I can not believe that I have been living in Sydney, Australia for a month already! Time really does fly when you are having fun. Before coming to Sydney, I knew that I wanted to see everything I possibly could in the short amount of time here. In order to check things off of my bucket list, travel was a really big concern for me. I had no idea how I would get around to see the things I wanted to without spending an absurd amount of money on Uber or Taxi. Like the normal lazy college student, I did not do any research on Sydney’s transportation methods before arriving but CAPA made it easy to understand when I got here. Upon arrival, CAPA gave all students an Opal card, which has been an absolute lifesaver. The Opal card allows you to get basically anywhere within a 2 hour radius of Sydney using any transportation system the city has to offer. The variety of transportation systems in Sydney makes it so convenient to travel here and there whenever you desire.
Like most large cities, one form of transportation that Sydney offers is city buses. The bus system is easily the most convenient method of transportation because there are bus stops EVERYWHERE. In addition to running 24/7, one great thing about the bus system is that if you miss the bus, another one on the exact same route will be there in about 5 minutes. The bus system will take your pretty much anywhere you need to go, whether just a short distance or a few hour ride.
In my opinion, the most interesting form of transportation that Sydney offers is the Ferry. With our Opal Card, we can access any of the ferries that travel around the harbor. The Ferry passes right through the Harbor, offering stunning views of the city, The Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbor Bridge. There are ferry stations all along the harbor that take you to a variety of places. My favorite Ferry ride is just a short hour ride to Manly beach. Sitting outside on the deck watching the view makes the ride go by in the blink of an eye.
In addition to these two methods of transportation, Sydney also offers a light rail and a train. The light rail is easily the cleanest form of public transportation I’ve ever been on. This system is for inner city transportation. It cuts right through the middle if the city and takes you to the various neighborhoods of Sydney. You can take it from one end of the city to the other and easily get on and off anywhere in between. The train is the underground transportation system that makes traveling further out of the city fast and convenient. This is the easiest system to use when you want to get further out of the city quickly because you don’t run into any traffic. This is also the most often used form of transportation getting to and from the airport from downtown.
Although Sydney offers a variety of transportation systems to get you from one place to another, my favorite way to get around is walking. Walking through Sydney does not make it feel like exercise. The buildings, the parks, and the Harbor take your breath away every time you look around. From our apartment location, we can get to the harbor in just 5 short minutes and right to downtown Sydney in 20 minutes. Before coming, I had no idea how easy it would be to travel around. The public transportation system in Sydney is convenient, clean, and cheap. I can get anywhere I need to go and save money by using the transportation systems Sydney offers. Going home to Pittsburgh will be an adjustment that I am not looking forward to.