Getting Here & Onward

⭐ The airport is unusually close, and that is the good news

Kingsford Smith sits about eight kilometres south of the city centre — closer than almost any comparable airport anywhere, and about a quarter of an hour by train. The bad news is the fare.

⚠️ The station access fee

The two railway stations at the airport, domestic and international, were built and are operated privately. They charge a station access fee on top of the ordinary Opal fare, in each direction, per person. For a couple with luggage it turns a cheap trip into a moderate one, and for a family it can cost more than a taxi.

It is not hidden and it is not a scam. It is simply the single most common surprise of arriving in this city, and it is worth deciding about before you land rather than at the gate.

• ⭐ The bus workaround. A public bus runs between the terminals and Mascot station, one stop up the line and outside the access-fee gates. It is slower, it involves a transfer with your bags, and it removes the fee entirely.
• Ride-hailing and taxis pick up from designated ranks and are competitive for two or more people, especially outside peak hours.
• The train is still the fastest option to the centre by a wide margin, fee included, if speed is what you are buying.

⚠️ Confirm the current fee with Transport for NSW — it is reviewed, and it differs between adult and child.

Onward by train

Central is the terminus for everything long-distance. Intercity services run north to Newcastle, south to Wollongong and the coast, and west into the Blue Mountains — and the Opal network reaches a good way along all three, so a day trip can be covered by your ordinary daily cap. ⚠️ Check where the Opal boundary falls for your destination before you travel; beyond it you need a separate ticket.

Onward by air and road

Domestic flights to Melbourne and Brisbane are frequent and the corridor is one of the busiest in the world. Long-distance coaches leave from Central. ⚠️ Distances here are Australian distances: Melbourne is around nine hours by road and Brisbane rather more, and neither is a day trip in any sense.