Transportation · Sydney
Sydney Airport Transfers: Getting from the Airport to the City
How to get from Sydney's airports into the city: train, taxi flat fares, transfers and typical costs, plus arrival and entry notes.
Updated 2026-07-25
Airports serving Sydney
Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) — 8 km from the centre
T8 Sydney Trains to Central in 13 min (AUD 22 inc. AUD 16 gate fee); Uber/taxi AUD 45–70.
Arriving by train
NSW TrainLink XPT to Melbourne (11h), Brisbane (14h). Regional trains from Central to Blue Mountains (Katoomba 2h) and Hunter Valley (Newcastle 2h30).
Entry and arrival formalities
Australian Border Force uses SmartGates for eligible ePassports — clear immigration in 3–5 min.
All non-Australian/NZ visitors need a visa. Western passports: ETA (subclass 601) via 'Australian ETA' app — AUD 20 service fee, 12-month multiple entry, 90-day stays. EU passports use eVisitor (subclass 651) — free.
Getting into the city
Opal card (or contactless Visa/Mastercard tap) covers trains, buses, ferries and light rail with a AUD 17.80 daily cap and free Sunday transfers under AUD 2.80. Sydney Trains link the airport (T8, 13 min to Central for AUD 22 including gate fee). Ferries (Circular Quay to Manly, 30 min) are essential sightseeing. Uber and taxis are widely available.
Sydney Trains
Suburban rail covering CBD, airport, Bondi Junction, Blue Mountains, Newcastle.
Ferry
Circular Quay hub — Manly, Taronga Zoo, Watsons Bay, Parramatta.
Light rail + bus
CBD & South East Light Rail covers Randwick and Coogee; buses reach Bondi.
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