Travelling To Australia - Things To Know Beforehand

Travelling to another country that you've never been to can be a daunting task. If you're coming to Sydney Australia, you might be wondering how you would get around, where to stay, what to do and what are the local people like. Not sure what to expect when you get to Australia? Here's our guide to what to know before or when you arrive!

Arriving at Sydney Airport:
Sydney airport is Australia's largest airport. It has its own train station and plenty of waiting taxis parked outside waiting to take any travelers to their destination. There are also buses - but we tend to avoid those unless you know exactly which bus to catch. To find out which train to catch to get to your destination, please check the state transport website: http://131500.com.au/ They also offer a free app which you can find on the Android app store. If you're travelling by taxi, Sydney taxis all accept credit cards and cash of course.

Money / Currency:
Only Australian Dollars are accepted in Australia. Most banks will exchange currencies for a small fee. If you're at the airport, they also have currency exchange kiosks. If you forget to exchange your currency at the airport, there are plenty of stores throughout Sydney city (in the Central Business District areas) that exchange currencies, some convenient stores also offer the service. Australian bills are colourful - $5 dollars is purple, $10 is in blue, $20 in red, $50 in yellow and $100 dollar bill is in green.
Credit cards are accepted in most stores (except some small restaurants and cafes). The most commonly accepted credit cards are Mastercard and Visa.

Tipping:
Unlike the USA, tipping in Australia is only by choice. Service tax is levied at bars, clubs and hotels. This takes care of your tips so you don’t have to tip, unless you want to of course.
We also have a tax called GST (Goods & Services Tax) that's already included in the cost of all goods and services - from vendors, shops to restaurants. So relax, you don't need to worry about tipping or taxes.

Cell Phone / Mobile Phone Sims:
Pre-paid cell phones can be purchased from the airport. Australian SIM cards can also be purchased for as little as $2 at Woolworths supermarkets.

Transport:
If you don't have any local friends or relatives taking you around, here are the range of options to choose from...

TRAINS: Weekly and daily all inclusive tickets can be purchased from any train station in Sydney. If you know where your destination is and know the closest train station, the state transport website will tell you how much it will cost and the duration of the journey: http://131500.com.au
If you don't know the train station of your destination, that website will tell you (type the address in).

BUSES: There are buses available to most suburbs in Sydney. But if you're only traveling within the Sydney city area, then take the FREE bus - it's a completely green bus (see picture) that you can ride for free, which loops around the major streets of Sydney city. But non-green buses to other areas outside of the Sydney city costs money (please check http://131500.com.au for exact fares) and it's best to find out the time table so you're not left waiting too long. Some bus services do not operate on weekends and some will only accept bus cards that you can buy from newagencies (stores that sell magazines and newspapers).

TAXIS: If you're spending time around Sydney and the surrounding suburbs, there will be taxis in most places. They are usually found near train stations. If you need one, call 133 300 for them to come pick you up (they do charge a small fee on top for pick ups).

FERRIES (limited to certain areas): You can catch a ferry (passenger boat) to places such as Taronga Zoo, Manly, Parramatta, Mosman and other places - the state transport website will also let you know how to get around and time tables of the ferries: http://www.131500.com.au/plan-your-trip/on-ferries

CAR HIRE: Sydney airport is home to a range of car hire companies (Avis, Hertz, etc) that you can choose from - they are all located near each other at the airport so you can't miss them. Each car is equipped with a street directory of Sydney. If you're from the US, the driver's side is on the right so it may take getting use to. If you need a car on the fly but don't want to catch a taxi, you can try GoGet car hire service (available to foreign drivers with at least 2 years of driving experience): http://www.goget.com.au/

ATTRACTION Specific Transport: If there's a landmark attraction you want to travel to, the state transport website has done all the leg work for you. It provides details on how to reach these destinations by public transport: http://www.131500.com.au/attractions

Weather:
Australia is in the Southern Hemisphere so the weather here is completely opposite to countries in the Northen Hemisphere. Australia's summer is in December and our winter is in June! So be prepared with the right clothing based on where you’re headed in Australia. If you're coming during spring and summer, bring or buy sunscreen and hats (UV rays here are pretty harsh).

Spring: Sept to Nov - temperatures range from 13°C to avg maximum 23°C
Summer: Dec to Feb - temperatures range from 22°C to 36°C (heat wave is 40°C+ )
Autumn (Fall): March to May - temperatures range from 14°C to avg maximum 23°C
Winter: June to August - temperatures range from 5°C to avg maximum 16°C

Sydney as a whole is pretty temperate - but if you go to other states in Australia, the weather in those states may be different to what you experience in Sydney (in the state of New South Wales). The state of Tasmania is closer to the Antarctic so it's cooler and wetter than Sydney weather (even in summer), whereas the state Northern Territory is closer to the equator (and has deserts) so the weather there is hotter and drier.
For weather in other states of Australia, see here: http://www.australia.com/about/key-facts/weather.aspx

Hospitals and Doctors:
For peace of mind, if in the event you do get sick, we have public hospitals located in most suburban and city locations. Each public hospital takes care of patients from a group of areas and they all have an emergency department. Our hospitals do take in sick or injured foreign travelers but will charge fees unless you're covered by travel insurance. However, Australia does have medical travel agreements with these countries (providing free emergency medical care for the citizens of these countries - if they are here legally), details of applicable countries are here: http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/services/medicare/reciprocal-health-care-agreements

If you do get into an emergency, our emergency phone number is 000 from any phone in Australia (or 112 from any mobile/cell phone).

If you're feeling sick but it is not an emergency, there are plenty of doctors available in most suburbs (particularly in Sydney city). We also have drug stores / pharmacies in most suburbs - small ones close at 7pm, larger stores close at 9pm or 10pm. Woolworths and Coles supermarkets also stock some general medicinal supplies.

Language:
Sydney and surrounding suburbs - Within a 100km radius of Sydney and the surrounding suburbs, the Australian greeting G'Day (meaning hello) is rarely used now. However, outside of Sydney and the surrounding suburbs (in rural areas) G'Day is still used. We have complied a list of commonly used Australian terms and slang to help travelers...

Arvo - afternoon
Prawn - shrimp
Barbie - slang for BBQ or barbeque
Aussie - slang for Australian
Jelly - means jello (the gelatine dessert)
Jam - term for jelly in the US
BYO - Bring Your Own alcohol
Cuppa - a cup of tea
G'Day - hello!
Bloke - man
Stubbies - small bottle of beer
Middy - 285 ml beer glass in New South Wales
Shout - buying a round of drinks ("it's your shout")
Thongs - means flip flops, not underwear like in the US. You need to know this as some bars have signs with a "No Thongs" policy on the door, there is no need to remove your undies before entering the bar
Undies - means underwear, under pants
Swimmers / Cossie - slang for swimwear, swimming costume
Daks - trousers (UK), pants (US)
Mozzie - mosquitos
Servo - a petrol station or gas station

Outback:
Some parts of the Outback are extremely remote and can present unexpected hazards. If it is intended to travel to such remote areas, trips should be planned with care, taking account of local advice on precautions to take. In very remote areas relevant local tourist authorities or police should be notified of departures, return times and return. Mobile phone coverage, though generally good in towns and cities, is often not available in remote areas. It is a mistake to rely upon them or upon real time internet maps if travelling in the Outback. Always carry a compass and map of the area before embarking on your trip. While venomous snakes and insects are incredibly rare in Sydney metropolitan areas and suburbs, they are more commonly found in rural areas so care should be taken when hiking at night or in thick bush land.

Accommodation (Sydney city):
Metro Hotels offer comfortable hotel rooms and apartments around Sydney city that will keep you close to major public transport hubs and key tourist attractions in the city.

Metro Apartments on Darling Harbour (the closest train station is Wynyard)

Metro Hotel Sydney Central (8 minutes walk to Central station)

Metro Hotel on Pitt (2 minutes walk to Town Hall train station)

Aspire Hotel Sydney Ultimo (13 minutes walk to Central station)

Each hotel or serviced apartment is close to major train stations, buses or ferries. Because all four are situated in the city, there are plenty of taxis available to catch on the street. Many of the key tourist attractions can be reached by foot from our hotels. Nearby there are also supermarkets, shops, restaurants, convenience stores, ATMs, medical centres and public toilets all within walking distance.

For a quick PDF guide of things to know regarding Sydney, download it here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/euqm2swrxk1mwpz/tBZF_ICQqk