Visiting Adelaide

How do you get around Adelaide without a car? It’s easy, with Adelaide Metro’s bus, tram and train network. If you’re in the city centre, there are free services to help you explore the most popular attractions.

Learn more: How to get to and from Adelaide Airport

Is there free public transport in Adelaide?

There is a free City Connector bus service in the city centre. It has two routes and each has buses going in clockwise and anticlockwise directions. The 98A/98C loop covers the city centre and North Adelaide and is available 7 days a week. The 99A/99C loop covers the city centre and is available Monday-Friday.

On Adelaide’s trams you can travel in the city centre free of charge. The free tram zone in Adelaide is from the South Terrace, along North Terrace and continues to the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

What do I need to use public transport in Adelaide?

Visitor metroCARD

A Visitor metroCARD is $27.20

  • Three days in a row of unlimited travel at any time on buses, trains and trams in the greater Adelaide metropolitan area
  • It could save you 20-50% on public transport costs compared to MetroTicket or other metroCARD options
  • Available to buy from the Adelaide Metro InfoCentre at the Adelaide Railway Station on North Terrace, Adelaide.

After your three days have finished, you can recharge and use your Visitor metroCARD like a normal one, paying regular Adelaide Metro fares. You can recharge metroCARDs online, at vending machines on-board trains, trams and at interchanges, or at many retailers across Adelaide.

Order a Visitor metroCARD

Cruise ship metroCARD

A Cruise ship metroCARD is $10 (or $5 for eligible Australian concession card holders).

  • One full day of unlimited travel at any time on buses, trains and trams in the greater Adelaide metropolitan area
  • Available to buy from the Outer Harbor railway station, near where your ship docks, or the Adelaide Metro InfoCentre at the Adelaide Railway Station on North Terrace, Adelaide
  • You need to have your cruise ship pass with you to buy or travel with a Cruise ship metroCARD
  • Two children up to the age of 15 can travel for free when they are with an adult who is using a Cruise ship metroCARD.

Interstate seniors card

Anyone with a valid Australian state or territory Seniors Card can use Adelaide Metro for free for 14 days in a row, during the following times:

  • Monday to Friday
    • midnight to 7am
    • 9:01am to 3pm
    • 7:01pm to midnight
  • all day Saturday, Sunday and public holidays.

A concession fare is required from 7am to 9am and 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday.

For more information on concession pricing see our Adelaide Metro fares page.

Order an interstate seniors 14-day free travel ticket

Your credit card or smart device

Adelaide Metro tap and pay is now available on trams and and O-Bahn buses, and these easy ways to pay will be available on all Adelaide Metro buses by mid-2023. Learn more:  Easy ways to pay on buses

The Adelaide Airport buses (J1 and J2) are O-Bahn buses that pass through the city centre, so you can use the smart validators on board to pay for your trip from the Adelaide Airport to the city with your Visa or Mastercard credit/debit card or enabled smart device. Please note:

  • you may not be able to transfer to other vehicles with your Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay ticket at the end of your trip
  • you cannot buy more than one Adelaide Metro Tap and Pay ticket with one credit/debit card or smart device. To buy multiple tickets you will need multiple cards and/or smart devices.

A friendly reminder

Adelaide Metro wants all passengers to have a safe journey. Sometimes services need to stop or slow down suddenly. Please remain seated until your bus, train or tram has arrived and you can get off safely.

How do I use the Adelaide Metro validators?

You need to tap your metroCARD on the front of the yellow validator each time you board a bus, train or tram (unless you are catching a free bus or tram service). If you have a paper MetroTicket, look for the red ticket hole on top of the validator and insert your ticket with the arrows facing down and the black stripe facing you.

Adelaide Metro trams and O-Bahn buses have been fitted with new yellow smart validators which accept both metroCARDs and credit cards (Visa or Mastercard). You can tap your metroCARD, credit/debit card or smart device on the payment panel at the bottom of these validators.

If you’re catching a train, you’ll need to tap your metroCARD or insert your MetroTicket at the barrier gates of some stations to access the platform.

Hold the metroCARD in front of the validator or the mark on barrier gates (or insert your ticket) and wait for the light and/or sound that tells you it has worked.

You don’t have to tap your card or use your ticket when you are leaving the vehicle.

Find out more about how to catch a bus, train or tram in Adelaide.

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