Resource The Interstate Supporter's Guide to Sydney

[Horts]

Mod Edit: Updated 25/6/2015

After seeing a fair chunk of posters on here are from parts outside of Sydney/NSW, I thought it could be an idea to create a thread for traveling supporters, who might be unfamiliar with the city. Also after going to 3-4 home games a year, and with home finals in the recent years (and hopefully this year), it can take its toll on the wallet. Here we can share ways of how we travel to games on a budget, and with some help from the locals up there, we might be able help find cheaper more efficient ways to get around.

Getting There

These days with 4 airlines flying domestic in Australia it's not hard to find a pretty cheap airfare.

I really wouldn't consider going any other way, especially with the way fuel prices are.

Jetstar, Tigerair, Qantas & Virgin all operate multiple flights from major cities to Sydney daily, the best way I've found to secure a cheap fare is to use Jetstar's Price Beat Guarantee.

Do your research, find all available airfares across the board flying between your city & Sydney, once you've found your cheapest fair & desired time (usually on Tigerair), go to the Jetstar website.

For easy to use, across the board airfare comparison go to www.skyscanner.com.au to find the cheapest fare to suit you. Once found, go back to Jetstar, scroll down to the bottom of their page and click the Price Beat Guarantee link (or above). Basically how this works, is if you find a better airfare on any other airline in Australia, Jetstar will match it & beat it by 10% if your selected flight is within ONE HOUR of the Jetstar flight. From Melbourne, most airlines fly every other hour, so in my case this is never a problem.

SCG:
Once You're There

Upon arriving at the airport you'll see signs everywhere for the Airport to City rail link - Airport Link.

You can take the train which is just a short walk from the terminal to the City Center for $16.40 one way, or $32.80 same day return. You'll see signs on how to get to the rail link near your baggage carousel.

Alternatively, you can grab a taxi from the rank directly outside the terminal for near $50 to the CBD, try to get a quote before jumping in.

Depending on where you stay your hotel also may run airport transfers.

Where To Stay

This is where I could use some help also.. Sydney is ****ing expensive!

For a 5 Star hotel you're looking at around $400 for a Friday night and in some cases $600+ for a Saturday night. Not worth it.

My first trip up I stayed at the Quay West on The Rocks, great view, nice room but it set me back roughly $900 for a weekend.

For me now, the best is the Meriton Serviced Apartments group, located at various spots around the City, such as Pitt St., Kent St., Campbell St. & suburbs Waterloo, Zetland & Bondi Junction, all within walking distance to the SCG - closest would probably be Bondi Junction & Waterloo.

For a one bedroom apartment you're looking around $200 per night. Nice clean modern apartments, most with a nice view, the room I stay at is on Level 55 on Kent St. overlooking Darling Harbour. The walk from Kent St. is about a 15-20 minute walk up Oxford St., the walk back to the room at 11pm down Oxford St. can be a tad interesting though.

If you've got your own tips and tricks for Sydney travel & accommodation, share it here!

Bigfooty Favorites.
We suggest..

Origin Airport Parking:
- Melboune Airport Parking
Be sure to book your park online prior to arriving, you will save a truckload of coin!
Friday - Sunday for $35

Accommodation:
- Meriton Serviced Apartments
- Royal Exhibition Hotel
- Wotif.com

Food, Pubs, Bars & Pre-Game Entertainment:
- The Local Taphouse
- The Publican @ The Eastern
- The Captain Cook Hotel (Swans Friendly Venue)
- Bourke St. Bakery

The Entertainment Quarter @ Moore Park (SCG):
- P.J. Gallagher's Irish Pub
- Ablaze Bar & Grill
- Bavarian Bier Cafe
- Kenzi Sake Bar

ANZ Stadium:
Once you get there

Trains: There are no direct trains to the Olympic Park Precinct from the airport. You'll have to catch a train to Central first.

You must change trains at Central. Games are classed as a Special Event, trains leave directly from Central/Platform 5 (Country Trains) to Olympic Park Station. These are express trains (Central/Strathfield/Olympic Park) - recommended.

Note: Look at your ticket for the game. Your ticket usually includes free train travel to ANZ Stadium, so wear your scarf, hold up your ticket - and they'll usually just wave you through.

OR if you wish to leave earlier/later: take the train from Central to Lidcombe and then change platforms to the Olympic Park Sprint service (look for the tunnel at the end of Lidcombe Platform 1). Trains depart from Lidcombe Sprint Platform to OP every 10 minutes.

The best line to use from Central to Lidcombe is:
T1 Western Line
City to Emu Plains, City to Richmond service

Cabs:
If you plan on catching a cab from the airport, I hope your credit card is available. You’re probably looking at about $110, and that’s without traffic. Seriously, don’t catch a cab from the airport to Olympic Park. Just don’t. Best you catch a cab to Central and train from there.

Driving:
To quote Josh Kennedy – ‘Using Parramatta Road is a rookie mistake.” Hit your navigator over the head and choose a different way.

Road closure is common at Olympic Park for a major event, be prepared and know that on-street parking is a myth and patrolled zealously. If you get there early enough you can park the car at Lidcombe and catch the train to Olympic Park.

There are a number of car parks at Olympic Park available for use with a flat fee of $25.00. You can pre-book your parking online:

http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/maps/parking-at-sydney-olympic-park/event_parking

Where to Stay:
1: Most prefer to stay in the City and travel out via public transport.
2: There are five hotels at Olympic Park from the 5 star Pullman to the 2 star Ibis. Details are here:
http://www.sydneyolympicpark.com.au/stay_eat_shop/accommodation
3: Strathfield should also be considered. A major shopping precinct, it sits between the City & Olympic Park. It offers more entertainment value than OP that's for sure.

Bigfooty favourites:

We suggest: Food, Pubs, Bars & Pre-Game Entertainment:

Strathfield: The young lads I know, who enjoy a brew or two, do their pre-game drinking at the Strathfield Hotel. Right next to the Strathfield station. I've been informed that the brew is good, the TAB is on hand. You can 1) re-board express train to Olympic Park or 2) catch one to Lidcombe & go to Sprint Platform as per instructions above or 3) grab a cab to Olympic Park (10-15mins)
http://www.strathfieldhotel.com.au/

Lidcombe:

Dooley’s: Get off at Lidcombe (lift end), turn right at the barriers, down the stairs and straight ahead on the right. Noodle bar there is particularly good and cheap, but if that’s not your thing there’s other choices on offer. Note: Dooley's is a Club, not a Pub. Dress codes apply.
- http://www.dooleys.com/dooleys_lidcombe

Royal Oak Hotel: Is a nifty little art deco pub. Will have the AFL on & a pizza/pasta bar open from 2:00pm. Exit Lidcombe (lift end) turn left at the barriers, down the stairs. You can't miss it.
- http://www.royaloak.net.au/

Lidcombe Hotel: A pub with bistro $10menu. Exit Lidcombe station (lift end) turn right at the barriers, down the stairs. You are now looking at the pub
- http://www.lidcombehotel.com.au/bistro.html

Olympic Park Precinct:
- A number of vendors offer food outside ANZ Stadium pre-game.
- Ribs & Rumps: http://ribsandrumps.com/locations/sydney-olympic-park-nsw/
- VN Fresh - http://vnfresh.com.au/
- Picolo - http://www.piccoloroma.com.au/
- The Brewery – Gets hella crowded on match day, so I avoid it like the plague. http://www.novotelsydneyolympicpark.com.au/restaurant-en.html

 

[RW]

Fantastic idea for a thread Horts, others please feel free to add their own tips / suggestions / experiences, I might even edit them in to the opening post.

A section on food and dining options would be a good idea too, if anyone has a favourite pub that they would like recommend, please do so!

Most people congregate at the Entertainment Quarter (EQ, though us locals still refer to it as Fox Studios) right next to the SCG, PJ Gallaghers is a popular meeting place for pre- and post- match drinks, though it gets quite crowded before the game (Melburnians: it's probably the Sydney equivalent of the Cricketers' Arms near the MCG). I know bedford likes the Royal Exhibition Hotel in Chalmers St next to Central Station though I have never been there.

 

[Horts]

A section on food and dining options would be a good idea too, if anyone has a favourite pub that they would like recommend, please do so!

Great idea! Last time I was there (GWS game) I ended up at a pub called The Local Tap House before the game, if you like beer this joints for you. Over 25 craft beers available on tap with a rotating selection of 50 or so, has a pretty good bar-style menu, nice rooftop beer garden and just a short stroll to the SCG - 5 minutes tops.

I thought this place would've been heaving before a game, but it was actually pretty quiet which was good for a change, when I say quiet I don't mean dead, just not packed to the rafters like many game day pubs.

Walking to the ground from the city side I never even knew the Entertainment Quarter existed, I'm up there for Friday night so I'll definitely check it out!

 

[bedford]

It was great after the 12 Prelim , with Grim, Soph, SM and even Vonn. Stays open to 4 and the publican loves us, good rooms with good rates and close to everything

 

[Cadsky]

Great thread! I could have used this thread when I went up for the port match. I drove up (company car/fuel) but I didnt drive around the city as I didnt know where to park. The one thing I found was that taxi's arnt cheap. Anyway my tip is to book a room on whatif.com if you dont mind too much where you stay try the mystery room. I booked the mystery room and got a room at the stamford plaza hotel at the airport. Excellent value for $139 per night.

 

[Mister B]

Fantastic idea for a thread. Am coming up for the St Kilda game. My flight gets in an hour and a half before the one my olds are on so was looking for a pub to kick back in until they make their way to the ground. Sounds like the Fox Studios area is where I should head.

 

[Cadsky]

Fantastic idea for a thread. Am coming up for the St Kilda game. My flight gets in an hour and a half before the one my olds are on so was looking for a pub to kick back in until they make their way to the ground. Sounds like the Fox Studios area is where I should head.

By the time you get from the airport to fox area you will only be there for 30mins and have to leave again.

 

[Mister B]

By the time you get from the airport to fox area you will only be there for 30mins and have to leave again.

Flight gets in at 9am so should be there in plenty of time to have a drink or two. The folks not so much as theirs arrives around 10.30.

 

[Horts]

Also guys, if you're coming from Melbourne and plan on driving to the airport, always book your park online prior to arriving from Melbourne Airport Parking, you will save a truckload of coin!

Friday - Sunday for $35.. just use your same credit card as you pay with online at the boom gates for entry & exit.

 

[GotTheGoodes]

Wicked idea Horts! After being delayed from Adelaide all morning the wife & I have finally just got in the the city about 5hrs late... Bring on the game tonight & a bit more sunshine this weekend. Left the thunder & rain in SA hopefully.

I'll try to get sum info for travel to SA in the next week too for wen we're playing in SA if it'll help?

 

[Horts]

Wicked idea Horts! After being delayed from Adelaide all morning the wife & I have finally just got in the the city about 5hrs late... Bring on the game tonight & a bit more sunshine this weekend. Left the thunder & rain in SA hopefully.

I'll try to get sum info for travel to SA in the next week too for wen we're playing in SA if it'll help?

Nice mate! I just got back to the hotel from lunch at Darling Harbour, gonna have put my feet up for halfa then get ready to head down and watch the 2's. Suns great hey?? Yeah post your info for the folks traveling from Adelaide and I'll add it into the OP.

 

[GotTheGoodes]

Nice mate! I just got back to the hotel from lunch at Darling Harbour, gonna have put my feet up for halfa then get ready to head down and watch the 2's. Suns great hey?? Yeah post your info for the folks traveling from Adelaide and I'll add it into the OP.

Sun is fantastic! When's the 2s get started usually? Wanted to go along and hava look...

 

[Horts]

Sun is fantastic! When's the 2s get started usually? Wanted to go along and hava look...

4:10 bounce mate.

 

[GotTheGoodes]

Awesome. Thanks mate. Much appreciated.

 

[whatboutbob]

Folks, is there anywhere in or immediately around Sydney domestic airport that'll show the (fox) footy?

 

[robbieando]

Folks, is there anywhere in or immediately around Sydney domestic airport that'll show the (fox) footy?

Not last time I was there (early April 2013)

 

[Horts]

Any of you guys at the captain cook after the game?

Never been in a pub FULL of Swans supporters singing the song all night, was unreal!

 

[bedford]

At the Royal Exchange after the 12 Prelim it happened

 

[Ships]

At the Royal Exchange after the 12 Prelim it happened

Ha ha, was a good night that one

 

[RW]

Also, don't forget Bourke St Bakery at the corner of Bourke and Devonshire Sts in Surry Hills, about halfway to the SCG if you're walking from Central Station, for coffee and tasty treats!

 

[Grongey]

Also, don't forget Bourke St Bakery at the corner of Bourke and Devonshire Sts in Surry Hills, about halfway to the SCG if you're walking from Central Station, for coffee and tasty treats!

Brilliant idea for a thread Horts (and RW), very useful information. Well done indeed.

I've done that walk from Central Stn to the SCG a few times, mostly felt safe, although not sure I'd want to do it for night games, am I being paranoid.. what do you think?

 

[Horts]

Brilliant idea for a thread Horts (and RW), very useful information. Well done indeed.

I've done that walk from Central Stn to the SCG a few times, mostly felt safe, although not sure I'd want to do it for night games, am I being paranoid.. what do you think?

Nah I've always walked from the hotel to and from games, perfectly safe. I guess if you're worried stick to the major streets, people everywhere including plenty of cops.

GotTheGoodes any tips travelling from Adelaide?

 

[VijoMorganstein]

Great idea, I usually travel up to Sydney a few times each season.

Agree with the Jetstar Price Beat being the way to go for flights, it's annoying to deal with but worth it in the end if you've got the time to do it.

In terms of where to stay, I generally go the Pullman Hyde Park. I get the Accor Partner's rate which is 50% off so that makes it pretty cheap, if I didn't have that though I would look elsewhere. Coincidentally, I went up on Friday for the game and the Essendon team & the umps were both staying there too. If the Pullman's too pricy the Oaks Hyde Park Plaza is right next door, I haven't stayed there so can't comment on whether it's good/bad or but the location is perfect imo. It's easy to get to the SCG from there, it's near the city, near a train station with the airport link, near some good cafes/restaurants too: would definitely recommend Paramount Coffee Project for breakfast around there, it's awesome and probably not even a five minute walk away.

Pre-game we went to The Norfolk/House Of Crabs for drinks & food, it was pretty awesome and only ten mins walk from the ground, will probably stick with that next time I go up. Not sure about it for post-game drinks though, they had bouncers on the door by then that seemed like kents & I reckon they could be difficult if they felt like it.
I went to Jonkanoo in the same area for dinner the next night and it was really friggen good, would definitely recommend that if you're looking for a dinner option near the ground.

 

[Inertia]

I went up to Sydney for the Swans/Cats game earlier this year. It was a great experience. If anyone is looking for cheap accommodation, I recommend the Maze Backpackers. Relatively cheap and right in the CBD. Plus, it's about a 5 min walk to the bus stop that takes you to the SCG. Everything in the CBD is open really late, unlike Adelaide where everything is closed at 5pm, except for Thursday (Friday in the CBD).

I should also mention something hilarious. They have jaywalking police in Sydney (I think so in Melbourne too?) On the day I arrived, I sat in a window seat at a pub for 2 hours laughing at people getting fined for jaywalking. So you should probably be careful if you see the police on the corner of a street.

 

[GotTheGoodes]

Nah I've always walked from the hotel to and from games, perfectly safe. I guess if you're worried stick to the major streets, people everywhere including plenty of cops.

GotTheGoodes any tips travelling from Adelaide?

Hey mate, sorry, been flooded under at work.

I've had a crack at working on a "travel to Adelaide" type post similar to you OP though;

I thought I’d take @Horts’ lead and put a post up regarding Adelaide/SA games for travelling supporters. I fully expect this to be focused toward a much more minimal amount of people in comparison to those travelling to Melb/Syd. None-the-less I hope some of those who read this manage to come over to SA and experience the new Adelaide Oval before it starts to get the shine rubbed off it by the record breaking hoards & hoards of South Australians flocking to the ground week after week.

Personally, being a SACA member, I find the Oval a fantastic upgrade on the old AAMI Stadium/Footy Park. Much better viewing from right around the ground be it seated in the rafters or at ground level. Along with more modern and easily accessible facilities I give the Adelaide Oval redevelopment a massive thumbs up.

Anyway, I’ll give this a crack and if I miss anything I’d be happy to hear about it and I’ll update the post.

Getting There
As per Horts, 4 domestic airlines can get you here but I certainly wouldn’t rule out the drive between Melb/Adel. Especially if you can manage to make a bit of a holiday of it and hit the coast line (Robe etc) on the way up. Well worth it if you can manage an extra day or two IMO.

Again, per Horts, Jetstars price guarantee is perfect for keeping the costs down. I managed to bag 2 seats return to/from Melbourne for less than $100 in TOTAL a few years ago through Jetstar’s “Friday fare frenzy” so I’d highly recommend joining the mailing lists too.

Personally I don’t mind paying a bit more and going Qantas and bagging some points and a meal onboard every now and then (not so much anymore), but really, there isn’t too much a difference between carriers and provided you do a bit of research (e.g. Webjet) you should be able to find a deal every now and then anyway.

Apart from flying or driving yourself you could always coach it… Or hitchhike… But then again, we’re not Pies fans are we?

Once You’re There.
You’ll (hopefully) notice the airport has recently had a facelift. It’s layout remains much the same however the new car parking section is fantastic.
The main issue with the Airport is there is no easy/fast train/tram option to get you out of the airport quickly. The fastest/easiest option is probably the most expensive (being a Taxi). All the options are listed here: http://www.adelaideairport.com.au/air-travel/to-and-from.
TAXI
The new taxi rank is much better than the previous set up. Upon exiting the airport (on the ground level) you turn left just before you get to the Subway and you should see the Taxi rank. Depending on your location it’s approximately $15-$20 to the city (straight down Sir Donald Bradman Drive) and another $15-20 (total approx $40) if you have to go around/through the city to get to the southern/eastern suburbs.
SHUTTLE BUS SERVICE
There are shuttle buses (“Airport Flyer”) which you can book before-hand. Since a friend of mine had a bad experience with an Adelaide shuttle service I’ve steered clear. If anyone has anything further to add for the Shuttles feel free. If you have a flight number you can get a quote here: https://adelaideairportflyer.com/
PUBLIC BUS SERVICE
The Adelaide Metro service runs a service from the airport and you can buy a ticket on board from the driver. Adelaide Metro have only just started utilizing GPS “real time” (a good half a decade behind the other capital cities as usual) which is useful but in my experience not overly accurate. A 5min wait could be anywhere between 2-10mins, but usually it’s accurate within 10-15mins.
You can catch a bus from stop 10 on the J1 or J2 route which takes you into the city (Currie Street > Grenfell Street > North Terrace); As per the following: http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/stops/view/17327
BIKE
Personally I wouldn’t choose to hire a bike and ride into the city, but by all accounts the bike trails are top notch around the city and have a multitude of easy to ride paths/trails. This is in line with the growth in Cycling over the past decade in Adelaide with the Growth in the Tour Down Under and Australian Cycling in general. This is a good link if you want to plan a bike trip instead of do what any sane normal person would want to do and book a cab: http://maps.sa.gov.au/cycleinstead/

WHERE TO STAY & TRAVEL ON GAME DAY
There is a multitude of very good accommodation along North Terrace all only a few minutes walk from Adelaide Oval. I’d recommend the Intercontinental, either of Oaks Embassy or Oaks Horizon (right next to each other on North Terrace), The Sebel or The Stamford. There are many more to choose from, these are just the ones I’ve stayed in and would recommend.

If you decide to stay further South in the City somewhere at say a Hilton or Adina it’s a very easy tram ride to the Adelaide Railway Station on North Terrace as the one tram line only goes two ways - away from the city or to the city. There are however 2 tram services; one just ‘shuttles’ between the city. The other goes all the way to Glenelg. Both are free while in the city perimeter/centre. Once you leave the “city zone” (being South Terrace) you’ll probably have a staff member walk up & down the tram and ask to either see/validate or sell you a ticket.

This same philosophy applies if you decide to stay in Glenelg, just catch the tram to the city and sit on there until you get to the Adelaide Railway Station. You can buy a ticket on the machine on board or from the staff member(s) on board walking up & down the carriages.

NOTE: One advantage of going to the footy is that if you have a ticket to the game and it’s game day you should get free public transport! Just show them your footy ticket when you board (or wear a sh*tload of Swans gear and they generally either feel sorry for what you’re about to go through &/or can’t look you’re filthy non-crows/port swans supporting self in the eye &/or your ticket anyway).

There are footy express buses available on game days and depending on where you are there should be a bus close by to take you direct to Adelaide Oval. I’ve found them to be pretty confusing and they are a massive mess just after the game (they just line up randomly down King William Rd post game and it’s usually pretty confusing to find the bus you need easily). I’d recommend walking past these to the city and finding a “normal” bus and flash your footy ticket to get a free trip. Should be easier to find, less full and while not as quick just all round a bit easier IMO.

DRINKING PLACES
My favourite watering holes in Adelaide are the Coopers Alehouse (The Earl of Aberdeen) and the Lobethal Bierhaus. Both great pubs to visit on your stay, both not practical from a transport point of view to travel to/from on game day. The Loeby is in Lobethal, ages away in the hills...

As for game day, I've mentioned this elsewhere but I'd highly recommend the bar at the Intercontinental Hotel, at the base of the hotel easy access to the new footbridge going over the Torrens.

There are other options along North Terrace, most of which part of hotels. The Strathmore is a popular option and is your traditional bit-rough-&-tough-pokie-laden-but-generally ok pub.

There is usually some outdoor pop-up bars set up just at the city end of the new footbridge over the Torrens which are pretty fun and funky.

The Casino also has some good bars too. Upon heading to the Oval, instead of going through the Adelaide Railway Station you walk down the right side (east) of the building you'll come across a few places that usually do a good trade game day (also part of the casino). If you go into the railway station you'll see entrances to the casino also.

To get to the footbridge you just go out the end of the railway station and follow the hoards of people over the little road and veering to the left. If instead you decide to go back up the stairs on your right you'll end up back out on King William. You can get to the ground both ways however the new footbridge is a good experience.

After the game, the centre of the action will be either (the dodgier strip) Hindley street & (the generally nicer strip) Rundle Street. There's some very cool, small funky bars you can go to also... Try out the Clever Little Tailor if you get a chance and like classy (all be it slightly pricey) New York inspired bars. Enigma if you're into Metal. The Rosemount if you want a sports bar with TAB etc. Red Square or HQ if you want to dance to that new fangled rave music...