Car hire and driving in Sydney
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Australia traffic drives on the left. Picking up at SYD means 9 km (6 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2806478.
Drives from Sydney
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney to Central Coast | Australia | 51 km (32 mi) | about 41 min |
| Sydney to Wollongong | Australia | 68 km (42 mi) | about 56 min |
| Sydney to Newcastle | Australia | 117 km (73 mi) | about 1 h 35 min |
| Sydney to Canberra | Australia | 247 km (153 mi) | about 3 h 21 min |
| Sydney to Gold Coast | Australia | 686 km (426 mi) | about 9 h 18 min |
| Sydney to Toowoomba | Australia | 705 km (438 mi) | about 9 h 33 min |
| Sydney to Bendigo | Australia | 706 km (438 mi) | about 9 h 34 min |
| Sydney to Melbourne | Australia | 713 km (443 mi) | about 9 h 40 min |
| Sydney to Logan City | Australia | 716 km (445 mi) | about 9 h 42 min |
| Sydney to Brisbane | Australia | 733 km (455 mi) | about 9 h 56 min |
| Sydney to Geelong | Australia | 778 km (483 mi) | about 10 h 33 min |
| Sydney to Ballarat | Australia | 781 km (485 mi) | about 10 h 35 min |
| Sydney to Adelaide | Australia | 1,162 km (722 mi) | about 15 h 45 min |
| Sydney to Sunshine Coast | Australia | 822 km (511 mi) | about 11 h 8 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Sydney?
The left, as everywhere in Australia.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.