Sydney

Currency

Australia is almost completely cashless. Tap-and-go everywhere. If you need cash, exchange at the airport is actually decent (Travelex price match).

ATMs & cards

Big 4 bank ATMs (CBA, ANZ, NAB, Westpac) don’t charge local fees. Your bank’s overseas fee applies. Cash is rarely needed.

The big four charge no local fee. Pub machines charge A$2.50-3 and are everywhere in nightlife areas.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe city. Swim between the red and yellow flags at beaches. Wear sunscreen — Australian UV is no joke, even on cloudy days.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

Excellent. The UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Italy, Malta and Slovenia have reciprocal agreements giving their citizens access to Medicare for immediately necessary treatment; everyone else pays and should be insured.

Sun is the underrated one — the UV index is extreme by European standards. Swim between the flags; rip currents, not sharks, are what actually drown people.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Sydney is a food city. Try the fish market, eat Thai on King St (Newtown), and get flat whites everywhere — Australians invented them.

Getting around

• Opal card — tap-on/tap-off for trains, buses, ferries, light rail. Also tap bank card directly
• Trains — extensive network from city to suburbs and Blue Mountains
• Ferries — take the ferry to Manly Beach, best harbour views
• Walking — CBD, Circular Quay, Bondi coastal walk are all walkable
• Airport: Airport Link train to Central (13 min, A$18.70)

Must-see

Things to do

• Walk the Bondi to Coogee coastal trail
• Visit the Opera House
• Climb or walk across the Harbour Bridge
• Take the ferry to Manly Beach
• Explore The Rocks historic area
• Visit Taronga Zoo

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Australian English — local usage

• HelloHow ya going?
• Thanks / no problemNo worries
• AfternoonArvo
• Flip-flopsThongs
• SwimwearBathers / Togs
• Petrol stationServo
• BarbecueBarbie
• Genuinely goodBloody good

Religion

No majority faith

Roughly 40% report no religion, the largest single group. Aboriginal spiritual sites such as Uluru carry restrictions that are legal as well as cultural.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Sit in the front seat of a taxi if you are alone; sitting behind reads as standoffish
• Buy your round in turn — shouting is a genuine social obligation
• Swim between the red and yellow flags, always
• Wear sunscreen even on cloudy days; the UV is genuinely extreme

Don't

• Do not tip routinely; it is not expected and staff are paid properly
• Do not boast — tall poppy syndrome means standing out invites deflation
• Do not take Aboriginal cultural sites lightly; some are closed to climbing or photography
• Do not underestimate the sun, the surf or the distances