This is a huge country, and whether you are renting a car or camper van or getting around on public transport, there will be a lot of time where you have very little to do but to look at the surrounding wilderness and keep going to your destination.

The benefit of being able to use public transport is that at least you don't have to focus on driving, and you can relax and listen to music or read a book as you tick off the miles.

Although it is a vast territory, Australian public transport is generally quite good, and you will usually be able to continue your journey without needing a vehicle, unless you are trying to get to somewhere extremely remote.

 

The Bus And Coach Network In Australia

When it comes to traveling in Australia, one of the best option is to make use of the good range of local, regional and interstate buses that ply the roads of the country. Greyhound Australia is really the only company that offers a national network of bus services, and generally provides the majority of the long distance routes, although certain other interstate routes are served by companies such as Firefly and Murrays.

Local buses are usually found connecting most towns and cities with the next stop along the major roads, and one good resource is the Buslines website which lists all of the bus services and timetables in the country.

 

Australian Railways

The railway network in Australia is largely based along freight routes that also have an interest for passengers, and similarly to Amtrak in the United States, many passenger services will play second fiddle to the freight trains on the lines.

However, there are some fascinating journeys that you can take, including a north to south journey between Darwin and Adelaide, and an east to west journey from Perth to Sydney. Most of the railway services that you will find in Australia are pretty slow, but the plus side is that they are usually pretty comfortable and give you a chance to see the beautiful country passing by your window.

 

Flying In Australia

Because of the sheer size of the country and the large empty spaces between many towns and cities, air transport in Australia is quite common, with regular services connecting all of the main cities. You will also find a range of smaller airlines that serve different regions, and even pilots that will fly smaller planes to a particular destination for you, which is often quite competitive in terms of price if you can find a few others to join you on the journey.

 

Using Ferries In Australia

There are relatively few ferry services in Australia, mainly because the main island is quite round and taking the direct route by road, rail or air is usually quicker. However, there are regular services on the Spirit of Tasmania which is a car ferry connecting Melbourne on the mainland with Devonport in Tasmania. Another smaller island with a ferry is Kangaroo Island, which also has a car ferry service.

 

City Metro Services

Every major city in the country has its own suburban transport network, and combining buses and often local railway and tram networks, it is usually fairly straightforward to get around each city.

While smaller towns will generally only have these services in the day, many of these cities also operating a limited night service, which gives you more freedom to explore and still be able to get back to your hostel without having to pay for a taxi. Sydney, Brisbane and Perth also have local ferry services included as a part of their local transport network.