Driving past Sydney

[slug Member Find all posts View Profile Close slug]

Gday all,

sorry if this is in the wrong spot, wasnt quite sure where i should post. Anyway, im taking off tommorrow to see some family in NSW. On Monday i had planned to leave Wollongong at 7 or 8am, drive north, past Sydney then onto Tamworth, possibly up via Maitland, Singleton etc etc. However, it just dawned on me I could be hitting Sydney at peak hour. Can anyone inform me if the ring roads or whatever Sydney has will be doable at that time?

Cheers

[Jez84 Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Jez84]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Hey mate,

I did a similar trip last Tuesday and I left South Sydney at 6 and it was starting to get busy. You either want to be heading past the city at 0630 or wait till after 9.30 (leaving the gong at 8.45ish). It might be worth you taking the M7 and bypass the city though. I'm not sure on the traffic that way.

hope that helps.

Jez.

[slug Member Find all posts View Profile Close slug]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Gday Jez,

thanks mate, exactly what i was after!

With mention of a specific roads i thought id better have a closer look, wow, perhaps it wont be as straight forward as i thought! :roll:

Thanks

[Signature035 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Signature035]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Saturday morning around the city will be busy..... stay away.

Jump on the M7, do the loop around, costs a bit, but by far easier, hop off on Pennant Hills Rd, then onto the F3 up the coast.......

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Best to avoid the city and take the M7. If you want to cut the time further, hop onto the M2 as well.

If you're not in much of a rush and want to avoid tolls, then take the Cumberland Hwy, then Pennant Hills Rd as per this Google Map
http://maps.google.com.au/maps?f=d&sour ... 66483&z=11

[slug Member Find all posts View Profile Close slug]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Thanks fellas,

So M7, onto M2 onto F3, toll roads? I am keen to get up north, only have a few days so quickest most painless route is my preference......

Is this likely to be hell Monday morning or do these flow ok? Id like to leave the gong as early as possible but can only get the hire car from 7am.

Cheers

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Hire car complicates things a bit. Have you got an etag? If you do, just hold it up everytime you go through a toll gate. There are no toll booths on the M7.

The M7 should be fairly smooth. On the M2, by the time you exit at Pennant Hills Rd, you won't see the peak hour traffic. Then you'll hit traffic lights on Pennant hills Rd until you hit Pacific Hwy.

Edit: Toll charges are
M7 $6.83
M2 $2.20
Assuming you have an etag.

[slug Member Find all posts View Profile Close slug]

Re: Driving past Sydney

thanks amts, thats tops, in Vic you have a day or to to ring up and pay over the phone or net if you dont have an etag, can you do that in nsw?

thanks again all!

[Guest Close Guest]

Re: Driving past Sydney

This is where it gets complicated with hire cars.
When etags first came out, Avis would not let me drive on the toll roads without hiring their etag. And hiring their etag was expensive. I'm not sure how it is now but I went to Gold Coast recently and hired through Avis but did not tell them that I was going through toll roads. I brought my etag and used it and no problems.

I think the problems start when you don't have an etag and you drive through and the toll authorities contact the hire car company and report that particular number plate going through the toll gate. Some hire car companies have etags in their cars. Others have the number plate registered with the etag company. Then you have e-toll which does not allow hire cars to have e-tags. Yes you can buy toll passes and yes you can ring up after you have used the toll road to pay for it.

Best to check with your rental company and the toll road operator before hand. It could be simple and maybe I'm just complicating it for you ops:

[MDS69 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MDS69]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Thanks fellas,

So M7, onto M2 onto F3, toll roads? I am keen to get up north, only have a few days so quickest most painless route is my preference......

Is this likely to be hell Monday morning or do these flow ok? Id like to leave the gong as early as possible but can only get the hire car from 7am.

Cheers

M roads = motorway = tolls :evil:
F roads = freeway = free
Stay away from the M7 until around 8.30am especially the M7/M2 junction at the northern end of the M7. From around 6.15am it is a crawl.
M5/M7 junction at the south end of the M7 can be painful from around 6.30am.
M7 you have 48hrs to pay
M2 still has cash booths
Your best bet would be to pick up your hire car, go and have breakfast and leave the 'gong about 8-8.30am IMO

[slug Member Find all posts View Profile Close slug]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Thanks guys, i appreciate that very much. Im going to leave it a bit before heading off in the morning and take what comes, thanks again!

[wes Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close wes]

Re: Driving past Sydney

Pity i wasnt home over the weekend as i would have met up with you and suggested that M6(silverwater road) would have been just as good.I usually leave West Dapto around 6.30 -7 am and it seems to be hit and miss traffic wise at the best of times even to get to North Ryde.Hope you had a good trip up and also hope the family issue isnt too bad.