Sydney siders, some advice please.

[Ruggo]

I am comming to Sydney next month and have little knowledge of the place. What would you recoomend is the best and most cost effective way of getting from the domestic airport to the CBD. My flight gets in at 7:25pm.

Any advice on where to get a good feed and cold beer in the CBD would also be most appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[cyclopath]

Probably a bus. The train will get you there, but is not cheap. Taxis, not cheap. As for a feed and a beer in the CBD, I rarely go there except to meet other GAGRS for drinkies occasionally.
So, a few pubs in the Rocks do a good feed - Lord Nelson one of the better. The Heritage Belgian Beer Cafe has decent food, beers are a bit pricey but great range. Harts Pub near there has all small brewery beers and very nice, but not cheap.
Moses might know more and pitch in here too.
If I think of any more I'll get back to you.

 

[Nusadan]

Depending where you are staying, and how many of you, perhaps a rental car would be best...I often get one just to cross the Harbour Bridge from the airport and return the car next day or so to another rental location, it's often cheaper to do that rather than get a taxi...www.vroomvroomvroom.com is a good starting point for finding the best deals for rental cars...

Don't forget there are good eating places just off the CBD...will leave that to others with more knowledge than me.

 

[Lindommer]

The best way to get from the airport to the city is by train. The station's down an escalator from the domestic terminal and you'll be at Central in about 15 minutes. cyclops is right about the pubs, G&GR have had a few sessions at the Lord Nelson, the Belgian place and Harts Pub, all good fun. The publican at the Lord's a rugby nut, any Super game will be up on the big screen live.

Paddington pubs are well worth a look, the Lord Dudley and the Four in Hand are excellent, as is the beer list at the Local Taphouse in Flinders Street.

Eating: try Glebe Point Road or anywhere in East Sydney and Surry Hills.

Let us know when you're here and we'll organise a welcoming committee.

 

[Ruggo]

Cheers Lindommer.

Will do.

 

[Badger]

Agree with the other GAGRs, best bet would be to get into the CBD by train...the quickest way to get into the city. It's not cheap but cheaper than a cab and you won't have to wait as long as the queue for cabs in the evening can be torturous.

If you are looking for Asian food, try Chinatown at the southern tip of the CBD. Places I would recommend are Mother Chu (good food and value, service not so good), Mamak (Malaysian, very popular, expect queues/no bookings) and Emperor's Garden for Yum Cha. BBQ King is also very popular for reasons that escape me. The Chinatown food courts are pretty good for a cheap feed. Avoid the restaurants with touts at the front....like the locals usually do.

Enjoy your visit!

 

[mark_s]

Ruggo, if you are staying in the CBD you can get a ferry to Manly or Watson's Bay. There are good food/drink options at both locations right near the ferry wharf. Its a bit touristy, but most people are pretty impressed plus you get to see a fair bit of the harbour on the way to/from.

 

[philsale]

... the queue for cabs in the evening can be torturous.

Agree the cab queue is awful in Sydney. Train into town is pricey (for a train) but doesn't take too long. If you need to go further afield, forget the train and rent a car. Trains seem to have about a 10kph max speed and smell even more like wee than the rest of the city. Not sure of the reason for the omnipresent scent, but Cyclo is the only one with a legitimate excuse and I'm sure he leaves his wellies at work.

I second the suggestion from mark_s to get on a ferry - I loved them - the best part of Sydney, IMO.

 

[Moses]

The train is well worth the $15 into the CBD, cheaper than a cab and keeps those poor Macquarie bankers fed.

The CBD is big, central to the Rocks is over 3ks... most parts are well served with pubs and there are eating options but they can be sparse after hours.

Where are you staying, we can suggest somewhere nearby...

 

[suckerforred]

Not from sydney but my thoughts are:
Last time I spent a significant amount of time in sydney the best place I had a feed at was a little spanish place at the southern end of Kent street. Just a hole in the wall but they have three stories and the best feed ever! Also don't mind the cafes and bars around Circular Quay. Expensive but good for people watching.

I like the train from the airport. Easy and cheaper than the taxi's. Having said that sometimes the shared bus transfers run some good specials if you buy a return ticket. They are at the bagage claim. Really depends on where you are staying and how much lugage you have.

 

[Lindommer]

Ruggo, have you sorted out a bed yet? If you haven't there are two excellent YHAs to consider:

1. Sydney Central YHA Right next to Central Station, about as convenient as you can get for transport. Check here:http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/nsw/sydney-surrounds/sydney-central-backpackers-hostel

But there's a better one
2. Sydney Harbour YHA Smack bang in The Rocks with spectacular views of the harbour, and plenty of good pubs nearby. If you've got a backpack, or a wheelie case, it's a short walk from both Wynyard and Circular Quay stations. Check here: http://www.yha.com.au/hostels/nsw/sydney-surrounds/sydney-harbour/

Forgot about Chinatown, well worth a visit. Another good place for a feed is King Street, Newtown, door-to-door eateries (especially Asian) from City Road all the way down to St Peters station.

 

[Cave Dweller]

I do not know Sydney but if you ever decide to visit Soa Paulo theres a delhi called Roncero. DO NOT EAT THERE!!! I did ask the guys who was in the shoutbox the after effects of it.

 

[Ruggo]

To put it into perspective. I was meant to be collected from the Airport by my brother then head off for Canberra. He is in Sydney that night for a concert and is staying overnight. I am ok to bunk in with them for the night but just need to get into town and kill some time before meeting up with them after their concert.

The train sounds a goer. $15 is cheaper than the sky train in Brisbane.

I fly in on the 24th May.

Cheers for all the suggestions.

 

[cyclopath]

I might well be available to meet you for a beer, if you're keen. Let me know, if so, and maybe we can tee something up.
Maybe some others will be around?

 

[MrMouse]

The best way to get from the airport to the city is by train.

Ugh but so ridiculously overpriced!!!

If you're travelling light, my preference is to stroll over to the Princes Hwy and hop a bus. Student mentality lives on. But as a first time visitor, bad idea. For all its faults, train is the way to go.

Cheap feed and a few beers is easy in Newtown. Million and one buses to/from the station and a train station, pubs all over the place, most of Sydney's best Thai places and plenty more to choose from.

Where's the concert?

 

[MrMouse]

The train is well worth the $15 into the CBD, cheaper than a cab and keeps those poor Macquarie bankers fed.

The CBD is big, central to the Rocks is over 3ks... most parts are well served with pubs and there are eating options but they can be sparse after hours.

Where are you staying, we can suggest somewhere nearby...

Actually, Mac Bank has no hand in the airport whatsoever. True story. They got out but allowed the mob who remained to retain the name - dumb move.

 

[Moses]

Actually, Mac Bank has no hand in the airport whatsoever. True story. They got out but allowed the mob who remained to retain the name - dumb move.

True that, Macquarie Airports get screwed royally by Mac Bank

 

[Moses]

Ugh but so ridiculously overpriced!!!

I'm no mac airport apologist, but I don't see it as that expensive as compared to other airport trains..

Sydney Airport to Wynyard: $15.40, 8.65kms
Brisbane Airport to Roma Street: $15.50, 8kms
Heathrow to Waterloo: GBP19, 22kms

 

[MrMouse]

I'm no mac airport apologist, but I don't see it as that expensive as compared to other airport trains..

Sydney Airport to Wynyard: $15.40, 8.65kms
Brisbane Airport to Roma Street: $15.50, 8kms
Heathrow to Waterloo: GBP19, 22kms

Well certainly Heathrow bites the big one without question. I seem to recall at one point it was the most expensive train per kilometer around the world? Maybe I made that up.

I've travelled on the Brisbane one recently - it was clean, timely and fairly efficient. The Sydney one is still, whatever else, on Shitty Rail.

Also, it's $5 to travel between domestic and international terminals. Nowhere else I know of has that. What's worse is that International Airport to Mascot (3.05km) is $15.40 - over $5 per kilometer - and that a pensioner ticket, everywhere else in Sydney covering multi-modal transport (bus, train, ferry and light rail) is $2.50. If you have the temerity to want to, say, go to the airport to greet returning/arriving family, it's $10.30.

 

[Lindommer]

Ugh but so ridiculously overpriced! If you're travelling light, my preference is to stroll over to the Princes Hwy and hop a bus.

The man's a tourist, not a marathon runner, MrM: the Princes Highway's about 5km from the domestic terminals. And with a bag'n'all...