Planning a Trip

Visitor Information

Go to the South Australia Visitor & Travel Centre, 18 King William St. (tel. 1300/764 227 in Australia, or 08/8303 2220; fax 08/8303 2249), for maps, travel advice, and hotel and tour bookings. It's open weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm, weekends from 9am to 2pm. The info booth on Rundle Mall is open daily from 10am to 5pm.

City Layout

Victoria Square is the geographical heart of the city, surrounded by grand government buildings, some of which have been reborn into elegant hotels. This is also where you'll find the historic tram that takes 20 minutes to trundle to the seaside suburb of Glenleg, with its famous long pier and white sandy beaches. On the western side of the square is the Central Market, Australia's oldest continuously operating produce market (it's been going since 1869), which is today home to the best range of international foods in Australia.

Bisecting the city from south to north is the main thoroughfare, King William Street. Streets running perpendicular to King William Street change their names on either side; Franklin Street, for example, changes into Flinders Street. Of these cross streets, the most interesting are the restaurant strips of Gouger and Rundle streets, the latter running into the pedestrian-only shopping precinct of Rundle Mall. Another is Hindley Street, with inexpensive restaurants and nightlife. On the banks of the River Torrens just north of the city center, you'll find the Riverbank Precinct, the home of the Festival Centre, the Convention Centre, and the SkyCity Adelaide Casino.

North Terrace is one of the four boundary streets that mark the edge of the city center and the beginning of the parkland belt that slopes down toward the River Torrens, where you'll find almost all of the city's major attractions and museums, most of which are free.

Follow King William Street north and it crosses the River Torrens and flows into sophisticated North Adelaide, an area crammed with Victorian and Edwardian architecture. The main avenues in North Adelaide, O'Connell and Melbourne streets, are lined with restaurants, cafes, and bistros that offer the tastes of a multicultural city.

Northwest of the city center is Port Adelaide, a seaport and the historic maritime heart of South Australia. It's home to some of the finest colonial buildings in the state, as well as good pubs and restaurants.

Getting Around

By Bus -- Adelaide's public bus network covers three zones, and fares are calculated according to the number of zones traveled. The city center is in Zone 1. The fare in Zone 1 is A$1.60 (US$1.45/UK70p) from 9am to 3pm on weekdays and A$2.40 (US$2.15/£1.10) at most other times. Kids travel for around half-price. You can buy tickets on board or at larger newsdealers around the city. You can get timetable and destination information over the phone or in person from the Adelaide Metro InfoCentre (tel. 08/8210 1000; www.adelaidemetro.com.au), on the corner of Currie and King William streets. It's open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, Saturday 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

The free CityLoop bus (no. 99C) operates every 15 minutes (Mon-Thurs 8am-6pm; Fri 8am-9pm; Sat 8am-5pm) around the city center, along North Terrace, East Terrace, Grenfell Street, Pulteney Street, Wakefield Street, Grote Street, Morphett Street, Light Square, Hindley Street, and West Terrace. There is also a free tram that runs between South Terrace and North Terrace approximately every 7 minutes.

Bus nos. 181 and 182 run from the city to North Adelaide.

The Adelaide Explorer bus (tel. 08/8293 2966; www.adelaideexplorer.com.au) stops at 26 sights around town, including Glenelg, and costs A$30 (US$27/£14) for adults, A$19 (US$17/£8.50) for children ages 6 to 16, and A$70 (US$63/£32) for families of four. Buy tickets on the bus. The loop takes a leisurely 3 hours, with commentary, and you can get on and off when you want. The first bus departs from 38 King William St., on the corner of Rundle Mall (next to Haigh's Chocolates) at 9am. The company will pick you up from your hotel between 8 and 8:30am if you call ahead, and will drop you off at the airport (with your luggage) as part of the fare if you call ahead. The last loop starts at 1:30pm, ending at 4:30pm.

By Tram -- The Glenelg Tram runs between Victoria Square and the beachside suburb of Glenelg. Tickets cost A$4.10 (US$3.70/£1.85) for adults and A$2 (US$1.80/UK90p) for children 5 to 14 from 9am to 3pm. The journey takes 29 minutes.

By Taxi & Car -- The major cab companies are Yellow Cabs (tel. 13 22 27 in South Australia), Suburban (tel. 13 10 08 in South Australia), and Adelaide Independent Taxi Service (tel. 13 22 11 in South Australia). Access Cabs (tel. 1300/360 940 in South Australia) offers wheelchair taxis.

Major car-rental companies are Avis, 136 North Terrace (tel. 08/8410 5727); Budget, 274 North Terrace (tel. 08/8223 1400); Hertz, 233 Morphett St. (tel. 08/8231 2856); and Thrifty, 23 Hindley St. (tel. 1300/367 227 in South Australia).

The Royal Automobile Association of South Australia (RAA), 55 Hindmarsh Sq. (tel. 13 11 11 in South Australia, or 08/8202 4600; www.raa.net), has route maps and provides emergency breakdown services.

A Money-Saving Transit Pass -- If you plan to get around the city on public transportation, it's a good idea to purchase a Daytrip ticket, which covers unlimited travel on buses, trams, and city trains within the metropolitan area for 1 day. The pass costs A$7.70 (US$9.95/£3.50) for adults and A$3.80 (US$3.40/£1.70) for children 5 to 15 and is available at most train stations, newsdealers, and the Adelaide Metro InfoCentre (tel. 08/8210 1000).

World-Class Festivals in Adelaide

Adelaide is home to Australia's largest performing arts festival, the Adelaide Festival, which takes place over 3 weeks in March in even-numbered years. The festival includes literary and visual arts as well as dance, opera, classical music, jazz, cabaret, and comedy. The festival includes a Writers' Week and the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

In February or March, the 3-day WOMADelaide Festival of world music takes place. Crowds of 60,000 or more turn up to watch Australian and international artists.

For more information, visit www.adelaidefestival.org.au and www.womadelaide.com.au.