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I’ve done the trip between Canberra and Sydney more times than I care to remember and thought I would share my tips about the best way to travel between the two cities. The main ways to travel are by plane, train, bus or in your own car. Each way has its own advantages and disadvantages, as I will explain.
Flying
As a bit of an aviation enthusiast, flying is my favourite method. Travelling by plane is by far the quickest way to get from Canberra to Sydney, however it’s also the most expensive by a fair margin.
The average journey time is under 30 minutes in the air or 1 hour gate-to-gate. However you also need to take into account the time you need to be at the airport prior to the flight. This is generally a minimum of 30 minutes. So all up you’re looking at 90 minutes if there are no delays.
Both Qantas and Virgin fly the route. Qantas use a mixture of Dash 8s, Boeing 717s and the odd Boeing 737 while Virgin mainly use ATRs. Given the choice I would pick a Boeing 737 but the Boeing 717s are good too if you can get a seat in the front half of the plane (away from the noisy engines!).
An average economy fare costs $149 on Qantas and $139 on Virgin. From time to time you might be able to snag a $99 or $109 fare if there is a sale on but I have never seen the price below $79 – and that was a few years ago. Of course, if you book at the last minute the price could be much higher – sometimes $300 or more.
Both airlines serve a complimentary refreshment and drink on every flight. I find the Qantas snacks to be somewhat more substantial though nothing special. You usually get a cheese box, muffin & dip, sandwich or cheese & crackers or piece of banana bread on Qantas, while I got a small pastry (not much larger than a 20c piece) last time I flew Virgin. On Qantas I have found that there is a wider selection of drinks on Dash 8 flights compared to jet services where just tea, coffee, juice and water is offered.
In summary:
Pros: Quickest method, complimentary refreshment, and of course the ability to earn points and status credits!
Cons: The price
Train
NSW TrainLink runs three trains daily between Canberra and Sydney offering morning, noon and evening departures. I find the train to be the most comfortable option however it is also the longest, with a journey time of a little over 4 hours.
The XPLORER service is operated by 3 car trains. There are two cars of economy and one with first class and a cafeteria. The seats are in a 2x2 configuration and reasonably wide, with a good amount of legroom.
I particularly like being able to get up and walk around. There is usually plenty of space as the train is rarely full and I find it is easy to get out my laptop and do some work on board, although there is no wifi or powerpoints.
After a while you will probably begin wondering when the train will pick up speed, then get frustrated when it doesn’t. Yes, it is quite slow… and will remain that way until someone invests in high-speed rail! But otherwise the train is fine.
There is a buffet/cafeteria where you can purchase drinks, light refreshments and also hot meals. At the beginning of the trip they announce what hot meals are available on the day, then hand out tickets for anyone wanting to purchase one. For lunch/dinner there is usually a meat & veges meal for $9, a vegetarian option (generally spinach cannelloni in neapolitana sauce) for $8 and a gluten-free option (often skinless chicken with vegetables) for $9. I have ordered the meals a few times and find them hit-and-miss. I enjoy the cannelloni but the roast beef dish I had a while back was pretty bad. For the price, the portions are a reasonable size.
On almost every trip I have taken recently, they have sold off leftover pies and sausage rolls about an hour before arrival for half-price, so that might be something to look out for.
As well as Central station, the train picks up and drops off in Campbelltown, so if you are travelling to western Sydney it will get you much closer to your destination. It’s not great however if you want to go to the centre of Canberra as Canberra train station is actually in Kingston; not particularly close to Civic.
I should also point out that the train is prone to delays. They are usually fairly minor (10-20 minutes) but I have had one delay of two hours and on more than one occasion we were put onto buses due to track work. Unfortunately in my experience, the train only arrives on time about 30-50% of the time.
The train costs $39.54 or $28.25 for students/pensioners for an economy class ticket. There is also a promotion where you can bring along children under 16 (if they are from the same household) for an extra $1 so if travelling as a family this could be a good option. The prices are fixed and do not go up or down no matter how late you leave it to book a ticket.
First class is generally about $16 extra but in my opinion is not worth it. The only difference is an extra 10cm of leg room and maybe a quieter cabin due to fewer people sitting there, though I have never found either cabin particularly noisy.
In summary:
Pros: comfortable, fair price (especially if travelling with children)
Cons: slowest option, prone to delays
Bus
Both Murrays and Greyhound offer regular services between Canberra and both Sydney Airport & Central station in Sydney. Murrays even offer hourly departures from Jolimont bus station in Canberra.
The bus trip generally takes 3 and a half hours to the Sydney CBD, though it usually stops at Sydney Airport’s international terminal along the way, so if you are catching a flight it’s great.
I have found Murrays buses to be close to 100% full on almost every trip, which means you will almost always sit next to someone and it can feel a little cramped at times.
My preference is Greyhound as I find their buses a little more comfortable, less crowded and, on their “premium” service, they have free wifi. Having said that, Murrays has a more frequent schedule.
The buses do not stop along the way and there is no opportunity to purchase food on board so you may want to bring a sandwich for the trip. Mercifully, there is one toilet at the back of the bus on both carriers.
Prices do fluctuate but are usually between $20 and about $42. You will usually pay at least $24. The bus is usually – but not always – cheaper than the train. It is best to book a few weeks out as the prices may go up in the days before the buses depart. On the same token, if you book too far out they may not have released any of the cheaper tickets yet.
In summary:
Pros: often the cheapest option, quicker than the train, departs and arrives in the CBD
Cons: not the most comfortable option
DIY – drive
Of course, you can drive yourself to Sydney. The drive from Canberra to Sydney is not too onerous. You take the Federal Highway to around Goulburn, then the Hume Highway until you reach the outskirts of Sydney. The drive takes 3 to 3.5 hours, though sometimes a bit more if there is a lot of traffic on the M5 in Sydney.
There are a few places to stop along the way; the most popular is probably the McDonalds in Sutton Forest at about the half-way mark.
It is usually cheaper to take the bus once you take into account the price of fuel, and of course parking in Sydney but if you need your car at your destination then of course it’s better not to need to get a hire car.
Well, there are my thoughts. I do this route frequently and use a combination of all four methods. If I’m in a hurry I might cough up for a plane ticket; if not my preference is probably the train. If travelling from Sydney Airport to Canberra (and vice versa) and you don’t want to buy a plane ticket, the bus is probably your best bet with a travel time of 3 hours & 15 minutes and a price around the $30 mark.
I would be interested to hear how other people travel between Canberra and Sydney and what your favourite methods are.
Flying
As a bit of an aviation enthusiast, flying is my favourite method. Travelling by plane is by far the quickest way to get from Canberra to Sydney, however it’s also the most expensive by a fair margin.
The average journey time is under 30 minutes in the air or 1 hour gate-to-gate. However you also need to take into account the time you need to be at the airport prior to the flight. This is generally a minimum of 30 minutes. So all up you’re looking at 90 minutes if there are no delays.
Both Qantas and Virgin fly the route. Qantas use a mixture of Dash 8s, Boeing 717s and the odd Boeing 737 while Virgin mainly use ATRs. Given the choice I would pick a Boeing 737 but the Boeing 717s are good too if you can get a seat in the front half of the plane (away from the noisy engines!).
An average economy fare costs $149 on Qantas and $139 on Virgin. From time to time you might be able to snag a $99 or $109 fare if there is a sale on but I have never seen the price below $79 – and that was a few years ago. Of course, if you book at the last minute the price could be much higher – sometimes $300 or more.
Both airlines serve a complimentary refreshment and drink on every flight. I find the Qantas snacks to be somewhat more substantial though nothing special. You usually get a cheese box, muffin & dip, sandwich or cheese & crackers or piece of banana bread on Qantas, while I got a small pastry (not much larger than a 20c piece) last time I flew Virgin. On Qantas I have found that there is a wider selection of drinks on Dash 8 flights compared to jet services where just tea, coffee, juice and water is offered.
In summary:
Pros: Quickest method, complimentary refreshment, and of course the ability to earn points and status credits!
Cons: The price
Train
NSW TrainLink runs three trains daily between Canberra and Sydney offering morning, noon and evening departures. I find the train to be the most comfortable option however it is also the longest, with a journey time of a little over 4 hours.
The XPLORER service is operated by 3 car trains. There are two cars of economy and one with first class and a cafeteria. The seats are in a 2x2 configuration and reasonably wide, with a good amount of legroom.
I particularly like being able to get up and walk around. There is usually plenty of space as the train is rarely full and I find it is easy to get out my laptop and do some work on board, although there is no wifi or powerpoints.
After a while you will probably begin wondering when the train will pick up speed, then get frustrated when it doesn’t. Yes, it is quite slow… and will remain that way until someone invests in high-speed rail! But otherwise the train is fine.
There is a buffet/cafeteria where you can purchase drinks, light refreshments and also hot meals. At the beginning of the trip they announce what hot meals are available on the day, then hand out tickets for anyone wanting to purchase one. For lunch/dinner there is usually a meat & veges meal for $9, a vegetarian option (generally spinach cannelloni in neapolitana sauce) for $8 and a gluten-free option (often skinless chicken with vegetables) for $9. I have ordered the meals a few times and find them hit-and-miss. I enjoy the cannelloni but the roast beef dish I had a while back was pretty bad. For the price, the portions are a reasonable size.
On almost every trip I have taken recently, they have sold off leftover pies and sausage rolls about an hour before arrival for half-price, so that might be something to look out for.
As well as Central station, the train picks up and drops off in Campbelltown, so if you are travelling to western Sydney it will get you much closer to your destination. It’s not great however if you want to go to the centre of Canberra as Canberra train station is actually in Kingston; not particularly close to Civic.
I should also point out that the train is prone to delays. They are usually fairly minor (10-20 minutes) but I have had one delay of two hours and on more than one occasion we were put onto buses due to track work. Unfortunately in my experience, the train only arrives on time about 30-50% of the time.
The train costs $39.54 or $28.25 for students/pensioners for an economy class ticket. There is also a promotion where you can bring along children under 16 (if they are from the same household) for an extra $1 so if travelling as a family this could be a good option. The prices are fixed and do not go up or down no matter how late you leave it to book a ticket.
First class is generally about $16 extra but in my opinion is not worth it. The only difference is an extra 10cm of leg room and maybe a quieter cabin due to fewer people sitting there, though I have never found either cabin particularly noisy.
In summary:
Pros: comfortable, fair price (especially if travelling with children)
Cons: slowest option, prone to delays
Bus
Both Murrays and Greyhound offer regular services between Canberra and both Sydney Airport & Central station in Sydney. Murrays even offer hourly departures from Jolimont bus station in Canberra.
The bus trip generally takes 3 and a half hours to the Sydney CBD, though it usually stops at Sydney Airport’s international terminal along the way, so if you are catching a flight it’s great.
I have found Murrays buses to be close to 100% full on almost every trip, which means you will almost always sit next to someone and it can feel a little cramped at times.
My preference is Greyhound as I find their buses a little more comfortable, less crowded and, on their “premium” service, they have free wifi. Having said that, Murrays has a more frequent schedule.
The buses do not stop along the way and there is no opportunity to purchase food on board so you may want to bring a sandwich for the trip. Mercifully, there is one toilet at the back of the bus on both carriers.
Prices do fluctuate but are usually between $20 and about $42. You will usually pay at least $24. The bus is usually – but not always – cheaper than the train. It is best to book a few weeks out as the prices may go up in the days before the buses depart. On the same token, if you book too far out they may not have released any of the cheaper tickets yet.
In summary:
Pros: often the cheapest option, quicker than the train, departs and arrives in the CBD
Cons: not the most comfortable option
DIY – drive
Of course, you can drive yourself to Sydney. The drive from Canberra to Sydney is not too onerous. You take the Federal Highway to around Goulburn, then the Hume Highway until you reach the outskirts of Sydney. The drive takes 3 to 3.5 hours, though sometimes a bit more if there is a lot of traffic on the M5 in Sydney.
There are a few places to stop along the way; the most popular is probably the McDonalds in Sutton Forest at about the half-way mark.
It is usually cheaper to take the bus once you take into account the price of fuel, and of course parking in Sydney but if you need your car at your destination then of course it’s better not to need to get a hire car.
Well, there are my thoughts. I do this route frequently and use a combination of all four methods. If I’m in a hurry I might cough up for a plane ticket; if not my preference is probably the train. If travelling from Sydney Airport to Canberra (and vice versa) and you don’t want to buy a plane ticket, the bus is probably your best bet with a travel time of 3 hours & 15 minutes and a price around the $30 mark.
I would be interested to hear how other people travel between Canberra and Sydney and what your favourite methods are.
.
