Sydney - Australia 2004 - page 89

Taxi Savvy
Especially in busy periods, taxi queues can be long, and drivers may try to
cash in by insisting you share a cab with other passengers in line at the air-
port. Here's the scam: After dropping off the other passengers, the cab
driver will attempt to charge you the full price of the journey, despite the
fact that the other passengers paid for their sections. You certainly won't
save any money sharing a cab if this happens, and your journey will be a
long one. I find it's often better to wait until you can get your own cab,
or catch an airport bus to the city center (and then take a taxi from there
to your hotel, if necessary). If you are first in line in the taxi rank, the law
states that you can refuse to share the cab with anyone else.

Tips

stations and some at the city train stations (but the crowds and lack of staff and
signs mean you'll probably end up lugging it all up loads of steps anyway). The
train takes 10 minutes to reach the Central Railway Station and then continues
on to Circular Quay. Trains leave every 15 minutes or so and cost A$11
(US$6.90) one-way for adults and A$7.30 (US$4.50) for children, and A$16
(US$11) return for adults (A$14/US$9 off-peak—for travel before 9am week-
days, and all day on weekends and public holidays), and A$11 (US$6.90) for
children. Ask about special “Group Fares” for 3 or 4 people traveling together.
Fast and comfortable green-and-yellow Airport Express buses travel between
the city center and both the international and domestic terminals from 5am to
9:30pm. The buses stop at Central Railway Station, Town Hall, Queen Victoria
Building, Wynyard Station, Circular Quay, The Rocks, Kings Cross, and Potts
Point before returning to the airport. The Airport Express operates every day of
the year from approximately 6:30am to 7:50pm, leaving every 20 minutes on
Monday to Friday and every 30 minutes on weekends and public holidays. The
trip to Circular Quay takes about 45 minutes. One-way tickets cost A$7
(US$4.55) for adults, A$3.50 (US$2.30) for kids under 16, and A$18 (US$11)
for families (any number of children). A round-trip ticket costs A$12 (US$7.80)
for adults, A$6 (US$3.90) for kids, and A$30 (US$20) for families. You must
use the return portion within 2 months.
Buy your tickets from the Airport Express booth outside the airport terminal,
or on the bus. Purchase the SydneyPass and the Airport Express transfers are
included. The Airport Express buses also travel between the international and
domestic terminals every 15 minutes and cost A$3 (US$1.95) for adults,
A$1.50 (US95¢) for children, and A$7.50 (US$4.90) for a family.
The Kingsford Smith Airport Coach also operates to the city center from
bus stops outside the terminals. This service will drop you off (and pick you up)
at your hotel (pickups require at least 1 hr. advance notice; call & 02/9667
3221 ). Tickets cost A$7 (US$4.55) one-way and A$11 (US$7.15) round-trip.
(The return portion can be used at any time in the future.)
The Bondi Jetbus ( & 0500/886 008 mobile phone; fax [phone]) will
deliver you anywhere on the eastern beaches, including Bondi and Bronte. Tick-
ets are A$10 (US$6.50) for single adult, A$8 (US$5.20) each for two or more,
and A$4 (US$2.60) for children. Call when you arrive at the airport, and they'll
come pick you up within 15 minutes or less.
A taxi from the airport to the city center costs about A$25 (US$16). An
expressway, the Eastern Distributor, opened in 2000, is the fastest way to reach