Canberra has a regionally significant airport and regular long-distance buses and trains from major cities on the coast.

By air

Most travellers head to Canberra by plane. Distances in Australia are long, air travel is very frequent and also quite cheap.

The city has the only international airport , Canberra CBR.

International flights

Canberra is primarily a domestic hub and most international flights connect at Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane airports.

Compare flight prices to Canberra

However, direct international flights from several destinations also head to Canberra:

• Fiji Airways - Nadi
• Qatar Airways - via Doha to Europe, Middle East and Africa

Domestic flights

Most flights are to Sydney (1-3 times per hour) and Melbourne or Brisbane (on average once per hour).

Typical prices for one-way tickets to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Brisbane are around 100 aud for low-cost airlines and it is worth buying tickets around 1-5 months before departure.

Last minute tickets are usually 200 aud to 280 aud.

Compare domestic flight prices

For domestic flights within Australia, use the following airlines in particular:

• Jetstar
• Qantas
• Virgin Australia

Coaches

Buses are the cheapest option for long-distance travel.

All services run to the bus station right in the centre of town in the Jolimont Tourist Centre building just opposite the "Alinga Street" tram stop, see location on map.

• Novotel Canberra **** - Hotel right next to the bus station

The Murrays ticket office is at this bus station. For the frequent service to Sydney, just buy your ticket on the spot.

We recommend buying Greyhound tickets online.

Long-distance services to Canberra are mainly operated by two companies from the following cities.

• Murrays Coaches
  • Sydney - hourly, journey time 3.5 hours, single ticket prices from 47 aud
  • Moruya - once daily, journey time 3.5 hours, single ticket prices from 41 aud
  • Batemans Bay - 1x daily, journey time 2.5 hours, single ticket prices from 38 aud
  • Narooma - 1x daily, journey time 4.5 hours, single ticket prices from 49 aud
  • Book your tickets at online.murrays.com.au
• Greyhound Australia
  • Melbourne - 1x daily, journey time 8 hours, single ticket prices from 128 aud
  • Sydney - 1x daily, journey time 3.5 hours, single ticket prices from 53 aud
  • Albury - 1x daily, journey time 3.5 hours, single ticket prices from 91 aud
  • Book tickets at greyhound.com.au

Long distance trains

The railway station is located on the southern edge of Canberra, see location on map.

City buses run from the train station to the city centre:

• Centre - lines R2, 182

See the Transport chapter for more information on bus services around the city.

The Sydney-Canberra long-distance train service is operated by NSW Transport. There are no direct trains to other cities, and to get to Melbourne you have to change trains at Goulburn station, which is not time-consuming and it is more convenient to take a bus or fly.

• Price - from 54 aud
• Frequency - 3 times a day
• Travel time - 4 hours

Tickets and timetables can be found at transportnsw.info/regional-bookings.

Regional buses

Regional buses, which like trains are operated by Transport for NSW, take you to cities closer than Sydney or Melbourne.

For transport planning and timetables, visit transportnsw.info. You can also buy tickets directly from this website.

All buses run from Kingston Coach Station in the south of the city, but usually also stop at the Alinga Street stop in Canberra city centre:

• Cooma - direct services 771 and 775 run 2-3 times a day
• Wagga Wagga - direct service 703 runs 1x daily