Sydney is Australia's most international gateway and an outstanding base for road trips. The Blue Mountains are 90 minutes west. The Hunter Valley wine country is two hours north. The South Coast — arguably Australia's finest coastal driving — begins 90 minutes south of the city. And the Pacific Highway north to Byron Bay is one of the country's great multi-day drives.

Picking up your hire car in Sydney

  • Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) — the Domestic and International terminals both have car hire desks in arrivals. Most major Australian suppliers (Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty, Europcar, Redspot) are represented. Off-airport suppliers offer cheaper rates but require a shuttle transfer.
  • City centre pick-up — Several suppliers operate from the CBD (Elizabeth Street and Sussex Street are the main locations). Useful for a clean Sydney city stay before your road trip begins.
  • Toll roads: Sydney has extensive electronic tolling on major routes (Harbour Tunnel, M1, M2, M5, M7). Most hire cars include an e-TAG pass — confirm when booking to avoid administration fees.

Driving in and around Sydney

  • Drive on the left. Speed limits: 110 km/h motorways, 80–100 km/h state highways, 50 km/h urban, 40 km/h school zones.
  • Speed cameras and red-light cameras are extensive throughout NSW — strictly observed.
  • Sydney Harbour Bridge and Harbour Tunnel have tolls; included in most hire car TAG agreements.
  • Parking in Sydney CBD is expensive (up to AUD$80/day in some CBD car parks). Use the Pyrmont/Darling Harbour car parks for cheaper central parking.
  • Driving in the Blue Mountains at night: be aware of wombats, wallabies and echidnas on the road — extremely dangerous to swerve.

Where to go — best drives from Sydney

Blue Mountains (1.5 hrs west) — the Great Western Highway climbs from Sydney through Penrith and into the eucalyptus-blue ranges. The Cliff Drive from Katoomba past the Three Sisters to Leura is magnificent. Hunter Valley (2 hrs north) — Australia's oldest wine region. The back roads through Cessnock to Pokolbin pass cellar door after cellar door with outstanding semillon and shiraz. Royal National Park & South Coast (1 hr south) — the Lawrence Hargrave Drive (via Sea Cliff Bridge) just south of Sydney is one of Australia's most photographed coastal roads. Continue south to Kiama and beyond for perfect NSW south coast beaches. Sydney Northern Beaches circuit — Manly to Palm Beach via Collaroy and Narrabeen takes 45 minutes of coastline entirely different to Bondi.

Great road trip: The drive from Sydney to Byron Bay (8–10 hrs, best done in 3 days) via the Pacific Highway, Port Stephens, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour is one of Australia's definitive coastal journeys.
Price tip: Sydney is one of the world's most competitive car hire markets — always compare at least 4–5 suppliers before booking. Local and regional companies often undercut the big brands significantly.
Book for Sydney now: Compare live prices from 900+ suppliers at Sydney car hire. Prices from $35/day. No booking fees.