Hobart Transportation

Getting There:

By Air: Hobart International Airport (HBA) (+61 3 6216 1600; http://www.hobartairpt.com.au/) serves Tasmania. Airlines include:

Quantas (+61 604 279 6611/ http://www.qantas.com) Regional Express (http://www.regionalexpress.com.au) Virgin Blue (+ 61 7 3295 2296/ http://www.virginblue.com.au/) Jetstar (+61 3 8341 4901/ http://airlines.ws/jetstar.htm) King Island Airlines (+61 03 9580 3777; http://www.kingisland.org.au/) Tas Air (+61 1800 062 900; http://www.tasair.com.au) Airlines of Tasmania (+61 1800 144 460; http://www.airtasmania.com.au/)

For international travelers, there are no direct flights to Hobart. However, the city is easily accessed through mainland Australia airports, Melbourne and Sydney. Melbourne International Airport (MLB) (+61 3 9297 1600/ http://www.melair.com.au)

Regional Airlines:

Jetstar (+61 3 8341 4901/ http://airlines.ws/jetstar.htm) O'Connor Airlines (+61 8 8723 0666 http://www.oconnor-airlines.com.au) Qantas Airways ( +1 604 279 6611/ http://www.qantas.com ) Regional Express (+61 2 6393 5550 http://www.regionalexpress.com.au/) Virgin Blue (+ 61 7 3295 2296/ http://www.virginblue.com.au/)

International Airlines:

Air China ( http://www.airchina.com/) Air New Zealand (+1 800 262 1234/ http://www.airnewzealand.com) Air Pacific (+679 672 0888/ http://www.airpacific.com/) American Airlines ( +1 800 433 7300/ http://www.aa.com ) Australian Airlines (+ 1300 799 798/ http://www.australianairlines.com.au) British Airways ( +1 800 247 9297/ http://www.british-airways.com ) Japan Airlines ( +1 800 525 3663/ http://www.japanair.com ) Lufthansa ( +1 800 645 3880/ http://www.lufthansa.com ) Qantas ( +1 604 279 6611/ http://www.qantas.com ) Thai Airways (+1 800 426 5204/ http://www.thaiair.com/) United ( +1 800 241 6522/ http://www.ual.com ) Virgin Atlantic ( +1 800 862 8621/ http://www.virgin-atlantic.com)

Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport (+61 2 9667 9111/ http://www.sydneyairport.com.au ) is Australia's premier gateway providing direct service and connections to several domestic and international destinations from 34 international and 7 domestic airlines including:

Air Canada (+61 1 300 655 767/ http://www.aircanada.ca ) Air China ( +61 2 9232 7277/ http://www.airchina.com.cn ) Air France ( +61 1 300 361 400/ http://www.airfrance.com ) Air New Zealand (+61 13 24 76/ http://www.airnewzealand.com.au ) Air Pacific ( +61 1 300 799 066/ http://www.airpacific.com ) Air Paradise (+61 1 300 799 066/ http://www.airparadise.com.au ) Alliance Airlines (+61 1 300 130 092/ http://www.allianceairlines.com.au ) Australian Airlines (+61 1 300 799 798/ http://www.australianairlines.com.au ) British Airways ( +61 2 8904 8800/ http://www.british-airways.com ) China Airlines +61 2 9244 2121/ http://www.china-airlines.com ) Emirates (+61 1 300 303 777/ http://www.emirates.com ) Hawaiian Airlines ( +61 2 9244 2377/ http://www.hawaiianairlines.com.au ) Japan Airlines ( +61 2 9272 1111/ http://www.jal.co.jp ) Korean Air ( +61 2 9262 6000/ http://www.koreanair.com ) Pacific Blue ( +61 13 16 45/ http://www.pacificblue.com.au ) Qantas ( 13 13 13/ http://www.qantas.com ) United Airlines ( 13 17 77/ http://www.ual.com ) Virgin Atlantic ( +61 2 9244 2747/ http://www.virgin-atlantic.com )

By Cruise Ship:

Cruise Tasmania (http://www.cruisetasmania.com/bookings.html) Spirit of Tasmania (I, II, III) (http://www.discovertasmania.com/home/index.cfm?SiteID=565). A shuttle bus operated by TassiLink Coaches transports passengers sailing on Spirit of Tasmania I, II and III. Call +61 1300 653 633 for details.

Getting Around:

Rental Car companies include:

Avis ( + 61 3 9338 1800/ http//:www.avis.com.au ) Budget ( + 61 3 9338 6955 /http//:www.budget.com.au ) Europcar (+ 61 3 9241 6800/ http://www.europcar.com.au) Hertz ( + 61 3 9338 4044/ http://www.hertz.com.au) Thrifty (+61 3 9241 6100/ http//:www.thrifty.com.au) Campervans Online (http://www.campervansonline.com/)

Taxi Services include:

Prestige Taxis Maxi Taxi Services

By Ferry:

Maria Island Ferry (+61 0427 100 104; http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/natparks/maria/access.html) Bruny Island Ferry (+61 6273 6725)

By Public Bus:

Tassielink Regional Coaches (http://www.tigerline.com.au/tassielink.htm) Redline Coaches (http://www.redlinecoaches.com.au/) Mersey Link Bus Service (http://www.merseylink.com.au/)

Planning a Trip

Getting There

The trip from the airport to the city center takes about 20 minutes and costs about A$40 (US$36/£18) by taxi. The Airporter Shuttle Bus (tel. 0419/382 240 or 0419/383 462 mobile phones) meets planes and delivers passengers to hotels in the city and farther afield for A$13 (US$12/£5.85) one-way or A$21 (US$19/£9.45) round-trip to the city center for adults and A$5.50 (US$4.95/£2.45) each way for kids. If you are departing Hobart on an early flight (6am, 6:30am, or 7:25am), you need to make a booking by 8pm the previous evening.

Car- and camper-rental offices at the airport include Avis (tel. 03/6248 5424), Budget (tel. 1300/362 848 in Australia, or 03/6248 5333), Hertz (tel. 03/6237 1155), Thrifty (tel. 1300/367 227 in Australia), or locally owned Advance (tel. 1800/030 118 in Australia; www.advancecars.com.au). Cars cost around A$55 (US$50/£25) for 1 day, A$50 (US$45/£23) per day for 2 days, A$45 (US$41/£20) per day for 4 days, and A$40 (US$36/£18) per day for a week or more. You might find even better bargains in town, with lower-priced rental companies such as Lo-Cost Auto Rent (tel. 03/6231 0550) and Range Rent-a-Bug (tel. 03/6231 0300).

Visitor Information

Information is available from the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre, 20 Davey St. at Elizabeth St. (tel. 03/6230 8233; www.hobarttravelcentre.com.au). It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm, weekends and public holidays from 9am to 5pm (closed Christmas Day). You can pick up information on the state's national parks at the Parks & Wildlife Service, 134 Macquarie St. (tel. 03/6233 2270).

City Layout

Hobart straddles the Derwent River on the south coast of Tasmania. Salamanca Place and nearby Battery Point abut Sullivan's Cove, home to hundreds of yachts. The row of sandstone warehouses that dominate Salamanca Place date to the city's heyday as a whaling base in the 1830s. Behind Princes Wharf, Battery Point is the city's historic district, which in colonial times was the home of sailors, fishermen, whalers, coopers, merchants, shipwrights, and master mariners. The open ocean is about 50km (31 miles) down the river, though the Derwent empties into Storm Bay, just 20km (12 miles) downstream. The central business district is on the west side of the water, with the main thoroughfares -- Campbell, Argyle, Elizabeth, Murray, and Harrington streets -- sloping down to the busy harbor. The Tasman Bridge and regular passenger ferries cross the Derwent River. Set back from and overlooking the city is 1,270m-tall (4,166-ft.) Mount Wellington.

Getting Around

Central Hobart is very small, and most of the attractions are in easy walking distance. Metro Tasmania (tel. 03/6233 4232 or 13 22 01; www.metrotas.com.au) operates public buses throughout the city and suburban areas. Single tickets cost A$2 to A$4.50 (US$1.80-US$4.05/UK90p-£2) depending on how far you're going. Day Rover tickets are good after 9am weekdays and all day on weekends; they cost A$5 (US$4.50/£2.25). A family day ticket costs A$13 (US$12/£5.85). Purchase tickets from bus drivers.

Staying Connected

It's relatively hard to find public Web access in Hobart. One of the few Internet cafes is Drifters Internet Café, in Salamanca Galleria, Shop 9/33, Salamanca Place (tel. 03/6224 6286). They charge A$1 (US90¢/UK45p) for 10 minutes or A$5 (US$4.50/£2.25) per half-hour.

Special Events

The Sydney-to-Hobart Yacht Race, starting in Sydney on December 26, fills the Constitution Dock Marina and harbor area close to overflowing with spectators and partygoers when the yachts turn up in Tasmania. The race takes anywhere from 2 to 4 days, and the sailors and fans stay on to celebrate New Year's Eve. Food and wine lovers indulge themselves after the race during the Hobart Summer Festival, which starts on December 28.