Getting around the South Coast
The South Coast is a long, spread-out region, so a little planning pays off. The Princes Highway is the spine, the train reaches the northern towns, and a car unlocks everything else. Here's how to get down from Sydney, how far apart the towns are, and how to get around once you arrive.
Driving, train & coach
By car, the Princes Highway carries you south: roughly 1.5 hours to Kiama, 2 hours to Berry, 2.5–3 hours to Jervis Bay, then on to the Sapphire Coast (Narooma ~4.5 hours, Eden ~6 hours). The South Coast Line train runs to Kiama and Bomaderry (Nowra); south of there, Premier Motor Service and NSW TrainLink coaches run the highway daily. For the beaches, parks and lookouts, though, a car or a guided tour is the way to go.
Distances between the towns
Once you're on the coast, the towns come in easy hops. Kiama to Berry is about 20 minutes; Berry to Kangaroo Valley a scenic 25–40 minutes over the range; Nowra to Huskisson around 25–30 minutes; and Huskisson to Ulladulla roughly 50 minutes. Heading further south, Ulladulla to Batemans Bay is about 45 minutes, Batemans Bay to Narooma around an hour, and Narooma to Eden just under two hours. It's a coast made for a road trip.
Practical tips
Fill up in the larger towns (Nowra, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay) as you go, and note that some national-park roads — such as the way in to Pebbly Beach — are unsealed but usually fine for a normal car in the dry. Watch for kangaroos and wombats at dawn and dusk, carry cash for the odd park fee, and check current conditions and the Jervis Bay Road interchange roadworks before a long drive. Prefer to leave the driving to someone else? We'll organise transfers and guided touring.
Getting around: your questions
Most people drive — the Princes Highway runs the length of the coast. From Sydney it's about 1.5 hours to Kiama, 2 hours to Berry, 2.5–3 hours to Jervis Bay (Huskisson), and further to the Sapphire Coast (Narooma ~4.5 hours, Eden ~6 hours). You can also take the train as far as Kiama and Bomaderry (Nowra), or a coach further south, but a car makes the region far easier to explore.
Partly. The South Coast Line runs from Sydney through Wollongong to Kiama (electric trains), then a diesel service continues to Bomaderry (Nowra), where the line ends — nothing runs further south by rail. Sydney to Kiama takes a little over two hours. The train is handy for Kiama, Gerringong and Berry, but for Jervis Bay, Kangaroo Valley and everything south you'll need a car or coach.
Realistically, yes. The train stops at Bomaderry, and the region's signature sights — Jervis Bay and Booderee, Kangaroo Valley, Pebbly Beach, Montague Island via Narooma, and Eden — all lie beyond it, spread along a long coast. Coaches run the highway roughly once a day but don't reach the beaches, parks and lookouts. A car (or a guided tour) is the practical way to see the coast properly.
Beyond the rail line at Bomaderry, Premier Motor Service runs a daily coach along the highway between Sydney and Eden, stopping at towns like Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, Narooma, Bermagui and Merimbula; NSW TrainLink coaches also serve the far south. These connect the main towns, but not the beaches or national parks, so many visitors join a guided tour for the sights. We can arrange transfers and touring for you.
The main one in 2026 is at the Jervis Bay Road turn-off from the Princes Highway (near Falls Creek), where a major new interchange is being built — expect lane changes, a restricted right-turn and short detours; follow the signs. The Nowra bridge is complete, and while a Milton–Ulladulla bypass is planned, it's not yet built, so you still drive through both towns. Check live conditions before a long drive.