Getting around a strange city in a way that is cheap and easy is always a god send for travellers. The Sydney Explorer is not one of those. I paid the $32 (you can get a week pass for that) and took the ride one Saturday when I felt like playing tourist. I’m a fan of bus tours to some extent. Occasionally it is nice to sit back and let someone else worry about traffic while they tell you the history and interesting facts of the area. Expecting this to be the case- I was sorely disappointed in the State Transit run Explorer.
The ticket is expensive and they don’t really tell you anything about what you are seeing- little to no information on the buildings, history, architecture, bits of interest etc. It is essentially a very expensive shuttle service. I would not recommend this service to anyone visiting me.
With a 15 dollar day pass and your walking shoes you could just as easily get to all of the sites, see a few more interesting ones along the way, and “learn” just as much from the guide books I’m sure you have. Save your money, get a daily or weekly pass. Simply read the posted signs, ask the local bus drivers, station attendants or other people you see how to get to the next location you are after.
Check out www.131500.com.au for trip planning. There are several other Hop on Hop off bus services around Sydney to try. I have not personally tried any of the others. Feel free to leave a few comments or suggestions!
