Getting There

The trip from the airport to the city center takes about 20 minutes and costs about A$25 (US$20/UK£10) by taxi. The Airporter Shuttle Bus (tel. 0419/382 240 mobile, or 0419/383 462 mobile) meets planes and delivers passengers to hotels in the city and farther afield for A$12 (US$9.60/UK£4.80) one-way to the city center for adults (A$20/US$16/UK£8 both ways) and A$6 (US$4.80/UK£2.40) one-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 Hertz (tel. 03/6237 1155), Advance (tel. 1800/030 118 in Australia), Avis (tel. 03/6248 5424), Budget (tel. 1300/362 848 in Australia, or 03/6248 5333), and Thrifty (tel. 1800/030 730 in Australia, or 03/6234 1341). Cars cost around A$55 (US$44/UK£22) for 1 day, A$50 (US$40/UK£20) per day for 2 days, A$45 (US$36/UK£18) per day for 4 days, and A$40 (US$32/UK£16) 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. 1800/030 023 in Australia, or 03/6231 0550) and Range Rent-a-Bug (tel. 03/6231 0300).

Staying Connected

It's relatively hard to find public Web access in Hobart, but you can try Drifters Internet Café, in Salamanca Galleria, Shop 9/33 Salamanca Place (tel. 03/6224 6286). The cafe charges A$5 (US$4/UK£2) per half-hour.

Visitor Information

Information is available from the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre, 20 Davey St. (tel. 03/6230 8233). It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:15pm, Saturday and public holidays from 9am to 4pm, and Sunday from 9am to 1pm (9am-4pm Dec-Apr). You can pick up information on the state's national parks at the Lands Information Bureau, 134 Macquarie St. (tel. 03/6233 8011).

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) operates public buses throughout the city and suburban areas. Single tickets cost A$1.90 to A$4.30 (US$1.50-US$3.40/UK£.75-UK£1.70) depending on how far you're going. Day Rover tickets are good between 9am and 4:30pm and after 6pm during the week and all day on weekends; they cost A$4.60 (US$3.70/UK£1.85). A family day ticket costs A$13 (US$10/UK£5). Purchase tickets from bus drivers. If you plan on busing about, stop at the Metro Shop, in the General Post Office building on the corner of Elizabeth and Macquarie streets, and pick up a timetable, brochures, and sightseeing information.

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 ships 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 2-month-long Hobart Summer Festival, which starts on December 28.