Darwin, Northern Territory — Travel Tips
Getting There By Air
DarwinInternationalAirport(DRW)
Tel: (08) 8920 1811.
Website: www.darwin-airport.com.au
Darwin International Airport is located 13km (8 miles) from the city center. It is the main international and domestic gateway to the Northern Territory.
Approximate flying time from London is 21 hours, usually with a stop over in Singapore or Bali. Several no-frills airlines serve the city.
Airport facilities include ATMs, bureau de change, left luggage, restaurants, bars, shops and car hire (Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty). There are also a couple of hotels on site: the Darwin Airport Resort (tel: (08) 8920 3333; www.darwinairportresort.com.au) and the Darwin Airport Inn (tel: (08) 8920 7800; www.darwinairportinn.com.au).
Darwin Airport Shuttle Bus (tel: (08) 8981 5066) meets all flights and connects the airport with city hotels. The trip into the city takes around 15 minutes.
Getting There By Road
Traffic in Australia drives on the left side of the road and highways are numbered, although they are more commonly known by name. The minimum age for driving is 16 years. Foreign driving licenses are valid for up to one year - an International Driving Permit is recommended for longer visits. Insurance for temporarily imported overseas motor vehicles is generally not available, although RACWA does offer a tourist insurance policy (excluding left-hand drive vehicles). Outback nothern Australia is extremely dry and hot for most of the year and drivers planning to cross long distances are advised to take a large supply of drinking water, in addition to fuel, spare tires and an emergency kit.
Emergency breakdown services
Automobile Association of the Northern Territory (AANT) (tel: 131 111; www.aant.com.au).
Routes to the city
It's 1,480km (920 miles) to Darwin from Alice Springs, along the desolate Stuart Highway. From the east, the Barkly Highway connects with the Stuart Highway at Tennant Creek, 922km (572 miles) south of Darwin. From the west, the Victoria Highway joins the Stuart Highway at Katherine, 314km (195 miles) south of Darwin.
Getting There By Rail
Train links to Darwin are limited.
Rail Services
Darwin train station is situated about 20 minutes drive south of the city center and only serves The Ghan, the iconic luxury train which travels the 2,979km (1,851 miles) to Adelaide via Alice Springs.
Rail Operators
Contact Great Southern Railways (tel: (08) 8213 4592 or 132 147; www.gsr.com.au) for more information.
Connections
From Adelaide - 52 hours; Alice Springs - 23 hours.
Getting Around in Darwin, Northern Territory
Public Transport
Darwin Bus Service (DBS) (tel: (08) 8924 7666; www.nt.gov.au) runs the local buses. The city terminal is located on Harry Chan Avenue (near Bennett Street end of the Smith Street Mall). The suburban Casuarina terminal is in Bradshaw Terrace, and the suburban Palmerston terminal is on the edge of the Palmerston Shopping Center.
You can buy single tickets on buses and a one-day Show&Go Daily or weekly Show&Go Weekly, at newsagents and bus terminals.
Taxis
The main taxi company is Darwin Radio Taxis (tel: (08) 8985 0705 or 131 008), or try City Radio Taxis (tel: (08) 8981 3777).
Car Hire
Car hire companies include Avis (tel: (08) 8981 9922, www.avis.com.au), Budget (tel: (08) 8981 9800; www.budget.com.au), Europcar (tel: (08) 8941 0300; www.europcar.com.au) and Hertz (tel: (08) 8941 0944, www.hertz.com.au).
Bicycle Hire
It's fairly easy to travel by bicycle in the area, and hotels and hostels offer bicycles for rent.
