Sydney Airport Parking

Sydney Airport parking

Sydney Airport Transfers

Guide to Sydney Airport

• 133 SYD/133 793 (in Australia), (+61) (2) 9667 6111 (outside Australia)
• NSW 2020
• T1, T2, T3
• Car, train, bus, coach, shuttle, taxi, bicycle
• Free throughout T1 and T2
• www.sydneyairport.com.au

Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport (SYD) is also known colloquially as Kingsford Smith Airport or Mascot Airport. SYD is by far the busiest airport in Australia, offering flights to 43 global and 46 domestic destinations.

Sydney Airport also serves as a hub for cargo flights within Australia and across the world. It served 41.8 million passengers in 2016.

Location of Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport is in the suburb of Mascot, six miles (nine kilometres) to the south of the city centre. As you might expect for such a popular airport, SYD is easy to reach from all directions. It’s close to the suburbs of Canterbury, Rockdale, Huntsville, Revesby, La Perouse and Marouba, as well as Botany Bay, which sits right on the edge of the airport.

It takes no more than 30 minutes to reach the airport from the city centre by car and trains and buses run regularly from the airport to the city and its many suburbs. The Route 400 bus runs both east and west of the airport, making it reachable from Bondi Junction and Burwood.

History of Sydney Airport

Sydney Airport is one of the longest-running airports in the world. Its story began in 1919, when the Australian Aircraft and Engineering Company leased land in Mascot with a view to building a new aerodrome. The first flight took place in November of its first year.

By 1925, the federal government had taken control of the airport. Also by this time, SYD was serving as a base for flights to and from Melbourne in Victoria and Adelaide in South Australia. Extensive work was carried out in the 1940s to add a new passenger terminal, while the mouth of the Cook River was diverted to accommodate two new runways.

Extensions in the early-to-mid-1960s led to a much larger north-south runway. The construction of the International Terminal in 1970 allowed the airport to accommodate jumbo jets for the first time. Further extensions to the north-south runway in the 1970s made it one of the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

The Australian Government sold the airport to commercial third parties in 2002. SYD is now under the sole management of the Sydney Airport Corporation Limited. Development plans include the addition of a high-rise office block, more parking bays and continued terminal expansion.

Airport facilities

Sydney Airport hotel and parking

As a guest in the largest city in Australia, you‘re spoiled for choice when it comes to places to stay in and around SYD. Here is a quick guide to three of the most popular hotels located close to Sydney Airport.

Rydges Sydney Airport is a high-class, modern hotel, just five minutes’ drive from Terminal 1. It features luxury rooms and suites with comfortable beds, minibars, free WiFi and a huge 42-inch flat-screen TV. While all rooms at Rydges are of a good standard, you can upgrade yours to take advantage of a private terrace for the ultimate in sophistication and relaxation. There’s also a plush grill restaurant, a sports bar, a vibrant café and even a gym. Rydges also provides a free shuttle bus to the airport. Parking is available at extra cost to all guests. At the other end of the scale is ibis Budget Sydney Airport. This economy hotel is pretty bare in terms of amenities, with no restaurants, bars or gyms. However, each air-conditioned room comes with a flat-screen TV and Internet access for a surcharge. You’ll find a desk in your room, which is great if you need to get on with some work before you settle down for the night. Use of the breakfast bar, a shuttle service and parking are also available at extra cost. Ibis Budget is a six-minute walk to and from Sydney Airport.

Stamford Plaza Sydney Airport is an upscale hotel that overlooks SYD. It takes just 12 minutes to walk from the Stamford Plaza to the airport. The lavish rooms come with free WiFi, flat-screen TVs and desks. There are also minibars and all the equipment you need to make a cup of tea or coffee. Each suite features a separate lounge area and room service is available around the clock, so when you need a bite to eat at any time of day or night, you’ll never be left feeling hungry.

You can also eat gourmet food at the on-site Argentinian restaurant at Stamford Plaza or catch the latest match in the relaxing sports bar. If all that isn’t enough, you can also catch up with colleagues and hold meetings in the hotel’s business centre. Both self-parking and valet-parking options are available to guests. It takes just six minutes to drive from the Stamford Plaza to SYD Terminal 1.

Top things to do in Sydney Airport

Grab a souvenir of Sydney and Australia

If there’s one thing that Sydney Airport isn’t short of, it’s things to remind you of your time in Australia.

Shops like Australian Way, Think Sydney, Think Australia and A Little Something all offer a host of high-quality, Australian-made items that are a million miles from the tacky kangaroo t-shirts or koala keyrings you find in a lot of souvenir shops.

Australian Way and the 'Think…' stores focus on high-end Australian clothing. A Little Something and Produce by Around Australia offer gourmet foods, wines, champagnes and more. Whether you want souvenirs to remind you of your time down under or you’re looking for gifts to give friends and family, Sydney Airport ticks the boxes.

Get a glimpse of indigenous culture

If you have time, it’s always worth visiting the fantastic Aboriginal art galleries dotted around Sydney. But if you’re stuck in the airport or you simply haven’t had time to explore what the city has to offer, The Rainbow Serpent may have the answer.

The gallery showcases a wide range of work from artists in the local community. You’ll find everything from painted silk and wood sculptures to boomerangs and didgeridoos. All of this draws a fascinating picture of ancient local culture.

Find designer bargains

The Heinemann Tax & Duty Free store offers over 28,000 products at knock-down prices. In terms of beers, wines and sweets, you’ll find a host of familiar and exclusive names at this store.

You can also choose from a massive range of items from the world of fashion. These include designer-brand cosmetics, fragrances, sunglasses, watches, jewellery and more. Brands include Jimmy Choo, MCM, Montblanc, Fendi, to name a few.

Enjoy the taste of Southeast Asia

Sydney Airport has a large number of restaurants, ranging from cheap fast food to gourmet delights. During your time at SYD, you can try food from Japan, China, Italy and Hong Kong.

Celebrity cook, Wolfgang Puck, has his own bistro at the airport, while cult chef and wholefoods champion, Mike McEnearney, also brings his classic wood-fired chicken to SYD at Kitchen by Mike.

Even the burgers are gourmet at Sydney Airport. At Benny Burger, Shannon Bennett serves up her familiar brand of creative dining that has influenced chefs across Australia and around the world

Buy Italian designer clothes

Sydney Airport’s Terminal 1 is home to an outlet for luxury Italian fashion house, Max Mara. In keeping with its location in a busy airport, the Max Mara store sells a range of high-end travel accessories and essentials. These include sunglasses, scarves, wallets and jewellery.

In fact, you’ll find stores bearing the names of 13 designer brands within the international terminal. These include Michael Kors, Tiffany & Co. and Kate Spade New York. These stores give you plenty of options if you need to look the part in time for a meeting or if you just want to travel in style.

Wine, dine or get down to business

There are a number of business lounges throughout Sydney Airport where you’ll be treated to free WiFi, a light buffet and, in some cases, an à la carte menu. The Emirates Lounge, for example, has its own separate bar, dining room, bath and shower room, prayer room and children’s play area. There’s also a business centre for when it’s time to stop relaxing and get down to business.

Top things to do near Sydney Airport

Soar high above the city

There are a few different helicopter tours on offer in Sydney. These include Sydney Helitours, Altitude Aviation and Blue Sky Helicopters. Sydney Helitours is actually based within the grounds of SYD.

On a thrilling 20-minute flight, you can take in 360-degree views of Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, Bondi Beach, Manly Cove and the city’s breathtaking skyline. Sydney is packed with awesome scenery and there’s nowhere better to take it all in than from high above.

Hit the surf at Bondi Beach

Bondi Beach is renowned across the world for its coastline that stretches over half a mile (one kilometre). Take a morning stroll along the beach, watch the surfers riding the waves or just relax in the sun with a mid-afternoon snack on the glistening white sand.

It takes 23 minutes to travel the 7.6 miles (12.2 kilometres) from Sydney Airport to Bondi Beach via Gardeners Road.

Discover wrecks beneath the sea

Abyss Scuba Diving offers guided boat, wreck and deep-sea diving for adults of all experience levels. If you have diving experience, you can go on reef dives outside Sydney Harbour. You’ll see many different shipwrecks, including that of the Centurion (a wooden clipper ship that sunk in 1897) and the Royal Sheppard (which went down in 1890).

During your dive, you may also get to hang out with Australian fur seals and grey nurse sharks.

Uncover the secrets of Australia’s greatest building

Embark on a Sydney Opera House Tour to see the World Heritage-listed building and one of Australia's defining landmarks up close. During a backstage tour, you can enjoy a cooked breakfast with the performers and backroom staff. You can also take a journey through the rehearsal spaces, hear stories and find out insider secrets from your expert guide.

You’ll then learn the history of this unique building and get the chance to walk on the very stage that has been graced by the likes of Luciano Pavarotti.

See the best of Chinese landscaping

The Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour is just a few minutes’ walk from Chinatown in the southern part of Sydney. The garden takes inspiration from the private royal gardens of the Ming Dynasty and is brimming with beautiful Chinese architecture, waterfalls, exotic plants and lakes.

If you’re looking for place to relax, think or clear your mind away from a bustling airport, the Chinese Garden of Friendship is the perfect place to do it.

Explore Darling Harbour

There’s more still to Darling Harbour than the Chinese Garden of Friendship. Get your mind blown at the 9D Action Cinema, get your taste buds blown by an array of food and drink options and, at certain times of the year, catch the free fireworks displays on evenings to really bring your time in Sydney to life.

View the night sky as you’ve never seen it before

The Sydney Observatory overlooks the harbour on the aptly-named Observatory Hill. Go on a Night Tour to see the stars in all their glory as you gaze into the night sky. Or go along in the daytime to get in free and see many fascinating exhibits and great views of the city.

Get in beach mode in Manly

Located just 10.5 miles (17 kilometres) from Sydney is the trendy, beachy suburb of Manly, which is ideal for a relatively relaxed session of surfing, if you have a morning or afternoon to spare. The sun scorches the long, white sands of Manly throughout the summer and its shops are perfectly set up for you to while a few hours away without a care in the world.

Which terminal?

There are three terminals at Sydney Airport. Terminal 1 (T1) is known as the International Terminal, but is also the base for Qantas Domestic flights.

Terminal 2 (T2) is known as the Domestic Terminal. It is a hub for interstate and regional flights from the likes of Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Australian Air Express. Terminal 3 (T3) is solely a base for interstate Qantas flights.

The airlines currently offering public flights to and from Sydney Airport are:

How to get to Sydney Airport

Useful tips

Research the airport and plan your trip

Sydney is very busy and very big, so a little research will go a long way to helping you find your way to the correct terminal in time for your flight. The SYD website provides interactive maps of its three terminals (T1, T2, and T3) to make your visit easy.

Check-in no later than two hours before your flight

In most cases, you can check-in three hours before your flight and Sydney Airport recommends that you arrive no later than two hours before take-off. This ensures you’ll have enough time for check-in, security screening and border controls. It also allows extra time in case of any unexpected delays.

There are dedicated smoking areas

The state of New South Wales prohibits smoking within 13 feet (four metres) of the building. For your comfort, though, Sydney Airport has outdoor smoking areas. There are plenty of signs around each terminal to help you find your way to a nearby smoking area.

There are height restrictions in the car parks

The P7 multi-storey car park does not allow vehicles over 7 feet and 2.5 inches tall (2.2 metres) inside. The P9 parking area has a height restriction of 11 feet five inches (3.5 metres). For more information, go the International Car Park page or Domestic Car Park page on the SYD website.

Trolleys cost money on the landside end of security

Airside luggage trolleys at Sydney Airport are free to use as you can almost always pick one up that another user has left. If you pick up an unused trolley landside, however, you’ll have to pay for it.

Sydney Airport FAQs

Is it possible to spend the night at SYD?

Only the International Terminal (T1) is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. As a result, spending the night inside isn’t always possible in the Domestic terminals. When sleeping is possible, you’ll find that most benches have comfortable armrests, but you may find the marble floors too cold. The ‘Waiting Area’ in T1 is the designated area for passengers needing to spend the night.

Are there printers at the airport?

Yes. The Australia Post shop offers a fax, photocopying and printing service, as well as digital photo printing.

Are dogs allowed inside?

No pets are allowed at SYD unless they are working dogs or in a safe crate. You should get in touch with your airline for more information.

When does the airport open?

T1 is open from 3am to 11pm every day, although customs doesn’t start processing until 4am. T2 is open from 4am to 11pm.

How far is Sydney Airport from Bondi Beach?

Bondi Beach is around 0.62 miles (one kilometre) in length and SYD is around 7.6 miles (12.2 kilometres) from Bondi Beach on Queens Elizabeth Drive.

Is free WiFi available at SYD?

Yes. WiFi is available for free throughout T1 and T2.