South Australia Getting there & around

Getting there & around

Bus & tram

Bus

Bus travel is generally the cheapest way of getting from one point to another and the bus companies have far more comprehensive route networks than the railway system. Plenty of companies team interstate transport with good value touring; see Tours.

Firefly Express (1300 730 740; www.fireflyexpress.com.au) departs Adelaide at 8am and 8.30pm for Melbourne ($56, 11 hours).

Greyhound Australia (1300 4739 46863; www.greyhound.com.au) has services between Adelaide and Melbourne ($60, 11 hours), Sydney ($165, 25 hours) via Broken Hill or Renmark and Alice Springs ($250, 21 hours). Australian and international students, VIP and Nomads card holders, and children under 14 receive a 10% discount.

Premier Stateliner (08-8415 5555; www.premierstateliner.com.au; 7am-9pm) operates a state-wide bus service.

V/Line (13 61 96; www.vlinepassenger.com) runs daily bus/train services to Melbourne ($65, 11½ hours). Passengers take the train to/from Bendigo in Victoria.

See individual destination sections for bus services operating in the region.

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Air

International flights and flights from other Australian cities fly in and out of Adelaide Airport (www.aal.com.au), 7km west of the city centre. Regional operators:

O’Connor Airlines (08-8723 0666; www.oconnor-airlines.com.au) Flies between Adelaide, Melbourne, Mildura, Mt Gambier, Port Augusta and Whyalla.

Regional Express (Rex; 13 17 13; www.regionalexpress.com.au) Flies between Adelaide and Kingscote on Kangaroo Island, Coober Pedy, Ceduna, Mt Gambier, Port Lincoln, and also to Broken Hill (New South Wales). These prices tend to be the cheaper Rex Net fares.

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Car & motorcycle

You’re in for a treat if you’re driving between Adelaide and Melbourne – ensure you go via the Great Ocean Rd (between Torquay and Warnambool in Victoria), one of the best coastal drives in the country with dazzling views and more twists and turns than a corkscrew.

To hitch a ride (sharing petrol costs) or buy a second-hand car, check out notice boards at the hostels.

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Train

The interstate train terminal is at Railway Tce, Keswick, just southwest of the city centre. Skylink (08-8332 0528; www.skylinkadelaide.com; bookings 7am-8.30pm) will pick up pre-booked passengers on its airport–city runs (adult/child $4/1.50).

Great Southern Railway (13 21 47, 08-8213 4444; www.trainways.com.au; 7.30am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat, 9am-5pm Sun) operates all train services in and out of SA. Backpackers are eligible for huge discounts (around 50%) and cheap six-month passes ($450) with appropriate ID.

The following trains depart from Adelaide regularly:

Ghan To Alice Springs (economy seat/twin-berth sleeper $335/685, 19 hours).

Ghan To Darwin ($690/1390, 47 hours).

Indian Pacific To Perth ($395/1005, 39 hours).

Indian Pacific To Sydney ($285/485, 25 hours).

Overland To Melbourne ($90/150, 11 hours).

The fastest service between Sydney and Adel­aide is Speedlink (13 16 38; around 20 hours) – you travel from Sydney to Albury ($60) on the XPT train, and from Albury to Adelaide ($42) on a V/Line bus.

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