By plane

Canberra International Airport is well served by flights from other Australian capital cities.

The highest capacity is the route to Melbourne, but smaller planes fly almost hourly to Sydney during the day. This reflects the fact that a flight to Canberra saves only an hour or so end-to-end on driving from Sydney and for those who are not coming from an area close to Sydney Airport, air travel offers only a marginal time saving.

By train

NSW Countrylink runs services from Sydney to Canberra twice a day. The trip takes just over 4 hours, which is slower than a bus or driving, but the train takes a very scenic route through the Southern Highlands and the Molongolo Gorge, compared to an unexciting freeway journey by road. The train arrives in Kingston on the south side of Canberra, a 40 minute walk from the closest of the attractions on the south side of Lake Burley Griffin. To get to Civic (the Canberra CBD) on the northern side of the lake, however, will require further transport, ACTION buses service the station to Civic every hour or so for. Taxis meet each train arrival. On some days it is possible to do a day trip by train from Sydney and get 5-6 hours to spend in Canberra.

By bus

ll coaches to Canberra terminate at the Jolimont Centre, in the city centre and immediately across the road from the Canberra local bus interchange.

Murrays, Murrays operate up to 10 daily express services between Sydney (Central Station) and Canberra with extra services on peak days. They are the main operator on this route. Service takes just over 3 h. They always have fares available on the web, for the early or late services and for some others. Popular services or last-minute booking is around. The service is non-stop (with some services via Sydney International Airport). Murrays also run a daily service from Canberra to Wollongong and Canberra to Narooma. The coaches are more cramped than the trains. Seats are unassigned, so it helps to be there early and not to have luggage to go under the bus, as that lets you get on first and secure your window seat. Buses often fill to capacity, and can experience delays due to peak traffic into and out of Sydney, although the non-stop nature means that they have been known to run 10-15 minutes early on a good run.

By car

The drive from Sydney to Canberra is 290 km and takes around three and a half hours from the Sydney CBD, less from outer suburbs in Sydney. The road is dual-carriageway, mostly freeway-like conditions from the Harbour Bridge all the way to Canberra, mostly with a 110km/h speed limit, via the M5 Motorway, Hume and Federal Highways. There are three sets of on-road services located on the Hume Highway between Sydney and the turn-off to the Federal Highway to Canberra, as well as many well-maintained and often scenic rest stops with toilets and picnic tables ideal for a picnic. Take drinks, as the rest areas have no water, or tank water which is not recommended for drinking. A third option which will enable you to see more of the countryside is to stop at one of the small towns in the Southern Highlands on the way which will have a cafe or two.

Australian War Memorial, Canberra Museum and Gallery, National Film & Sound Archive, National Museum of Australia, Australian National Botanic Gardens

Australian War Memorial

Daily 10AM-5PM. Not just a memorial, this is one of Australia's premier museums, covering Australian military history from Federation to the present day and including fascinating exhibits of equipment, memorabilia and battle dioramas. You could easily spend a full day here (it has a café, or bring a picnic lunch if the weather is nice and sit on the lawns at the front). Anzac Parade, leading up to the War Memorial has a number of memorials to different wars and those involved in wars. Free entry, allow 4-7 hours.

Canberra Museum and Gallery

Cnr London Circuit & Civic Square, Civic, Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM; Sat-Sun 12PM-5PM. A museum and art gallery featuring works and exhibits of the local region. Also features the Sydney Nolan Collection - the works of Sir Sydney Nolan, a famous Australian artist.

National Film & Sound Archive

McCoy Circuit, Acton, A unique collection of Australian sound and film recordings of which a small selection showing iconic moments in Australia's cultural history is explored in this museum.

National Museum of Australia

Lawson Crescent, This controversial museum has lots of interactive exhibits and groups items by concept rather than era. Free admission except for special exhibits. Allow 2-7 hours.

Australian National Botanic Gardens

Located at the base of Black Mountain in Acton, the ANBG has the largest collection of Australian native flora in the country. It also has some interesting water dragons that live in the water features around the gardens. A delightful place for a picnic, try to grab some food from the city centre first to take with you for lunch. If you are there during summer, call and ask about the jazz evenings. These are held on the weekend and many families attend with evening picnic and champagne in tow, to chill out to the sounds of jazz in the balmy evening temperatures.

January - March
October - December

Information not available

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