Canberra is built around the car: the city is large, low-density and arranged around a series of self-contained town centres connected by parkways. A rental car is much the easiest way to see everything. Parking is free for short stops at most of the national institutions and ticketed but cheap in the central districts.
The public transport system is operated by Transport Canberra. There is a single tramway (the Light Rail) running north up Northbourne Avenue from Civic to Gungahlin, and an extensive bus network. The bus network is reliable but the frequencies are low outside peak periods. A MyWay card or contactless card payment works on both bus and light rail.
For visitors who plan to spend most of their time around the Parliamentary Triangle, walking and the Lake Burley Griffin shared cycling and walking paths are realistic options. Hire bicycles are available from operators around the lake. Most of the city's major axial routes have parallel separated cycle paths.