Visitor Information

The South Australia Visitor & Travel Centre, 18 King William St. (tel. 1300/655 276 in Australia, or 08/8463 4547; fax 08/8303 2249), has maps, travel advice, and makes hotel and tour bookings. It's open weekdays from 8:30am to 5pm, weekends from 9am to 2pm.

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 (since 1869), now 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 There

By Plane

Qantas (tel. 13 13 13 in Australia; www.qantas.com.au), Virgin Blue (tel. 13 67 89 in Australia; www.virginblue.com.au), and Jetstar (tel. 13 15 38 in Australia; www.jetstar.com) all fly to Adelaide from the other major state capitals. Check their websites for cheap deals. Tiger Airways (tel. 03/9335 3033; www.tigerairways.com) also has daily flights from most capital cities apart from Perth and Darwin. Within South Australia, Regional Express (REX airlines; tel. 13 17 13 in Australia; www.rex.com.au) offers daily services to some regional centers.

Adelaide International Airport is 8km (5 miles) west of the city center. Major car-rental companies (Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Thrifty) have desks in both the international and domestic terminals.

The Skylink (tel. 1300/383 783 in Australia; www.skylinkadelaide.com) connects the airport with major hotels and the rail and bus stations. On weekdays, buses leave the terminals at 30-minute intervals from 5:30am to 9:30pm, and on weekends and public holidays hourly (on the half-hour). Adult tickets are A$8.50 one-way, kids A$3.50. A cheaper alternative is the JetBus (tel. 08/8210 1000; www.adelaidemetro.com.au), which links the airport to Glenelg, West Beach, and the North Eastern suburbs and costs A$2.80 from 9am to 3pm on weekdays and A$4.60 at most other times one way. It operates daily, 4:30am to 11:35pm.

By Taxi

A taxi to the city from the airport will cost around A$20.

By Train

The Keswick Interstate Rail Passenger Terminal, 2km (1 1/4 miles) west of the city center, is Adelaide's main railway station.

Contact Great Southern Railways (tel. 13 21 47 in Australia; www.gsr.com.au) for information, timetables, fares, and bookings for all trains described below.

One of the great trains of Australia, the Indian Pacific transports passengers from Sydney to Adelaide (trip time: 28 hr.) every Saturday and Wednesday at 2:55pm and from Perth to Adelaide (trip time: 36 hr.) on Wednesday and Sunday at 11:55am. One-way tickets from Sydney to Adelaide are around A$694 for adults and A$527 for children in first class; A$511 for adults and A$372 for children in an economy sleeper; and A$308 for adults and A$130 for children in coach (called a daynighter seat). From Perth to Adelaide, the one-way fare is A$1,514 for adults and A$1,022 for children in first class; A$1,076 for adults and A$652 for children in an economy sleeper; and A$458 for adults and A$211 for children in coach, but take it from me, you'd be crazy to consider anything less than a sleeper.

The other legendary Australian train is the Ghan, which runs from Adelaide to Alice Springs and on to Darwin twice a week on Sunday and Wednesday at 12:20pm. Trip time from Alice Springs to Adelaide is 20 hours. From Alice Springs to Adelaide and vice versa, the one-way fare is A$1,019 for adults and A$701 for children in first class; A$686 for adults and A$418 for children in an economy sleeper; and A$358 for adults and A$166 for children for an economy seat. From Adelaide to Darwin, which is a 2-night trip, it costs A$1,973 for adults and A$1,357 for kids in first class; A$1,372 for adults and A$830 for kids in an economy sleeper; and A$716 for adults and A$331 for kids in an economy seat. But if you can't afford a sleeper, you'd be better off flying. Platinum Class offers luxury cabins twice the size of standard first class cabins, with double beds, full en-suite, and lots of extras thrown in. It only operates on the Adelaide to Darwin service and costs A$2,987 per adult. No kids' fares are available.

The Overland operates three weekly trips from Adelaide to Melbourne (Mon, Wed, and Fri at 7:40am) and Melbourne to Adelaide (Tues and Thurs at 8:05am and Sat at 8:40am). Trip time is 12 hours. From Melbourne to Adelaide, one-way ticket prices are A$134 for adults and A$95 for children in first class, and A$90 for adults and A$45 for children in an economy seat.

By Bus

Intercity coaches serve the central bus station, 101 Franklin St. (tel. 08/8415 5533), near Morphett Street in the city center. Greyhound Australia (tel. 1300/473 946 in Australia; www.greyhound.com.au) runs buses to all other major cities. The trip from Melbourne takes 10 hours and costs A$70; from Sydney, you'll need to go via Melbourne and the whole trip will take around 34 hours and cost A$150; and from Alice Springs, 21 hours and A$280. Check the website for discounts before you book.

Adventurous types should consider traveling to Adelaide from Melbourne (or vice versa) on the Wayward Bus, operated by the Wayward Bus Touring Company (tel. 1300/654 604 in Australia, or 08/8132 8230; www.waywardbus.com.au). The fare is A$395 with backpacker's accommodations and around A$525 with twin motel accommodations. You spend about 3 hours a day on the bus, and the driver acts as your guide. The fare includes a picnic or cafe lunch each day and entry to national parks. You can leave the trip and rejoin another later. Reservations are essential. Wayward Bus also runs 6-day overland trips traveling between Adelaide and Alice (or vice versa), via Uluru, Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Kings Canyon, Coober Pedy, Lake Eyre, William Creek, Wilpena Pound, the Flinders Ranges, and the Clare Valley wineries. Accommodations are a mix of camping, swags (thick sleeping bags), dugout caves, and hostels. It costs A$920. Check the website for more tours, including to Outback South Australia and Kangaroo Island.

Another bus company, the Nullarbor Traveller (tel. 08/8687 0455; www.thetraveller.net.au), takes adventurous travelers from Adelaide to Perth in 10 days across the Nullarbor Plain. The tour includes a mixture of camping and farmstay accommodations and most meals. It costs A$1,495. A good area website is www.nullarbornet.com.au.

By Car

To drive from Sydney to Adelaide on the Hume and Sturt highways takes roughly 20 hours; from Melbourne it takes around 10 hours on the Great Ocean Road and Princes Highway; from Perth it takes 32 hours on the Great Eastern and Princes highways; and from Alice Springs it takes 15 hours on the remote Stuart Highway.

When to Go

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. Visit www.adelaidefestival.com.au.

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. Visit www.womadelaide.com.au.

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$1.90 from 9am to 3pm on weekdays and A$2.80 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.

By Tram

The Glenelg Tram runs between Victoria Square and the beachside suburb of Glenelg. Tickets cost A$2.80 for adults and A$1.20 for children 5 to 14 from 9am to 3pm, A$4.60 for adults and A$2.30 for children at other times. The journey takes 29 minutes.

By Taxi & Car

The major cab companies are Yellow Cabs (tel. 13 19 24 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. 08/8418 7300); Hertz, 233 Morphett St. (tel. 08/8231 2856); and Thrifty, 23 Hindley St. (tel. 08/8410 8977).

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.

Special Value: 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$8.60 for adults and A$4.30 for children 5 to 15 and is available at most train stations, newsagents, and the Adelaide Metro InfoCentre (tel. 1300/311 108 in Australia).

Fast Facts

American Express -- The office, at Shop 32 in the CitiCentre Arcade in Rundle Mall (tel. 1300/139 060), is open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, and Saturday 9am to noon.

Business Hours -- Generally, banks are open Monday through Thursday from 9:30am to 4pm and Friday from 9:30am to 5pm. Stores are generally open Monday through Thursday from 9am to 5:30pm, Friday from 9am to 9pm, Saturday from 9am to 5pm, and Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

Currency Exchange -- Banks and hotels, the casino, and the Myer department store in Rundle Mall cash traveler's checks. The Travelex office is at Shop 4, Rundle Mall (tel. 08/8231 6977). It's open Monday to Saturday 9am to 5:30pm (7pm on Fri).

Dentists -- Contact the Australian Dental Association Emergency Information Service (tel. 08/8272 8111), open weeknights from 5 to 9pm, and Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 9pm. It will put you in touch with a dentist.

Doctors -- In an emergency, go to the casualty department of the Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Terrace (tel. 08/8222 4000). The Travellers' Medical & Vaccination Centre, 29 Gilbert Place (tel. 08/8212 7522), offers vaccinations and travel-related medicines.

Emergencies -- Dial tel. 000 to call an ambulance, the fire department, or the police in an emergency.

Hospitals -- The Royal Adelaide Hospital (tel. 08/8222 4000), is on North Terrace in the city center.

Hot Lines -- Call the Crisis Care Centre (tel. 13 16 11 in Australia); the Royal Automobile Association of South Australia, or RAA (tel. 08/8202 4600); the Disability Information and Resource Centre (tel. 08/8236 0555) for information on those respective services.

Internet Access -- The State Library of South Australia, at the corner of North Terrace and Kintore Avenue (tel. 08/8207 7250), has e-mail facilities available Monday through Wednesday 10am to 8pm, Thursday and Friday 10am to 6pm and Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm. Internet access is readily available around town at other libraries and in Internet cafes. For free Wi-Fi hot spots see https://hotspot.internode.on.net.

Lost Property -- If you've lost something on the street, contact the nearest police station. For items left on public transport, contact the Lost Property Office, on the main concourse of the Adelaide Railway Station on North Terrace (tel. 08/8218 2552); it's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm.

Luggage Storage & Lockers -- There are luggage lockers at Adelaide Airport in the domestic terminal as well as the Central Bus Station on Franklin Street.

Post Office -- The General Post Office (GPO), 141 King William St., Adelaide, SA 5000 (tel. 13 13 18 in Australia), is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm. General delivery mail (poste restante) can be collected Monday through Friday during opening hours.

Restrooms -- Public restrooms are at the Central Market Arcade, between Grote and Gouger streets, in both Hindmarsh and Victoria squares, and at James Place (off Rundle Mall).

Safety -- Adelaide is a safe city, though it's wise to avoid walking along the River Torrens and through side streets near Hindley Street after dark.

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