Getting to Newcastle
Located 150km north of Sydney, Newcastle is easily accessible by car, plane, bus and train and is easy to get around thanks to a great range of local public transport options and taxis. Getting to Newcastle is easy from a number of locations throughout Australia, particularly if you are travelling by car.
The four major highways that connect Newcastle to the rest Australia are the Pacific Highway, F3, New England Highway and the Golden Highway. Although the drive from Sydney to Newcastle is only about 2 hours, visitors who are driving from further away are advised to make rest stops approximately every 2 hours for 'driver revivers' to stretch their legs and avoid driver fatigue.
For visitors who intend to fly into Newcastle, the airport is serviced by Jetstar and Virgin Australia who both operate regular daily services from Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ballina, Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne. Conveniently located within half an hour of downtown Newcastle, the airport also offers direct shuttle transfers, car hire and taxi services.
As part of the New South Wales City Rail network, Newcastle is serviced by frequent daily return rail services from Sydney. However, for visitors arriving by rail from other parts of the country, the CountryLink rail service connects Newcastle to Brisbane, county New South Wales, Canberra and Melbourne via Broadmeadow station. Travel time by rail from Sydney to Newcastle is approximately two and a half to three hours.
Another convenient and affordable way to travel to Newcastle is via coach or bus. There are a number of coach companies that operate throughout Australia which regularly connect to Newcastle. However Greyhound is one of the most popular and operates from various locations between Brisbane and Sydney, stopping in Newcastle.
If you wish to have your own transport while holidaying in Newcastle, a number of hire companies offer rental cars from both the airport and within the city centre including Europcar, Budget and Thrifty.