Sydney's mass transit system, incorporating bus, ferry and various rail services, is well developed, efficient and cheap. The Transport Infoline (tel: 131 500, in Australia only; website: www.131500.com.au) provides route, timetable and fare information for all buses, ferries and trains.

State Transit (tel: 131 500, in Australia only; website: www.sydneybuses.nsw.gov.au) operates Sydney's buses. Buses run daily 0600-2400 and night buses operate on selected routes thereafter. You can buy tickets from the driver for the most part although on a number of buses you need to buy tickets in advance.

Sydney Ferries (tel: 131 500, in Australia only; website: www.sydneyferries.nsw.gov.au) runs the commuter ferry network that criss-crosses Sydney Harbour. Ferries ply between Circular Quay and approximately 30 destinations, daily 0600-2400. Tickets are available at ticket offices and machines located at the ferry stops or, if there is no office or machine, on board.

CityRail (tel: 131 500, in Australia only; website: www.cityrail.info) operates the network of trains designed primarily for rapid transit between the suburbs and the city. The stops are not necessarily very convenient for tourists, who tend to remain within the city centre. Trains generally operate daily 0430-0100 with varying times on the different routes and a limited service or no service on some routes on the weekend. Tickets are available from the railway stations.

Connex Sydney (tel: (02) 9285 5600; website: www.metrolightrail.com.au) operates the monorail and light rail services. The monorail shuttles between the city centre, Darling Harbour and the Chinatown areas Monday to Thursday 0700-2200, Friday and Saturday 0700-2400 and Sunday 0800-2200. The light rail service operates 24 hours between Central Station and Star City, and Sunday to Thursday 0600-2300 and Friday and Saturday 0600-2400 between Central Station and Lilyfield. Tickets are available on the trains.

Numerous money-saving passes are available, including the SydneyPass (website: www.sydneypass.info), - a three-, five- or seven-day pass. This pass allows unlimited travel on public buses, harbour ferries, the Sydney Explorer bus and the Bondi Explorer bus as well as three sightseeing cruises operated by the State Transit authority and train travel within the red (city and inner suburban) travel pass zone. It also includes a return trip on the AirportLink train. Passes are available from TransitShops at Circular Quay, Wynyard Station and at the York Street entrance to the Queen Victoria Building (QVB). You can also buy the pass at the Sydney Ferries ticket offices at Circular Quay and Manly, onboard Sydney Explorer and Bondi Explorer buses, and at the Sydney Visitor Centre, 106 George Street, The Rocks.

The colour-coded TravelPass, valid for one week or more, allows unlimited travel on public transport within a designated area.

A DayTripper pass is valid for travel on all regular buses, ferries and metropolitan area trains. A TravelTen bus pass is valid for 10 bus journeys. A FerryTen ticket is valid for 10 ferry trips.

There are also travel passes for the Sydney Metro. The Monorail Supervoucher Day Pass gives a full day of unlimited use and there is also the Metro Light Rail Day Pass and the Weekly Unlimited Trips Pass. A METROConnect pass and allows for unlimited travel on both the light rail and monorail for one week.

All passes are available for purchase from the railway and bus stations, as well as from newspaper stands on bus routes.

Taxi ranks can be found outside most bus and railway stations, as well as the larger hotels. Taxis run on meters, with a 20% surcharge added from 2200-0600. Fares are also subject to surcharges for telephone bookings, crossing the Harbour Bridge and using certain parts of the Eastern Distributor, where toll systems operate. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip, although fares are generally rounded up to the nearest dollar. Operators include Taxis Combined Services (tel: 133 300, in Australia only or (02) 8332 8888; website: www.taxiscombined.com.au) and Premier Cabs (tel: 131 017, in Australia only; website: www.premiercabs.com.au).

The construction of a new road network for the 2000 Olympic Games left many Sydney routes vastly improved. The Eastern Distributor tunnel, for instance, has made driving to the airport a breeze. The Cross-City Tunnel has helped reduce city congestion by enabling travel from Kings Cross to Darling Harbour, under the CBD. That said, Sydney drivers are renowned for their speed and intolerance and parking is invariably difficult and/or expensive.

Parking restrictions are clearly signposted and usually specify an hour or two of metered parking during business hours. There are ‘clearway' zones that apply at certain times of day and vehicles parked in these areas during the times indicated will be towed and impounded. Parking in the city centre is difficult and visitors are often forced to use one of the (expensive) car parks - it's better to take public transport where possible. If parking on the street remember that drivers must park in the direction of traffic.

Many of Sydney's motorways are tolled and most of them are fully electronic; you will have to arrange a pass before or shortly after your trip - see www.rta.nsw.gov.au for details. There's a southbound toll on the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Tunnel, a northbound toll on the Eastern Distributor and tolls in both directions in the Cross City Tunnel. The city's main motorways (M1, M2, M4, M5 and M7) are also tolled.

A national driving licence printed in English is required for driving in Sydney, although some hire firms prefer an International Driving Permit. The minimum age for hiring a car is often 25 years. Minimum third-party insurance is required.

Major operators include Avis (tel: (02) 9353 9033 or 136 333, in Australia only; website: www.avis.com.au), Budget (tel: 1300 362 848 or 132 727, in Australia only; website: www.budget.com.au), Hertz (tel: 1800 550 067 or 133 039, in Australia only; website: www.hertz.com.au) and Thrifty (tel: 1300 367 277; website: www.thrifty.com.au).

Sydney's many steep hills do not make for a leisurely ride and there are limited (and often dangerous) designated cycle lanes. Manly has better paths for cycling but best of all is the popular Centennial Park. Hire companies include Centennial Park Cycles, 50 Clovelly Road, Randwick (tel: (02) 9398 5027; website: www.cyclehire.com.au), and Inner City Cycles, 151 Glebe Point Road (tel: (02) 9660 6605; website: www.innercitycycles.com.au).