Getting There

By Plane

Qantas (tel. 13 13 13 in Australia; www.qantas.com.au) runs frequent daily service to Canberra from all state capitals. Virgin Blue (tel. 13 67 89 in Australia; www.virginblue.com.au) offers discount daily flights to Canberra from Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide and Sydney. Tiger Airways also has daily flights from Melbourne (www.tigerairways.com). The Canberra Airport is about 10 minutes from the city center. It has car-rental desks, a currency exchange, a bar, a bistro, and a mailbox for cards and letters (but no post office). The newsdealer sells stamps. There are no lockers or showers.

The Airliner Bus (tel. 02/6299 3722; www.airliner.com.au) operates a 20-minute shuttle between the central business district and the airport Monday to Friday, leaving every half-hour on weekdays and hourly on weekends. The one-way fare is A$9 (US$8/£4), and a round-trip costs A$15 (US$14/£7).

By Train

Countrylink (tel. 13 22 32 in Australia; www.countrylink.info) runs two Canberra Xplorer trains daily between Sydney and Canberra. The 4 1/4-hour trip costs around A$80 (US$72/£36) in first class and A$57 (US$51/£25) in economy during peak season (school and public holidays), but seasonal discounts apply so check when booking; children pay half-price, and a round-trip costs double. Many people book Countrylink transport-hotel packages (call Countrylink Holidays, tel. 13 28 29), which can save you quite a bit. Countrylink has an office at Central Railway station in Sydney.

From Melbourne, the Canberra Link, run by V/Line (tel. 13 61 96 in Australia; www.vlinepassenger.com.au), involves a 6-hour bus trip and a 3 1/2-hour train trip. It costs A$55 (US$50/£25) for adults and A$34 (US$31/£15) for children and students.

Canberra Railway Station (tel. 02/6239 6707) is on Wentworth Avenue, Kingston, about 5km (3 miles) southeast of the city center. Coaches connect the railway station to the center.

By Bus

McCafferty's/Greyhound (tel. 13 14 99 in Australia; www.greyhound.com.au) does eight runs a day from Sydney to Canberra; the trip takes 4 to 4 1/2 hours. Tickets cost around A$38 (US$34/£17) for adults, A$34 (US$31/£15) for students with an ISAC (International Student Activity Card), and A$31 (US$28/£14) for children 3 to 14.

From Melbourne, tickets to Canberra cost A$87 (US$78/£39) for adults, A$78 (US$70/£35) for students, and A$72 (US$65/£32) for children. Advance-purchase fares can be as much as 35% lower.

Murrays Australia (tel. 13 22 51 in Australia; www.murrays.com.au) runs from Sydney to Canberra four times a day for A$37 (US$33/£17) for adults and A$28 (US$25/£13) for children. Book over the Internet for further discounts. Several sightseeing companies in Sydney, including AAT Kings (tel. 04/456 0505; www.aatkings.com) and Australian Pacific Touring (tel. 1300/655 965 in Australia, or 03/9277 8499; www.aptouring.com.au), offer day trips to Canberra.

Interstate buses arrive at Jolimont Tourist Centre, at the corner of Northbourne Avenue and Alinga Street, Canberra City.

By Car

The ACT is surrounded by New South Wales. Sydney is 306km (190 miles) northeast, and Melbourne is 651km (404 miles) southwest of Canberra. From Sydney, you can use an extension to the M5 motorway that links with the Eastern Distributor highway near Sydney Airport. Veer left before you reach the airport and follow signs heading toward Canberra, and veer left onto the M5. The drive takes between 3 and 3 1/2 hours. From Melbourne, take the Hume Highway to Yass and switch to the Barton Highway; the trip will take about 8 hours.