love to complain about their public transport system, but visitors should find it surprisingly easy to navigate. The train system is the linchpin, with lines radiating out from Central station. Ferries head all around the harbour and up the river to Parramatta; light rail is useful for Pyrmont and Glebe; and buses are particularly useful for getting to the beaches.

Taxi

Metered taxis are easy to flag down in the central city and inner suburbs, except for at changeover times (3pm and 3am).

Fares are regulated, so all companies charge the same. Flagfall is $3.50, with a $2.50 ‘night owl surcharge’ after 10pm on a Friday and Saturday until 6am the following morning. The fare thereafter is $2.14 per kilometre, with an additional surcharge of 20% between 10pm and 6am nightly. There’s also a $2.40 fee for bookings.

The UberX ride-sharing app operates in Sydney but the state government maintains that it is illegal for drivers to offer the service.

Major taxi companies include:

Water Taxi

Water taxis are a fast way to shunt around the harbour (Circular Quay to Watsons Bay in as little as 15 minutes). Companies will quote on any pick-up point within the harbour and the river, including private jetties, islands and other boats.