Transport options to get into Sydeny

Getting in to Sydney can be confusing if you are a traveller. It is a big city with may transport options. We have looked at the main ways of getting into the city.  Costs are included, but are only to give an indication as it is impossible to make sure that all costs will remain the same. So take them with a grain of salt.

By plane

Sydney has one major airport (SYD, Mascot, or Kingsford-Smith): Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport is Australia’s largest international and domestic airport, located 8 km from the city centre at Mascot in Southern Sydney Multiple daily flights link Sydney with key city destinations in the Pacific, Asia, Europe and North America. The Asian-Pacific transport hubs of Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo are particularly well-served, as are various European centres via Asia. Multiple flight links also exist with New Zealand. In addition, the west coast of the US and Hawaii are popular inbound / outbound destinations. Travelers from Europe and the Middle East tend to travel into Sydney via Asia, whilst travelers from South America fly via either North America or New Zealand. You can fly to Sydney directly from all other Australian capital cities and from many major regional airports. Otherwise, you will usually need to fly to the state capital and transfer to a Sydney flight. Sydney can be reached within an hour and a half from Melbourne and Brisbane, a little less from Canberra and just under four hours from Perth.

Airlines and Terminals

International terminal (T1)- handles all international flights. Sydney Airport is the only airport in Australia with connections to every continent. Domestic sectors of international flights can also arrive and depart from here. You can fly a domestic sector to Sydney or Melbourne and end up departing or arriving from the International terminal. Check your itinerary and flight number as connections, customs etc will take longer when arriving or departing from the International Terminal even on a domestic flight! Domestic terminal 2 (T2)- largest domestic terminal at the aiport, some airlines include Qantas & Qantaslink (Qantas flights 1600 and above), Aeropelican, Regional Express (Rex), Jetstar and Virgin Blue Domestic terminal 3 (T3)- handles only Qantas flights from 450-1599, which are mainly the inter-capital services. Qantas Cityflyer flights generally depart and arrive at Terminal 3.

Transferring between terminals

Transferring between T2 and T3 is by walking. However if you have to get between T2/T3 and T1 you cannot walk, as the terminals are on opposite sides of the airport tarmac. You will have to use one of the following methods to transfer.
If you are connecting through with Qantas, they offer an air-side shuttle service.
Catch the train ($4.70), which is part of the Sydney suburban train system, not a terminal shuttle train. It is a 2 minute journey with around 15 minute frequency. Follow the train signs from the terminal. Make sure you are going the right way, and only stay on the train a single stop.
T-bus ($5.00) outside the terminal building. The T-bus is a dedicated terminal shuttle and uses the normal roads. It will take around 10 minutes, but can get stuck in Sydney traffic at peak times.
Taxi ($10.00). A taxi driver may not be happy transferring you between terminals, as he/she would have been expecting a trip to the city or further, and may have been waiting in a queue for an hour or so. Still, you want to get between terminals, so load up your luggage in the boot, sit firmly in the seat, close the door, tell the driver where you want to go, and ignore everything else. The trip will take around 10 minutes. It is a legal requirement for the taxi driver to take you there, but unfortunately not a legal requirement for them to smile while doing so. This problem has been slightly reduced by a new system that allows the driver to tell the taxi controller that they received a short fare, they are then allowed to jump the queue. Sydney airport is world class in many respects, but terminal transfers are clumsy, and will surprise those who are used to terminal shuttles in other developed airports worldwide. Transport Options from the Airport to the City.

A train service known as Airport Link connects Sydney Airport and the CBD, single fares are about $12. Airport Link connects with the Cityrail commuter rail system and shares a ticketing system, and you can buy a ticket directly to any Cityrail destination. The trains can be busy weekdays during the morning peak [07:30-09:30] as trains that service the Airport also carry commuters to the City.

several mini-bus operators will drive a group of passengers to the city and deliver them to their hotels – a typical charge is $8-$10 per passenger.
Taxis to the city centre should cost approximately $25-$30 (including tolls), a little more to other Sydney destinations (The Rocks $35-40, North Sydney $35, Manly $50, etc.) A $2 airport toll is also payable by all passengers taking a taxi from any of Sydney Airport’s taxi ranks (added to the fare). If arriving on a Friday evening it is possible to face long queues for taxis.

Vehicle rental is available at all Sydney Airport terminals from a variety of rental companies, although car rental will typically be more expensive than public transport.
Local Buses operate from Sydney Airport to the suburbs. The route 400 bus runs to Bondi Junction and Burwood via Rockdale Station. The 400 bus to Rockdale ($2.90/International $3.90/Domestic) and train to the city ($3.20) is the cheapest way to get to the city. If you purchase a “Red” bus/train/ferry travelpass for $33 it lasts for 7 days and covers this entire route to the city. A surcharge is payable to use the Airport Link train, however. It is worth considering what your travel arrangements will be while in Sydney before purchasing a public transport ticket to the city as many multi-day and tourist tickets include some or all of the travel cost to to the city.

By car

Sydney is within a reasonable driving distance (minimum 10 hours driving) of Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide. Most people allow two days to cover this distance.
Melbourne – Sydney = 862 km via Albury-Wodonga (Hume Highway)
Adelaide – Sydney = 1422km via Mildura or 1659km via Broken Hill (National Highway 32)
Brisbane – Sydney = 938 km via the coast (Pacific Highway) or 961 km via Armidale (New England Highway) If renting a car check the daily distance allowances and any one-way charge that may apply. Cars may be rented at the airport and elsewhere from major rental companies, or at smaller, less conveniently located, cheaper companies.

By train

All major train links to Sydney terminate at Sydney’s Central Station in the south of the CBD area. Travellers can transfer to Cityrail trains or the light rail service to Darling Harbour, as well as to taxis. New South Wales’ long distance train service CountryLink (ph 13 22 32 within Australia) runs daily services to Sydney from Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra and many regions of New South Wales including the North Coast, New England, the Central West and the Southern Highlands. Travelling time from Melbourne and Brisbane is around 12 hours. Fares range between $30 and $100 for standard class seats. The Indian Pacific train service (ph 13 21 47 within Australia) runs from Perth to Sydney via Adelaide and Broken Hill. Adult fares from Perth are $1250 for a sleeper cabin and $513 for a seat. Children’s fares are $805 for a sleeper cabin and $139 for a seat. The train departs from Perth on Wednesdays and arrives at Sydney on Saturdays. Note that these fares are much higher than return plane fares to Perth, this journey is really for train journey enthusiasts who want to see the interior of Australia. The Cityrail network runs services several times a day from close regional cities: Newcastle via the Central Coast (New South Wales), Goulburn via the Southern Highlands, Nowra via the South Coast and Lithgow via the Blue Mountains. Fares on these trains range from $4 – $25 for adult.

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