Sydney runs on one tap-to-ride network. Opal — a card, or just your contactless bank card or phone — works across the metro, trains, buses, ferries, and light rail, and the system automatically caps what you pay. There’s no need to plan your fare in advance; tap on, tap off, and the cheapest possible price is worked out for you.
The basics
Five modes share the Opal network:
- Sydney Trains — the suburban and intercity rail backbone, with lines identified by number (T1–T9) fanning out from the City Circle.
- Sydney Metro — Australia’s first driverless, fully automated railway. The M1 line currently runs between Tallawong in the north-west and Sydenham, via the CBD.
- Buses — the densest part of the network, running day and night across Greater Sydney, operated by several companies under the Transport for NSW brand.
- Sydney Ferries — the classic way to see the harbour, running to Manly, Parramatta, and stops in between.
- Light rail — the L1 line through the Inner West to Dulwich Hill, the L2/L3 lines from Circular Quay through the CBD to Randwick and Kingsford, and the L4 line linking Parramatta and Westmead.
One thing to know before you travel: the T3 Bankstown Line between Sydenham and Bankstown has been closed since September 2024 for conversion to metro standards (see the alert above) — free Southwest Link buses stand in for it.
How to pay
You’ve got two easy options, and both charge the same fares:
- Tap a contactless bank card or your phone (Apple Pay / Google Pay) directly on the Opal reader. No sign-up, no card to carry — just tap the same card or device every time so the system can track your daily and weekly caps correctly.
- Get an Opal card. The card itself is free; you load travel credit onto it separately. Pick one up at convenience stores and newsagents that stock them, order one online, or buy one at a Transport Customer Service Centre. Both airport train stations sell them too.
Tap on at the start of every trip and tap off at the end — on trains and metro at the gates, on buses and light rail at the reader by the door, on ferries at the wharf or on board. If you don’t have a card or contactless payment, you can buy a paper Opal single trip ticket for metro, train, ferry, or light rail at select stations and wharves — it costs more than tapping a card, so it’s a backup, not the default. Single tickets aren’t sold for buses; some bus routes and stops are “Opal only” and won’t take cash from the driver at all, so check before you board if you’re relying on cash.
Fares
Every mode charges by distance — the farther you tap on and tap off, the more the trip costs, with the system calculating it automatically. Check the exact price for your trip ahead of time with the Trip Planner or the Opal Travel app.
What’s fixed, and what protects you from ever overpaying, is the cap:
| Cap | |
|---|---|
| Daily, Monday–Thursday | $19.30 |
| Daily, Friday–Sunday & public holidays | $9.65 |
| Weekly (Monday–Sunday) | $50 |
On top of the caps:
- 30% off-peak discount on metro, train, bus, and light rail trips made on Fridays, weekends, public holidays, and outside peak hours Monday to Thursday.
- $2 transfer discount for adults switching between modes within 60 minutes of tapping off (the Manly ferry gets a longer 130-minute window).
- The Opal day runs 4am to 3:59am the next day, and the Opal week runs Monday 4am to the following Monday 3:59am — that’s when your caps reset.
The one exception to the caps: the Sydney Airport station access fee (see below) is charged separately and isn’t counted toward your daily or weekly total.
Getting from the airport
Take the T8 Airport & South Line — both the Domestic and International terminals have their own station, a short walk from arrivals.
- Time: about 13 minutes to or from the city.
- Frequency: roughly every 10 minutes.
- Hours: T8 airport services run every day from 5am to midnight.
- Cost: your normal Opal fare, plus a separate station access fee — $18.61 for adults per trip (capped at $37.75 a week), whether you pay by Opal card or contactless. This fee isn’t part of your daily or weekly Opal cap. Travelling just between the two airport stations costs $5.20.
Taxis and rideshares take about 20 minutes to the CBD and typically run $45–$55. There’s also a DART Express Shuttle from the International terminal to central CBD hotels.
Apps to download
- Opal Travel — the official app: top up your card, plan trips, compare fares, and get live departure times and hop-off alerts across every mode.
- TripView — a long-running local favorite for timetables and real-time disruption alerts (it’s a paid app, with a free Lite version).
- Google Maps or Apple Maps — solid for trip planning, with live Transport for NSW data built in.
When it runs
Trains generally run into the early hours, but from midnight to 4:30am, most trains stop, and NightRide buses take over the network, stopping near stations along the line — most leave the city from stops near Town Hall Station. A handful of regular bus routes run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and some extend later on weekends. Sydney Metro runs night services every day of the week. Light rail on the L1, L2, and L3 lines runs from about 5am to 1am daily. Some Intercity trains and a few ferry routes also run past midnight — check the Trip Planner for your specific line before counting on a late one.
Accessibility
Sydney Metro is fully accessible — every station has lifts, and there’s level, step-free access between the platform and every train. Sydney Trains are accessible too, but boarding requires a platform-to-train ramp used at marked boarding assistance zones — look for the wheelchair symbol on the platform, generally near the sixth carriage. Station staff can help you find the right spot and radio ahead to your destination station; if no staff are around, use the Emergency Help Point on the platform.
For door-to-door transport, the Taxi Transport Subsidy Scheme covers 50% of a metered taxi fare, up to $60 per trip, for eligible riders with a qualifying disability.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Tap on and tap off every single time — forgetting to tap off charges you the maximum possible fare for that trip, not a refund of your tap-on.
- Stand on the left, walk on the right on escalators — Sydneysiders take this seriously, especially at busy stations like Town Hall and Central.
- Let people off the train or bus before you board.
- On ferries, the best seats are outside at the back — locals know to head there first for harbour views.
Good to know
- Fare enforcement is real. Authorised Officers can scan your Opal card or contactless card to check your recent trips. Travelling without a valid tap can bring a fine of $200 (up to $550 for repeat or serious offences), plus a $65 late fee if you don’t pay on time.
- Always tap the same card or device. Caps and transfer discounts only work if the system can recognize it’s you making repeat trips — mixing cards or payment methods resets the count.
- The T3 Bankstown Line disruption is ongoing — build in extra time if your trip runs through Sydenham or Bankstown, and check transportnsw.info before you go.