Getting around Perth: public transport, passes and taxis

Use trains and buses if you are staying in the centre and sticking to the city, Fremantle and Cottesloe. Rent a car for the Swan Valley, the northern beaches, Yanchep or a Margaret River run. Rideshare (Uber, DiDi, Ola) fills the gaps at night and for the airport.

Perth's sprawl is the reason: the city runs about 100 km along the coast, and the rail lines radiate from the centre rather than connecting the suburbs to each other. A car turns a two-hour cross-town trip into 30 minutes; inside the CBD it is a liability because parking runs A$10–30 a day (2026 estimate).

Transperth runs the network. Trains are the backbone: lines to Fremantle, Midland, Armadale, Joondalup and Mandurah, plus the airport line, all converging on Perth station in the CBD. Buses cover everything the trains miss, including the beaches and the free CAT routes around the centre.

Fares are zone-based and cheap by Australian standards. You tap on and off with a contactless bank card, phone wallet or a SmartRider card; the system caps what you pay in a day, and weekend travel is capped lower (check current caps). Buy or top up a SmartRider at station machines or Transperth info centres if you want the small discount and don't want to rely on your bank card.

Trains run roughly 05:00 to midnight, with reduced service on Sundays and public holidays. After midnight, rideshare is the practical option. The free CAT buses loop the CBD, Northbridge and Elizabeth Quay during the day, which covers most of what a short-stay visitor wants to see.

Uber, DiDi and Ola all operate in Perth, and taxis are metered and plentiful at ranks outside the casino, Northbridge and the airport. For most trips inside 10 km, rideshare is cheaper and easier to book; taxis win at the airport rank and when you have luggage and no phone signal.

Expect A$45–60 from Perth Airport to the CBD by taxi or rideshare (2026 estimate), more at surge times. Trains on the airport line cost a fraction of that. Late at night, when trains stop, rideshare is the default; book before you leave a venue rather than hailing on a quiet street.

A rental car is the answer for the Swan Valley wineries, Yanchep and the Pinnacles, and for any Margaret River or Albany run. Rates sit around A$60–120 a day plus fuel at roughly A$2 a litre (2026 estimate). Drive on the left, watch for kangaroos at dusk outside the city, and check whether your contract excludes unsealed roads before you plan a gravel detour.

Parking in the CBD costs A$10–30 a day (2026 estimate); many hotels charge extra for it. Outside the centre, parking is usually free at beaches and train stations, which makes park-and-ride a sensible pattern for day trips.

For Rottnest Island, ferries leave from Fremantle and from Barrack Street jetty in the CBD; the island itself is car-free, so you walk or cycle. A ferry also links the CBD with South Perth across the river.

A car-free day in the centre is cheap: a few dollars in fares, capped, plus walking. A car day costs A$60–120 in rental plus fuel and parking, so it only pays off if you are covering distance or splitting it between three or four people. Rideshare is the middle option and the one most visitors use at night.

Budget roughly A$10–15 a day for public transport, A$30–60 for a rideshare-heavy day, or A$100+ for a rental car day with parking (2026 estimates).

Stay near a train station if you plan to skip the car; the difference between a 10-minute walk and a 30-minute bus ride shapes the whole trip. Keep a contactless card or phone wallet ready for tapping, and check the day cap so you don't overpay for short hops.

Perth is hot and spread out, so plan around the middle of the day in summer: travel early, rest, then head out again in the evening. If you are heading further afield, the same logic applies across the country.