Getting around Adelaide: public transport, passes and taxis

Adelaide's centre is a flat grid about 2 km across, ringed by parkland. If you are staying in the CBD or North Adelaide, you will walk more than you ride. The tram is the one line visitors use daily: it runs from the Entertainment Centre through the CBD to Glenelg beach, and part of the city stretch is free. Buses fill the gaps, and trains serve the suburbs, the Hills and Gawler.

Compare the modes on cost and time before you commit to a pass.

Adelaide's network runs on a stored-value smartcard, the metroCARD, plus contactless bank cards and phones on most services. You tap on when you board and tap off when you leave; the fare is calculated by zone and time of day. Fares are cheaper outside the morning and afternoon peaks, and a day pass usually pays for itself once you make three or more trips in a day.

If you are in town for a few days, load a metroCARD rather than buying singles each time. Short visits can often get by tapping a contactless card or phone. Seniors, students and children have concession rates, but you need the right card or proof of eligibility, so visitors generally pay full fare.

The free city loop buses and the free tram stretch through the CBD are the cheapest way to move between the museum, the markets, the riverbank and North Adelaide. Check the current boundaries of the free zone, because they have been adjusted before.

The tram is the simplest visitor route: CBD to Glenelg in roughly half an hour, with the beach at the end. It is also useful for the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and the riverbank precinct. Services run through the day and into the evening, but late-night frequency drops, so check the last tram back if you are staying at Glenelg.

Buses cover the parts the tram misses, including North Adelaide, the eastern suburbs and the beaches north of Glenelg. The free city loop is the one to remember for sightseeing inside the parklands. Trains are for longer hops: Gawler to the north, Belair and the Adelaide Hills to the south-east, and the suburban lines. Trains are less frequent than buses, especially on Sundays and public holidays.

For a day trip to Gawler or the Hills, a train plus a local bus or a rideshare from the station is usually cheaper than parking in the city.

Uber and DiDi operate across metropolitan Adelaide, and taxis are easy to find at the airport, the casino and the main nightlife strips. For a trip across the centre, expect roughly A$15–30; airport to CBD is about A$25–40 and 15–20 minutes outside peak traffic (2026 estimate). Late at night, rideshare is usually quicker than hailing a taxi.

There is no train link to Adelaide Airport, so plan on a bus, taxi or rideshare unless a hotel shuttle is included. See the airport transfer page for the current bus route and fare.

Renting a car makes sense only if you are heading out of the city: the Barossa and Clare valleys, the Adelaide Hills, the Fleurieu Peninsula and the Murray. Inside the CBD, parking is expensive and the tram and buses are faster. If you do drive, note that country roads have wildlife at dusk and that one-way rental fees apply if you drop the car in another city.

Adelaide's public transport is among the cheaper big-city networks in Australia. The figures below are 2026 estimates for an adult paying full fare; concession holders pay less. Treat them as a planning band, not a quote.

Adelaide is hot and dry in summer, so walking plans should include shade and water. In winter, rain makes the tram and buses more appealing than a long walk. The city is safe by day and generally at night in the centre, but the parklands are poorly lit after dark; stick to lit streets or take a rideshare.