General Information » Getting Around » Car

Central Sydney is not terribly car friendly. The road system is complicated, tolls and parking charges are heavy and public transport will generally get you there quicker. A car only becomes necessary if you’re outside the city where public transport is more sporadic.

You are allowed to drive on a current overseas licence for up to three months after arriving in Australia. Then you need a New South Wales driving licence, which normally involves sitting a test. Australians drive on the left hand side of the road. You must have your driving licence with you at all times when driving. If your overseas licence is not in English you need to carry an official translation.

The general speed limit in towns is 60kph but many suburban roads have a 50kph limit. The maximum speed on highways in New South Wales is 100kph and on motorways and freeways it is 110kph. Heavy penalties apply for speeding. The speed limit in school zones is 40kph between 08:00 – 09:30 and 14:30 – 16:00 on school days. Red or orange school zone signs mean that a particular school operates outside these hours.

When covering long distances, be aware of driver fatigue. Police conduct regular random breath checks and if you are driving it is better not to drink at all, though the legal alcohol limit for fully licensed drivers is 0.05g/100ml. Everyone must wear seatbelts and children need child restraints or baby capsules. For further information, contact the Roads and Traffic Authority, NSW on 13 2213.



XXX L 4 XXX Car Hire

Prices are variable but range roughly from $47 per day for a compact manual with air conditioning to $70 per day for a big automatic with air conditioning. This is based on an average for a one day booking using well-known rental firms in December 2006. The rates include GST, vehicle registration fees, basic insurance, unlimited kilometres, recovery fees and allowed extra authorised drivers but did not allow for the age surcharge for drivers under 25. Visit www.carhire.com.au to compare rates.



XXX L 4 XXX Toll Roads

The following roads carry a toll: M1 Eastern Distributor ($4.50 northbound only), M2 Hills Motorway ($4.40 North Ryde each way, $2.20 Pennant Hills each way), M4 ($2.20 each way), M5 ($3.80 each way), Westlink M7 (30.81 cents per kilometre up to $6.16), Cross City Tunnel ($3.50 each way), the Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel (both $3 southbound only) and Lane Cove Tunnel (due to open April 2007). The Cross City Tunnel, Westlink M7 and the Lane Cove Tunnel tolls cannot be paid in cash. e-tags are available that work on all the roads. Infrequent users without a tag can arrange a temporary pass.