Don’t Let Sydney New Years Transportation Challenges Derail Your Celebration

You’ve made it all the way to Australia, now you need to set a Sydney New Years transportation plan so you don’t miss the festivities.

view of NYE fireworks over sydney harbour bridge

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The Sydney New Years Eve fireworks are nothing short of spectacular, which is why this is one of the most popular NYE destinations in the world. Because of this, it also creates a transportation nightmare with different closures, from boats to bridges, around the city. Starting around 5pm, the Sydney CBD is nearly impossible to get to, except on foot.

Using public transport services in Sydney

I love using public transportation abroad. It saves money and is usually quick and efficient, especially when you’re staying in or around the city center.

Sydney has great (if not overwhelming) public transport services. There are buses, ferries, light rail, metro (subway) and trains (like the metro, but not?) to get you across town, and the water. It is very easy to use their public transit, but first you will need to get an Opal Card and add money, then you will be able to use any form of transportation throughout the city. Cards can be purchased at various convenience stores around the city.

I also recommend downloading their app and linking your card. The app will provide you with locations for purchasing Opal Cards, give you maps and directions, and access your funds digitally. I lost my Opal card somewhere between a light rail, metro and bus trying to get to my NYE destination. But, since I had my account linked, I was able to pay via the app and lock my card so no one else could use it and drain my funds.

The number one thing you need to know about Sydney transportation is you have to tap on and tap off for every trip.

tapping opal transportation card on bus in sydney

Sydney New Years transportation closures

If there’s one takeaway from this post it should be this: pretty much everything around Sydney Harbor closes or stops running by 8:00pm. But before this, many transit points close starting at 5:00pm, and do not start again until 12:00pm, or later. This is where the Opal app will come in handy to find service updates.

Buses

Bus services throughout the city will be disrupted leading up to the main event. Need a bus to/from Circular Quay? You won’t find one. All buses are re-routed to Martin Place starting at 5:00pm. That said, there will be extra services and buses at major transport hubs after the fireworks are over to help manage crowds.

At Taronga Zoo, there are a line of empty buses waiting to take attendees back towards North Sydney.

Ferries

The Circular Key ferry wharves shut down at 5pm. After midnight, the ferries run on a holiday schedule, with limited boats available. If you ferry one way, you will likely need to take a different method back.

Light Rail

Again the theme of the post, expect closures. Light rail services to the CBD are limited. Starting at 2:00 pm, the L2 and L3 lines will only run to/from Town Hall. From there you can walk, take a train, or catch a bus to get to your destination.

selfie of carli taking sydney new years eve transportation

Metro + Trains

The metro is probably the least affected compared to other transit methods and is your best bet if you need to get across the bridge after the fireworks show.

Heading south towards the CBD? Milsons Point will be closed, take a train from the North Sydney Station. Leaving Luna Park or other nearby parties and vantage points? Use the Victoria Cross Station.

Again, check the transit websites for closure information, and access.

Harbour Bridge

Of course, I need to mention the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This is the main access point between north south Sydney, aside from the ferries. The bridge closes at 8:00pm because they will shoot off fireworks for not just one, but two fireworks shows. The first at 9:00pm and the second at midnight. It does not reopen again to road traffic until 1:30 am, and 2:00 am for the pedestrian walkways. There are additional road closures at roads around the bridge throughout the day and into the early morning.

Be prepared to walk, a lot

Unless you’re going for broke (literally) and staying at one of the hotels on Sydney Harbour, or at Circular Quay, you will have limited options for your Sydney New Years transportation. You should expect to either walk longer distances, or stand while you wait for your transit method of choice. You may have to wait a long time because buses, trains etc. will all be full of revelers.

20 year old me would have never been caught wearing sneakers or flats to a NYE party (I barely even had a jacket in Minnesota). But thankfully I am older, wiser, and since my body is more weathered, I’ll take function over fashion. You can still find cute shoes to go with your outfit of choice, but you’ll be much happier at 1:00 in the morning when you’re on your third transit ride to get home.