Essential Information

Public Transportation

Buses Canberra's buses are orange and blue and operate everyday. Tickets can be purchased on board from the driver or from ACTION Ticket Agents (most Canberra newsagents). ACTION's buses are one of the best ways to tour Canberra and its attractions. 13 17 10

Taxis:
Canberra Cabs 13 2227

Car rentals
Canberra hire-car companies:
Avis 6239 1022
Hertz 13 30 39
Europcar 13 13 90
Thrifty 6247 7422
Budget 6257 2200

Airlines
JetStar 13 13 13
Virgin Blue 13 67 89
Regional Express 13 17 13
Corporate Air Canberra 6248 6766
Brindabella Airlines 6248 8711

Countrylink Reservations: 132 232

Opening hours:
Shops: Monday-Friday 9am-5:30pm; Saturday 9am-4pm. Late-night shopping until 9pm on Friday. Large stores open Sunday until 4pm. Suburban corner shops often open daily 8am-8pm or later.
Banks: Monday - Thursday 9:30am-4pm; Friday 9:30am-5pm Hotels: Pub licensing hours are generally 10am-11pm.
Museums and galleries: Generally daily 10am-5pm. Some close on one day of the week and hours may vary from day to day.
Casino Canberra: 12noon-6am 7 days

Public holidays

1 January (New Years day), 26 January (Australia Day), 21 March (Canberra Day), Good Friday, Easter Monday, 25 April (Anzac Day), 2nd Monday in June (Queen's Birthday), 1st Monday in October (Labour Day), 25-6 December (Christmas & Boxing Day).

Tourist Information

The Canberra Visitor's Centre, 330 Northbourne Avenue, Dickson: 1300 554 114
National Capital Exhibition, Regatta Point; 6257 1068

Climate

Canberra has hot summers and cold winters. Average summer maximums are 27oC and minimums 13C; average winter maximums are 12C and minimums 1C. Average rainfall of 800 mm is evenly distributed throughout the year.

Currency

The Australian unit of currency is the Australian dollar (A$), comprising 100 cents. Banknotes come in A$100, A$50, A$20, A$10 and A$5 denominations. Coins come in 5¢, 10¢, 20¢ and 50¢ (silver), and A$1 and A$2 (gold-coloured).
Major credit cards (American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Diner's Club) are widely accepted.
Most types and currencies of travellers' cheques can be cashed at the airport, banks, larger hotels and many shops, or after hours at Casino Canberra 12noon to 6am 7 days.

Telephones

Public telephones are found on street corners, near post offices, hotels, service stations, shops, railway and bus stations, and cafes. Long-distance calls within Australia are priced according to distance. Calls are cheaper after 6pm and on weekends. Local calls are 40c. Phonecards come in values of A$2 to A$20; credit cards can also be used from some (silver) phones. International (ISD) calls can be made from your hotel and certain public telephones by dialing 0011, followed by the country codes: UK - 44; France - 33; Germany - 49; USA and Canada - 1. For international enquiries (such as time differences and costs) 0102. To book an operator-connected call 0101.

Post offices & postage

Post offices are generally open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. The Canberra GPO hours are Mon-Fri 8:15am-5:30pm. Larger post offices provide services such as lettergrams, fax facilities and email.

GETTING AROUND

Canberra Cabs
Wheelchair accessible taxis, high occupancy taxis, EFTPOS, credit and charge card facilities for your convience
Ph: 13 22 27 or 13 10 08

Action Buses
Ph: 13 17 10
www.action.act.gov.au

Tourist Information Canberra Tourism and Events
www.canberratourism.com.au