Transportation
Travel options to get to and from UNSW
Light rail
You can catch the light rail from Circular Quay to Randwick or Kingsford. The L2 Randwick line has a stop at UNSW Gate 9 on High Street for the upper campus. The L3 Kingsford line has a stop near University Mall on Anzac Parade for the lower campus. High frequency services mean you can just turn up and go.
Bus
Express bus services operate between UNSW and Central station.
The 891 express departs from Eddy Avenue, Stand D at Central and has two stops at UNSW on High Street, opposite Gate 2 and Gate 8.
The 893 express departs from Gate 3 on High Street and the 898 express departs from Gate 8 on High Street. Both services have one stop at Eddy Avenue at Central station. At this time the UNSW express bus services (891, 893 and 898) will continue to operate on the holiday timetable.
More information
For more information on public transport options available, including light rail, please visit Transport for NSW Info.
You can also visit Getting here on the UNSW Estate Management website for further transport information and to plan your trip.
Planning your trip
Sydney Opal Cards
Opal is the smartcard ticketing system used to pay for travel on public transport in Sydney, the Blue Mountains, Central Coast, the Hunter and the Illawarra. Add value before you travel and tap on and off to pay your fare.
Where can I buy an Opal card?
You can buy your cards from retail outlets or online. You can find a complete list of these here. Cards are not available for purchase on buses or Opal machines at train stations, and ferry wharves only sell single-use tickets.
The primary locations for visitors to purchase cards include:
Sydney Airport – You can buy cards at Newslink or WH Smith bookshops at either terminal. You can also buy them at the Airport stations. This post on taking the train from Sydney Airport will help you master this trip like a local.
Near city train stations – The only train stations that sell Opal cards are the two airport stations. Most regular stations will have a newsagent or convenience store nearby where you can buy a card.
- Circular Quay – Transport shop just outside the entry
- Town Hall – Woolworths Town Hall 2 – George Street Sydney
- Central Station – Newslink kiosks around the station – there are at least 5
- Wynyard Station – Newslink Wynyard Station – The Concourse, Wynyard or Woolworths Met Centre.
Supermarkets, newsagents and convenience Stores – Woolworths supermarkets are a great place to top up. Many news agencies and convenience stores such as 7Eleven and EzyMart located around the city and suburbs also sell the cards. You will see an Opal sticker in the window of places that provide cards or top-ups.
Can I use my credit or debit card instead of buying an Opal card?
Yes, you can! That is what I do, but if you do, you need to be careful to use the same card every trip if you want to get weekly or daily cap benefits. You will also need to use a different card for each traveller.
Provided you use the same card every day, you will get the same benefits as an Opal, i.e. daily or weekly caps or off-peak price reductions.
Children or concession cardholders will still need an Opal card to access reduced fares.
If you are an Overseas traveller you may be charged foreign transaction fees by your bank, so an Opal card might still be the best idea if you are taking more than a couple of trips.
Find out more about contactless payments here.