It has been more than twenty years since I had last visited Sydney, and even then, it was a quick 2 day stay before catching an outbound flight. On my most recent stay (12/2019), I was pleased to find such a wonderful destination with so many likes!
TRANSPORTATION
First, if you are arriving into Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport, you are just about 20 minutes from town (depending on traffic). Both the International and Domestic Terminals have train stations (the T8 line will take you to town), and as of this writing, it is about A$18 (most of which is an “airport access fee”). Note for International Arrivals: You probably won’t get a passport stamp, as Australia is nearly all e-passports. Even on request, you are likely to be denied. It slows things down too much. That said, admission was relatively quick with very little queueing.
When leaving the airport, there are plenty of options, to include the T8 Train Line (you will need an Opal Card…don’t worry they are free, but you will need a prepaid balance. If this is a first time, you can pick up the Opal Card at the airport. Alternatively, you may also use a debit or credit card if it is of the “tap and pay” variety). Note that the trains pretty much don’t run between midnight and 5am, though there are bus options to replace them, and the cost is around A$5. You may also fetch an Uber, or a taxi by following the designated signs for your pickup areas. My Uber into town for an 8pm arrival was about A$45.
I love the public transportation options in Sydney. The trains (and their stations) are all clean, don’t smell like pee, and, at least on my visits and at the stations I went through (including Central, the main terminus downtown) were well kept, secure, and free of persons “just hanging around” (interpret that as you will).
Your Opal card will get you on pretty much all of the public transit in and around Sydney. It works with the Trains, Metro, Buses, and Ferries, and are, by all accounts, very reasonable. A 2 hour train ride from Sydney into the Blue Mountain town of Katoomba was A$8. The Ferry to Manly was A$6. The trip from Central to Circular Quay was about A$3. Further, there is a daily maximum of A$16.10, so if you travel more than that on your Opal card, you are not charged. There is a weekly cap of A$50. The daily cap on Sunday is an astounding A$2. This includes most intercity trains, as well, but not trains that leave New South Wales (so no to Brisbane, though you can get 75% of the way there, and no to Melbourne).
THE VIBE
Maynbe the thing I like best about Sydney is the vibe. You do your thing, and the city and locals will do their thing. Notably absent were the people that would swarm you as you got off the train to sell you trinkets or water, or ruining the “tourist spots” with their glow in the dark frisbees and their splat balls, ala Rome, and a few other European cities that come to mind. I quickly lost my “defensive posture”, and was able to relax without the anxiety that, if I took out my map, or looked like I didn’t know what I was doing, that a “helpful” individual would approach to offer me rides or other “assistance”. Likewise, I could stroll past restaurants and even glance at the menu without having somebody come out to make the hard sell on their establishment….easily my least favorite part of Europe.
THE PEOPLE
As aforementioned, you do your thing, and the city will do it’s thing. Folks are not rude or standoffish, but they don’t put you on the hard sell. I continue to find Australians to be some of the kindest and friendliest in the world, even those not in the service industry, and being paid to be kind.
TRAVEL TIP
Australia is not unique in this, but, generally speaking, the price you see (in the store, on the menu, etc) is the price you pay. The GST (sales tax) is built in. Servers generally are not tipped (and, while some consider it acceptable to through a few bucks when service is way above and beyond, it is generally discouraged, as the minimum age in Australia is around A$19 per hour, and Australians want to be treated equally, and not have servers spending more time with “heavy tippers”. So, if you go out, and see a burger on the menu for fifteen bucks, it will be fifteen bucks, and not twenty two with tax and tip. Taxi drivers, and bellmen are still generally tipped a few bucks, but the tipping culture remains steadfastly American, and resisted in many places, including Australia.