LANGUAGE
English
CURRENCY
Australian Dollar
BEST TIME TO VISIT
March to May & September to November
NEAREST RAILWAY STATION
Central Railway Station, Sydney
NEAREST AIRPORT
Sydney Airport (SYD)
EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER
000
INTERNET ACCESS
By far the easiest way to access the internet in Sydney is to buy a local prepaid SIM card and sign up for a data package. Nearly all hotels and hostels provide Wi-Fi connections, although some, especially top-end places, charge for the service, or make the free service so slow that you are virtually forced to pay for ‘premium’ access. Many cafes and bars offer free Wi-Fi. Most public libraries and shopping centres also offer it. Pay-as-you-go Wi-Fi hot spots are common in busy areas such as airports.
VISA
All visitors to Australia need a visa. Apply online through the Department of Immigration and Border Protection.
eVisitor
Many European passport holders are eligible for a free eVisitor visa, allowing stays in Australia of up to three months within a 12-month period. eVisitor visas must be applied for online. They are electronically stored and linked to individual passport numbers, so no stamp in your passport is required. It’s advisable to apply at least 14 days prior to the proposed date of travel to Australia.
Electronic Travel Authority
Passport holders from those European countries eligible for eVisitor visas, plus passport holders from Brunei, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the USA, can apply for either a visitor Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or business ETA.
Visitor
Short-term Visitor visas have largely been replaced by the eVisitor and ETA visas. However, if you’re from a country not covered by either, or you want to stay longer than three months, you’ll need to apply for a Visitor visa. Standard Visitor visas allow one entry for a stay of up to three, six or 12 months, and are valid for use within 12 months of issue. Visitor visas cost from $130 to $1000.
HOTEL
Sydney has hundreds of accommodation options in Central Sydney to consider, from backpackers hotels to five star hotels with harbour and Opera House views. There are also options out of the city centre too. Some of the lesser known suburbs have accommodation options. Cronulla has beachfront accommodation, facilities and is the only beachside suburb of Sydney with a train station. Serviced, short-term apartments are widely available throughout Sydney and are available for stays as short as one night. Amenities typically include kitchen, washer and dryer, and separate bedrooms.
Budget Hotels
Sydney has a wide range of backpackers’ hostels – popular districts for these include the southern half of the CBD and Haymarket, Glebe and Kings Cross, the Eastern Suburbs (Bondi, Coogee) and the Northern Beaches (Manly). Backpackers in campervans or tents can find accommodation on Sydneys north side 10km drive from the city at Lane Cove National Park.
The Village Surry Hills
Original Backpackers Sydney
Kings Cross Backpackers
Mid-Range Hotels
You find many mid-range accommodation providers within the CBD (mostly in the southern Haymarket end), and within a short distance of the city by public transport, including in North Sydney, the Inner West and the North Shore. Sometimes a cheaper motel style accommodation can be obtained on the roads leading into Sydney, particular in South Western Sydney.
Wake Up! Sydney Central
Veriu Central
Sydney Hotel CBD
Luxury Hotels
There are luxurious hotels that can be found all over Sydney. The most expensive hotels are generally located in the CBD and the Rocks district, near the business hub of Sydney, close to many restaurants, often featuring spectacular harbour views. Some other high quality hotels are located in Darling Harbour. You may check the list below for specific locations.
Hyatt Regency Sydney
Swissôtel Sydney
Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
COST OF LIVING
Sydney is an absolute must if you are visiting Australia, but unfortunately it’s generally more expensive than you might expect, especially when the currency is strong as it is in 2014. Hostels and hotels are of high standard, and you tend to pay an extra price for it. The backpacker neighborhood of Kings Cross might be the best place to find accommodation bargains, though it’s also seedier than you’d probably expect.
Thanks to labor costs and high taxes, prices for food and drink are fairly high, so it takes some creativity (and self-catering) to get by on a backpacker budget in Sydney. Beer, wine, and spirits are also pricey, even when you buy them in markets, though local wines can be decent bargains when bought in large stores.
Not surprisingly, the high season in Sydney is during the warm summer time, generally from October through April, with January and February being the peak season. From May through September things are quieter as the weather cools, and hotel bargains can be found, especially near the beach areas during the coolest months.
The main Sydney attractions are also quite expensive, but this is a city where much of it can be seen and appreciated from outside, especially the lovely beaches, so you can have a great time without paying high admission fees everywhere you go.
