Took my son to get his first Opal card this week. He stared at it for a good minute, turned it over a few times, then asked if it was really his.
Didn’t know this until a friend mentioned it, once they turn 4 they can’t tap on with a parent’s card anymore, they need their own Child/Youth Opal card. Under 4 is still free, no card at all needed. Soon as they hit 4 though, that changes.
What the card actually gives you
Concession fares across the whole network, trains, buses, light rail, ferries, including the Manly ferry and the one out to Taronga Zoo. There’s a free app too, Opal Travel, link the card to it and you can check the balance or tap history instead of guessing if there’s still money on it.
Getting one in person
This bit confused me most before we actually went and did it. You don’t need to order online and wait, you can walk in somewhere and get a physical card straight away. 7-Eleven, Woolworths and newsagents near the bigger stations usually stock them. Smaller suburban shops sometimes only have the adult ones though, so head for a bigger station if you’re not sure. We went to the newsagent next to Chatswood station, told the guy at the counter “Child Opal card for my kid,” picked a top up amount, had the card in a couple of minutes.
If you’re not in a rush you can apply online through Transport NSW and get it posted instead, give it a week or two to arrive.
Topping it up
$5 minimum top up for a Child/Youth card at a retailer, cash or card. Some shops add a small surcharge on top, worth asking before you pay. The card itself is free, you’re only ever paying for the travel credit you load.
There’s a different card once they’re actually at school
The School Opal card is separate, and it’s not automatic. It covers free travel between home and school on school days, but only if you meet the distance rules:
- Kindergarten to Year 2, no minimum distance at all
- Years 3 to 6, home has to be more than 1.6km straight line from school, or 2.3km walking
- Years 7 to 12, home has to be more than 2.0km straight line from school, or 2.9km walking
Only valid on school days, 6:30am to 7pm, and only for the trip to and from school, not weekends or holidays. The school has to approve the application, they actually check the distance. If you live too close, there’s usually a cheaper School Term Bus Pass instead.
Worth keeping the regular Child/Youth card going as well since the School Opal card won’t cover weekends or anything outside school hours.
Teenagers still studying
If your child is 16 or older and still a full time student, they can apply for a Transport Concession Entitlement Card, used to be called the Senior Secondary Student Concession Card, it lets them keep using a Child/Youth Opal card at the cheaper rate past the usual age cutoff.
Sort it before the school holidays
Any day trips over the break still run on the regular Child/Youth card, not the School Opal one, so worth getting it loaded up now. The NSW spring school holidays run 28 September to 9 October this year. We’ve also got a guide to public transport in Australia if you want more on getting around.