We tried: catching the free Canberra City Loop bus

And not just any bus. The free city loop bus.

The service started in July 2016, and living in Braddon I often see the blue, pink and purple buses drive by, but when I've asked around about it, it still remains a bit of an enigma.

I'm far from an expert when it comes to Canberra's public transport system, but with a route number like '101', what could go wrong?

We're off to a less than perfect start - as I approach the bus stop, I realise the bus has just gone past and is further up the road. But I don't wait long - the next bus shows up only four minutes later.

I'm welcomed aboard by a very friendly driver, and enjoy the thrill that one can only get from catching a bus and not having to pay.

The bus is clean, air conditioned, and empty, so I get my pick of seats. A couple who look like tourists also get on behind me.

At 10.04am we set off from Mort Street - the bus stop is across the road from Officeworks - and head north towards Haigh Park, then turn left onto Girrahween Street, and left again onto Northbourne Avenue.

There's a bus stop on Northbourne, but no passengers are waiting, so we continue south and make a right turn onto Barry Drive.

We then do a loop around ANU Commons, and come back out onto Marcus Clarke Street and head towards NewActon. Then it's a left at Edinburgh Street, a left onto London Circuit.

We don't actually stop anywhere until we reach the Sydney Building, as there aren't any passengers waiting. A screen then says the bus is terminating and to get off, but a quick chat to the driver reveals he's actually just finished his shift and the next bus driver will be along shortly - our lack of stopping along the way means we're a bit ahead of schedule.

A few minutes later, our new driver arrives - she's just a delightfully friendly as the first - and we're off again. We head past Canberra Theatre Centre and turn left onto Akuna Street, then left onto Cooyong Street.

As we pull into the loop out the front of Canberra Centre, near Target, we stop for our very first passenger along the route. Then it's straight back out onto Cooyong Street.

As we turn right back onto Mort Street where I started, I push the red button and get off. It's 10.24, so even with the stop, the whole loop took 20 minutes.

Verdict: It's convenient, comfortable, and free - what's not to love? Particularly if you're trying to get around town during the off-peak times, it's a very speedy trip. And, again, free stuff is the best.

Details: The City Loop service, route 101, runs 7am-7pm Monday to Friday.