Questions on getting to Acer Arena in Homebush Bay

[casanovawa]

For the Sydney siders amongst us, how easy/difficult, cheap/expensive is it to get from either Sydney airport or Sydney City to Acer Arena in Homebush Bay?

Just i am considering taking my child to a Walking with Dinosaurs show that will be there on Friday 20th May at 7pm at night. We might fly in together on the Friday then on the Saturday morning I will jet out overseas and I would probably put him on a flight back to Perth as an unaccompanied minor on one of the earliest flights (say 7or 8am or so) out of Sydney.

So would it be best to fly over and get a cheap bus fare into the City and then can you catch a train out to Homebush? The show might finish about 9-10pm at night and so maybe a train or something back into the city that night and then cheap bus out to the airport again in the morning? Would that be better than trying to base out at Homebush? Not sure if the bus service i was looking at $10/seat one way might have a route out to Homebush and what sort of approximate travelling times?

Any thoughts appreciated...

 

[notmensa]

Hi,

There's a page here on trains to Olympic park:
Sydney Olympic Park : Train

From a ticketing standpoint, the cheapest is probably to catch the train from the airport to Olympic Park on Friday, stay over in Homebush, and then take the train back to the airport on Saturday morning. That way you only need to buy one ticket at SYD domestic, and another at Olympic Park on your way back.

Having said that, check the train timetables for Saturday am to make sure you can get to the airport in time for an early flight: 131500 Transport Infoline - Home
You'll probably needto get three trains (Olympic Park to Lidcombe, Lidcombe to central, central to Domestic).

Others might have better ideas!!

 

[thewinchester]

Not a Sydney resident, but have taken in a few big at the Olympic precinct as well as staying at a hotel out there late last year.

Taxis from either the CBD or airport aren't a problem. Approx. AUD45-50 from the city, and AUD60 from the airport.

When we've left from the city, we've always departed ~90min before showtime. Gives you time to get there, get snacks/munchies and get comfortable before proceedings begin. This also gives us some leeway in case the taxi is running late (always prebook) or something goes to hell on the way in.

Main routes from airport are M5 East and M3, and M4 from the city.

I prefer taking a cab out there, and a train back. However, Cityrail's services after events finishing in the evening aren't renowned for their on-time and frequent running - and you may even get stuck changing trains at some point if their usual quality of service holds true.

 

[casanovawa]

ok thanks, didn't even know trains went to sydney airport...

 

[sergeyvzn]

Don't catch a cab - too expensive and takes forever

Take a train to Central where you change to go to Lidcombe where you need to change again for the loop service to Olympic Park, takes about 35-40 mins

Novotel/ibis/Pullman ( all three hotels are connected) are on your left as soon as you get out of the Olympic Park station. There is also a Formula 1 nearby - 200 m
Pullman is very nice, always half empty and therefore has great specials

The first train leaves Olympic Park at 6.18 am on the weekend so you should be at the airport by 7 am

There is also a bus service (525 but I might be wrong) that takes you from the Olympic Park Station to Strathfield where you can catch a train to the airport, I think the bus service starts earlier than the train at 6.18 but you'd better double check at 131500 Transport Infoline - Home

Have a great time in Olympic Park!

 

[ked999]

As there are 2 of you, I doubt that the public transport option is cost-effective or easy enough. The airport station has an expensive surcharge. $15 1 way to city (and I don't age of your son, whether charged as adult or child). For all of the hassle of train to city, change and wait to get train to Lidcome, get to Olympic Park, I would recommend a taxi. (and normally I would do the 'economic' option but it has to be worthwhile - in this case not).

 

[sergeyvzn]

I normally do not even try to argue about using public transport in Sydney but last November I actually was stupid enough to catch a cab from Olympic Park to the International Terminal - taxi takes you down M3 and then up M5, it took me almost an hour (I think I had a bit of a snooze a couple of times) and cost $62

now the train fare from Domestik to Olympic Park:

adult: airport link Domestic/Central $15 + Central/Olympic Park $4 = $19
kid: airport link $10 + Central/Olympic Park $2 = $12

so it's $31 vs $62 - how is taxi cost effective?

considering most Sydney drivers don't even know Olympic Park exists - you will have to explain them how to get there

 

[ked999]

how is taxi cost effective?

That's a decision for the person requesting the info - what price do they put on 2 train changes, likely with luggage.

 

[simongr]

Don't catch a cab - too expensive and takes forever

Take a train to Central where you change to go to Lidcombe where you need to change again for the loop service to Olympic Park, takes about 35-40 mins

Time of day/week is critical to working out the cost and timing. If arriving outside of peak hours your cost is going to be much less and you dont have to take the long route if you do some research on the best route and communicate that to the driver.

Personally as a daily user of Cityrail I would certainly avoid using Cityrail like the plague. First you have the marathon hike to get to the platform from arrivals through I think 4 or 5 sets of escalators. Then at Central you have two sets of steps and a hike across platforms. Then you get to Lidcombe and it up and over another two sets of steps. Finally you get to Olympic park and have a semi decent hike to your hotel.

 

[sergeyvzn]

Personally as a daily user of Cityrail I would certainly avoid using Cityrail like the plague. First you have the marathon hike to get to the platform from arrivals through I think 4 or 5 sets of escalators. Then at Central you have two sets of steps and a hike across platforms. Then you get to Lidcombe and it up and over another two sets of steps. Finally you get to Olympic park and have a semi decent hike to your hotel.

you must be joking - it's not like you have to walk on the escalator, you stand on it and it takes you there (3 sets to be exact in Domestic). The hike in Central is from platform 25 to platfrom 18 - 20 meters to walk. The Olympic Park hike - very funny, when was your last time there? You get out of the station and the three hotels are right in front of you - all you need to walk is like 50m, even if you have luggage you can do it in about 2 mins

I guess the point is - it does depend on the time/day and it's up to the person to decide whether they want catch a cab or a train but the cab is more expensive and not necessarily faster.

In Sydney it makes sense to catch a cab when travelling a reasonably short distance from the airport or going to a part of the city where there is no railway. I personally catch a cab home (Balmain) whenever I fly even if public transport is free for me (I work for STA of NSW) - it's faster, 15 min instead of 30 mins by rail+bus. However, I'd never do it if I lived say in Parramatta or Campbelltown - too far and too expensive

 

[medhead]

4 escalators and 2 travelators to be precise. Whoops no there is another escalator to the platform. 5

In terms of cost you lot added it wrong. As lidcombe to airport is $16.50. You don't buy 3 trains ticket you buy 1, airport to homebush. For exact fare google cityrail they have a calculator.

If going to the city a taxi is cheaper for 2 people just.

I'd do the train myself but that's just me.