Things to Do After You Have Booked Your Trip to Sydney

Just booked your flights to Sydney? Brilliant! While you’re counting down the days, here’s how to turn your excitement into practical preparation that will make your visit even better. This guide focuses on specific tasks that are easier to sort out from home, particularly transport cards, restaurant bookings, and seasonal planning.

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Most visitors tell me they wish they’d known these tips before arriving in Sydney. From essential apps to insider food recommendations, these preparation steps will help you hit the ground running when you land.

Connect With Sydney Locals First

The best trip planning happens when you can ask questions and get real-time advice. To support this we have Two Facebook groups provide current information about Sydney:

• Planning a Trip to Sydney Group – perfect for asking questions and getting itinerary feedback
• This Week in Sydney – for current events and seasonal activities

You can also follow us on Instagram  @sydneyexpert  if that’s more your thing.

Getting Around Sydney

Don’t let locals convince you our public transport is awful – for most visitors, it works just fine.

Here’s what you need to know:

Transport Costs

• Airport train stations add $19.80 to your fare, a taxi may be cheaper for groups
• Opal cards are available at convenience stores and stations and are required for kid’s pricing but adults can use debit and credit cards or digital payments.
• Travel on Friday, Saturday and Sundays when there’s a $8.90 cap on all trips
• After you spend $50 on public transport (using the same card), the rest of your travel is half price

Operating Hours

• Trains: 4am to midnight
• Night Ride buses: After midnight
• Ferries: Check timetables as evening services vary
• Some bus routes have reduced Sunday service

Don’t forget

• Tap on AND off for all trips – even if the gates are open
• Check for weekend trackwork, it can really ruin a trip to the Blue Mountains
• Check ferry departure sides at Circular Quay

For detailed fare information and route planning, see our Opal guide

Essential Phone Setup

While Sydney isn’t a complicated city to navigate, having the right apps on your phone will save you time and money.

Download these apps before leaving home to avoid using expensive roaming data:

Transport Apps:

• Opal app – checks transport balance and plans trips
• TripView – real-time bus and train times (paid version worth it)
• Uber – works exactly like home but good to set up Australian payment

Must-Have Local Apps:

• BOM Weather – Sydney’s most accurate forecast app
• Emergency+ – helps emergency services locate you
• Sydney Culture Walks apps – free guided walking tours from the City of Sydney

Remember to check if your phone plan includes Australian coverage – local SIM cards are available at the airport if needed.

Sorting Out Money Matters

Most visitors get caught out by bank fees and poor exchange rates when they travel. Here’s how to avoid that in Sydney:

• Check if your bank card charges overseas fees – if it does, consider getting a travel-friendly card
• Skip the airport currency exchange – the rates are terrible. Use regular ATMs instead
• Set up your phone’s digital wallet – we’re a mostly cashless city
• Don’t stress about tipping – it’s not expected here, though it’s welcome in restaurants
• Test your banking apps at home to make sure they’ll work in Australia

We use Revolute when we travel and find it really handy.

What to Know About Sydney Weather

Every week I meet visitors dressed completely wrong for our weather. The most common mistake? Assuming Sydney is always warm and sunny.

Here’s the reality:

• UV index: Usually extreme, even when it’s cloudy or cool
• Summer (December-February): Hot and humid, often 25-30°C (77-86°F), with afternoon thunderstorms
• Winter (June-August): Cold mornings around 8°C (46°F), sunny afternoons reach 16-20°C (61-68°F)
• Spring and autumn: Can swing between summer and winter temperatures in one day

What to Pack:

• Light raincoat or umbrella – Sydney gets sudden showers year-round
• At least one warm layer – our air-conditioned venues are freezing in summer
• Swimmers all year – even in winter, we get 20°C beach days
• Comfortable walking shoes – our hills and distances will surprise you
• High SPF sunscreen and hat – our UV index is among the world’s highest

The Bureau of Meteorology gives the most accurate Sydney forecasts – check it the week before you travel.

Planning Your Sydney Food Adventures

Sydney’s food scene can be overwhelming – there’s just so much choice. After 20 years of eating my way around the city, here are the experiences I recommend planning ahead for:

• Book a table at Quay or Bennelong at least 2-3 months ahead if fine dining is your thing
• Plan an early morning visit to the Sydney Fish Market – the sushi bars here serve the freshest breakfast in town
• Check out our guide to Aussie foods to try so you know where to buy that kangaroo steak
• Save some brunch spots in your Google Maps – we take breakfast seriously here
• Consider a weekend yum cha session in Chinatown – arrive before noon to avoid the queues

Our Where to eat and drink in Sydney guide will help you discover more local favourites, and don’t forget to check our recommendations for dining with a view if you’re after those harbour vistas.

We’ve got detailed guides about eating and drinking in Sydney that you might find useful while planning:

• Cafes in Kings Cross
• Dining with a view
• Celebrity Chef restaurants in Sydney

After all that food, you might be seeking a drink:

• Check out our list of bars with a view
• Discover some of the wine bars in Potts Point
• Historic pubs in the Rocks.

Also, take a quick read of our guide to ordering a beer in Australia.

Local Know-How

Sydney might look familiar to English-speaking visitors, but small differences can trip you up. From beach safety rules that could save your life to everyday phrases that might confuse you – here’s what you need to know before arriving.

Beach Safety Essentials

• Always swim between red and yellow flags – they mark safe swimming zones
• A lifeguard’s whistle means you’re in danger – look for their signals
• See our guide to Sydney’s beaches for transport and safety tips

Daily Differences

• Keep left on escalators and footpaths
• “How ya going?” just means “hello”
• A flat white is our most popular coffee (creamier than a latte)
• “Thongs” means flip-flops here

Aboriginal Sydney

Sydney is on Gadigal Country, part of the Eora Nation. Many visitors miss the rich Aboriginal history of popular sites like The Rocks and Bondi. Our guide to Indigenous tours and experiences can help you learn more about Sydney’s first peoples.

Smart Travel Tips

Sydney’s an easy city to explore sustainably, and it’ll often save you money too:

Water & Dining:

• Fill a water bottle from any tap – Sydney’s water is safe and tastes great
• Bring a reusable coffee cup – many cafes give discounts
• Save your containers for Return and Earn machines – 10c back per bottle or can

Beach & Parks:

• Choose reef-safe sunscreen – regular sunscreen damages our marine parks
• Give nesting birds plenty of space – especially at Bondi and Manly
• Bin all food scraps – even apple cores attract aggressive seagulls

Getting Around:

• Ferries aren’t just scenic – they’re often the fastest harbour crossing
• Walking beats driving in the CBD – most attractions are within 20 minutes
• Trains skip traffic – especially useful during peak hour (8-9:30am and 4:30-6pm)

Next Steps

The weeks between booking and arriving are perfect for sorting these details. Focus first on reservations that fill quickly (like harbour restaurants and summer beach tours), then tackle the practical stuff like apps and transport cards.

Still have questions? Drop by our Facebook group – plenty of recent visitors there sharing what worked for them, plus locals who can fact-check any advice you’ve been given.