Nine Ways To Tour Sydney Without Going Broke

9 Ways To Save Money While Having A Great Time in Sydney

Sydney is known as one of the most amazing cities in the world, and also one of the most expensive. When visiting Australia, Sydney is a can’t-miss destination, but you don’t necessarily have to break the bank while there. Here are a few tips to help save money while you’re visiting Sydney.

Free Attractions: Some of the best aspects of Sydney lie within the natural beauty within the city. There are coastal walks, beaches, the harbour, Botanical Gardens and National Parks that you can visit and roam around in for free. One way to get a lot of sightseeing done within a day is renting a bike – it’s cheap and will allow you to move around Syndey with no care for traffic or expensive parking.

Go Card Benefits: So this isn’t necessarily free, but basically with a TransLink go card, if you pay for 9 rides between Monday and Sunday, you get the rest of the week free on the card. This is excellent if you’d like to go a long distance on the weekend, as the fares are dependent upon how far you go.

Family Funday Sunday: On Sunday, a public transportation ticket costs only $2.50 per family member and you’ll be able to travel as far as you like. It covers metro areas inside and outside Sydney, including light rail, ferry, bus or train. Family Sunday deal is excellent for day trips – you can go to the mountains, the South Coast, or New Castle.

The 555 Bus: This city bus is, you guessed it, completely free. It makes loops around the city, and if you can spot it, you can hop on and off while exploring the city. This is an excellent strategy for getting around Sydney, but remember that it won’t reach all attractions – plan your day around its stops, and you’ll surely see lots of the city in a single day.

BYO Restaurants: There are several of these in Sydney, and with an abundance of bottle shops, you can pick up a bottle (or two) of wine before dinner, saving you a substantial amount of money. Just look up “byo” in whatever neighbourhood you’d like to go out to for the night, and you’ll find a place that offers byo—sans corkage fee.

iVenture Card: This is a card that grants free entry to many popular tourist destinations in Sydney. You can also count on special offers and discounts for a variety of places. Practically every major tourist destination offers a card like that – it’s an investment, but if you count how much you’d spend on entry tickets when bought separately, you’ll instantly see that it’s an excellent deal.

Skip the Exchange Counter: Forget the currency exchange; you’ll get a far better rate from an ATM or using your card for transactions. In case you’re not sure how much your bank charges for cash withdrawals abroad or what are the exchange rates for payments made in Australian dollars, just reach out to your bank. This is important, so you better get yourself informed or you risk losing some money.

Find the Right Accommodation Options: It’s clear that once you travel to a different city, most of your expenses will cover accommodation. That’s also where you can save most of your money – and Sydney has many accommodation options to cater to all your needs and requirements. Before you depart, have a look not only at hotel or hostel websites, but also on pages like this one on Gumtree. It’s a really smart way to find great accommodation at a reasonable price.

Go Grocery Shopping: Meals at restaurants in Sydney can range anywhere from 40-70 per person and with prices like that, it’s nearly impossible to imagine sustaining all of your meals for more than a few days. Here’s a pro tip, purchase groceries at least for two of your meals and then treat yourself to one meal out. Another tip is enjoying an “aperitivo” at your hotel or hostel, so that you can share just a couple of entrees or a main whilst at dinner.

Whatever you decide to do, it’s important to enjoy all of the different things Sydney has to offer. After all, traveling through one of the world’s most famous cities warrants a bit of celebration!

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About The Author:  Marleen Clover is a frequent business traveller and part of the team behind Timeo. She visited Australia 2 years ago for the first time and instantly fell in love with the country.
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