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All About Sydney Airport

by Lauren on May 29th, 2008

I’ve told you plenty about what to do and see in Sydney, but there’s something I’ve neglected to tell you about in this blog. That’s how to get here! So here’s the skinny.

No matter whether you’re coming from interstate or further abroad, you’ll probably end up at Sydney Airport. The airport services all major Australian cities and most of the international ones as well. International airlines like Air Canada, Air New Zealand, British Airways, United Airlines, and stacks more regularly fly in to Sydney. Too easy!

Sydney Airport is located in the suburb of Mascot which is about 7 km out of the city. It’s made up of three terminals: one international and two domestic. The international terminal, known as T1, is separated from the others by a runway so if you’re catching a connecting flight you should allow plenty of time.

The airport has plenty of eateries, from your basic fast food to something a little more upmarket, and stacks of shops.

Although beware: if you’re looking for Australian souvenirs this isn’t the place to get them. Unless there’s a really great sale you’ll probably find things a lot cheaper in the city where there’s more competition. However you can get some bargains if you shop duty free, particularly on spirits, perfume, and electronics.

If you’ve flown internationally you’ll need to clear customs before you leave. This is a simple procedure so long as you follow the rules. You’ll need to declare any food stuffs, items made from plant matter, and anything else that may be questionable. Most times your stuff will pass with flying colours. It’s simply a precautionary measure to assure nothing gets into Australia that will harm our wildlife or environment.

Once you’ve cleared customs you’ll probably need to get back to the city. You’re spoiled for choice here. Hire car companies are all over the airport, allowing you to hire a vehicle to drive during your stay on the spot. There are also taxi ranks which will take you right to your accommodation.

But you can save yourself some cash by navigating public transport. Railway stations are underneath the international and domestic terminals. The Airport Link trains run every 10 minutes. They’ll take 13 minutes to get you in to the city. From there you can catch another train to the suburbs if you need to. You can also catch the train to transfer from the international terminal to the domestic, or vice versa.

The #400 buses also stop at the airport terminals. This route runs from Burwood to Bondi, so if you’re going to these suburbs or anywhere in between they’ll make it easy.

I know airports can seem confusing, but Sydney is laid out so logically with signs all around I’m sure you’ll have no problems. And if you do, don’t hesitate to ask one of the friendly airport staff.

Image source: Yewenyi @ Flickr 

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POSTED IN: Getting Around - Local Transportation