Sydney

[Awesom Andy]

A couple of hours drive is fine because we can change drivers. Would you recommend any particular places or towns within the southern highlands area?



Yeah we were thinking of blue mountains as well. It seems like Katoomba is the more popular spot? Any reasons why we should choose Leura instead?

Hunter valley is another area we considered- although we're not wine drinkers. But this would probably be after blue mountains. I heard there's a train to Katoomba- so we were thinking of renting a car after, to head to hunter valley. Would you suggest we return to sydney to rent the car or are there any car rental places near blue mountain?

Most towns are within a short drive in the Southern Highlands. It doesn't matter where you stay, as you'll be driving around anyway.

For the Blue Mountains, Leura is next to Katoomba. There is a Hertz in Katoomba, but if you're going to drop it off in Sydney, you will most likely incur significant one-way charges. In most cases, you are better off hiring in Sydney and then drive up to the Blue Mountains.

do they make a big loop? dont understand what incentive they have for doing so..
anyway uber is always my best bet in australia..

Airport shuttles usually end up dropping everyone at different places. With traffic, it can easily add 30-60 mins to the journey. It really depends on your luck, but I avoid them like the plague.

it cost $86-112 from George street to Kingsford airport Via Uber. it means it will cost 10% more in Taxi.

Airport shuttle on the other hand is a lot cheaper, assuming ur hotel doesn't offer complimentary service, ownself ptely book hotel to airport shuttle only cost >>
$22aud/head and $166aud/10 heads

so for everyone's benefit who are reading this thread, no, for 1-2pax airport shuttle is still cheapest


what u mention had bother me quite a bit, so i did some quick googling just. I had to assumed u based ur experiences from elsewhere outside australia


conclusion : private Hire is still A LOT more expensive. unless u r in some remote place of remote airbase....

Not sure what type of vehicle you had from Uber, but it should be less than $40 in a normal car, in normal traffic (keywords: normal traffic).

For 1-2 pax, I would normally recommend the train. For 2-4 pax, I would normally recommend uber. Although if you have to travel during peak hour, train is preferred to avoid the crazy traffic. I once gave up on the roads half-way, and asked to be dropped off at the train station instead.

Official private hires are very expensive, but if you can find the unofficial ones - I don't know of any but I would assume they exist (at least they do in Melbourne), it can work out to be a reasonable price.

 

[seianko]

Most towns are within a short drive in the Southern Highlands. It doesn't matter where you stay, as you'll be driving around anyway.

For the Blue Mountains, Leura is next to Katoomba. There is a Hertz in Katoomba, but if you're going to drop it off in Sydney, you will most likely incur significant one-way charges. In most cases, you are better off hiring in Sydney and then drive up to the Blue Mountains.



Airport shuttles usually end up dropping everyone at different places. With traffic, it can easily add 30-60 mins to the journey. It really depends on your luck, but I avoid them like the plague.


Not sure what type of vehicle you had from Uber, but it should be less than $40 in a normal car, in normal traffic (keywords: normal traffic).

For 1-2 pax, I would normally recommend the train. For 2-4 pax, I would normally recommend uber. Although if you have to travel during peak hour, train is preferred to avoid the crazy traffic. I once gave up on the roads half-way, and asked to be dropped off at the train station instead.

Official private hires are very expensive, but if you can find the unofficial ones - I don't know of any but I would assume they exist (at least they do in Melbourne), it can work out to be a reasonable price.

came from uber website. uberblack, time as i posted


u miss the point, he say airport shuttle more expensive...which i beg to differ. and not all the time airport shuttle is draggy, if traffic is bad, uber / shuttle = same bad. TBH CBD to Airport, the best way is always by train

if anything goes wrong, 1st u r not covered by insurance, and then by oz law, i am not sure if the illegality will get to u w summon papers. private unless they are registered as official chauffeurs, u just shave 5-10$ from uber but u still have to pay toll if any depending where you r located

There is a callout fee to considered, that fee is waived in melbourne w ur fav driver, not so much in sydney

Airport shuttle is a very competitive biz in bigger cities so it is possible to ask them how much time is needed from ur point to the airport and u do the math, i have done that several times before not as bad as u wud hv tot. in some cases yes as your hotel is the 1st stop. in most cases their KPI is to do a return in every 90 minutes

 

[Awesom Andy]

Hi, Im about to book a day trip for blue mountains and Jenolan Caves tour. However I’m wondering which day will be a less crowded day. Thursday or Friday? Anyone have any suggestions? I saw in some website that some blue mountains tour operate in Tue, Thur and Sat. Are the blue mountain attractions places close on other days ?

The major attractions are open every day. In terms of crowds, Thursday and Friday should be similar (Friday can be slightly more busy but only just a tiny bit).

 

[tulipkiss]

Airport shuttles usually end up dropping everyone at different places. With traffic, it can easily add 30-60 mins to the journey. It really depends on your luck, but I avoid them like the plague.

ohhh i see! yeah, i'm planning to take bus 400 or uber to the hotel at mascot, depending on how lazy or tired we feel after touch down...... hehe..

 

[tulipkiss]

Yeah, that's becos Katoomba area is where you can see the 3 sisters and waterfalls, and where Scenic world is located (scenic railway & cable car). If I'm not wrong, Leura is just a small town (with a mall though)?
They're just 10min drive apart, so we can choose to stay at either areas when visiting the 3 sisters/scenic world.

Not sure about the car rental at the BM, there should be some available.. But take note if u need to drive back to the BM to return the car or if there is an city office whereby u can drop off the car instead.

I'm renting a car from Sydney city and driving to the BM so that we can stop by the fruit farms at Bilpin area, and drive to various lookouts around Katoomba that aren't accessible by public trains, and then featherdale wildlife park.

Also, driving to HV directly from Katoomba takes about 3hours+, whereas if you take the train from Katoomba to the city and then drive to HV, it takes 4hours+..

There are also cheese, and chocolate factories at HV.. or if you are interested, there are sand dunes which is slightly less than an hour drive away at Newcastle area.. There's this Starline Alpaca farm (30min drive from HV) but I'm not sure if it's an attraction or worth going yet..


*disclaimer: all the above are purely based on my research and planning, not yet executed in real life.. haha.

@WadsUpDoc: The cheese and chocolate factories at HV are not very amazing - unlike Yarra Valley or even Swan Valley. The Alpaca farm is quite fun if you like these animals, it lets you interact with alpacas really up-close.

Most fruit farms at Bilpin are not opened on weekdays - if you're going on a weekend, better to make reservation to confirm that they will be opened on your day of visit.

Would recommend that you cater 2 nights stay at the blue mountains if you like nature and hikes and similar. Both Katoomba and Leura area are good I feel. Less than 10-min drive apart. But if you're taking public transport, then perhaps Katoomba is 10-min nearer to most attractions.

 

[Whirling_Dervish]

@WadsUpDoc: The cheese and chocolate factories at HV are not very amazing - unlike Yarra Valley or even Swan Valley. The Alpaca farm is quite fun if you like these animals, it lets you interact with alpacas really up-close.

Most fruit farms at Bilpin are not opened on weekdays - if you're going on a weekend, better to make reservation to confirm that they will be opened on your day of visit.

Would recommend that you cater 2 nights stay at the blue mountains if you like nature and hikes and similar. Both Katoomba and Leura area are good I feel. Less than 10-min drive apart. But if you're taking public transport, then perhaps Katoomba is 10-min nearer to most attractions.

The wineries up in HV should be pretty good, no? Audrey Wilkins is a pretty good winery to visit.

You should also visit the Southern Highlands and South Coast.

 

[tulipkiss]

The wineries up in HV should be pretty good, no? Audrey Wilkins is a pretty good winery to visit.

You should also visit the Southern Highlands and South Coast.

Yea, Audrey Wilkinson, and I personally like Scarborough Wine co too.
Didn't recommend to WadsUpDoc since he/she mentioned that they don't drink..


Southern Highlands and South Coast seems nice, future trip probably!

 

[WadsUpDoc]

Yea, Audrey Wilkins, and I personally like Scarborough Wine co too.
Didn't recommend to WadsUpDoc since he/she mentioned that they don't drink..


Southern Highlands and South Coast seems nice, future trip probably!

The wineries up in HV should be pretty good, no? Audrey Wilkins is a pretty good winery to visit.

You should also visit the Southern Highlands and South Coast.

Thanks! Yeah we're not really drinkers, but we don't mind heading to one or two wineries just for the experience haha. Would that be recommended?

The Southern Highlands and South Coast are opposite ends from HV right? Seems like we can only choose either HV or the South since driving to either places takes a considerable amount of time?

 

[tulipkiss]

Thanks! Yeah we're not really drinkers, but we don't mind heading to one or two wineries just for the experience haha. Would that be recommended?

The Southern Highlands and South Coast are opposite ends from HV right? Seems like we can only choose either HV or the South since driving to either places takes a considerable amount of time?

Still a great place to visit imo, if you have the time. Afterall we don't have such attractions in SG or nearby Will u be heading over soon? The roads there will have some beautiful autumn colours.
And ya, Scarborough wine co has complimentary tasting btw.

Both HV and the Southern region are equally far from Sydney city, you probably have to research more and see what you enjoy personally!

 

[WadsUpDoc]

Still a great place to visit imo, if you have the time. Afterall we don't have such attractions in SG or nearby Will u be heading over soon? The roads there will have some beautiful autumn colours.
And ya, Scarborough wine co has complimentary tasting btw.

Both HV and the Southern region are equally far from Sydney city, you probably have to research more and see what you enjoy personally!

We'll probably head to HV rather than the South, since there's nothing particularly interesting about the south.. We'll be heading there in the first week of June, I don't think the autumn colours would still be around, would it?

Hmm, if theres complimentary tasting, would it be rude if we just head there for it? Since we're not drinkers, we'll probably not buy any wine back haha

 

[Awesom Andy]

We'll probably head to HV rather than the South, since there's nothing particularly interesting about the south.. We'll be heading there in the first week of June, I don't think the autumn colours would still be around, would it?

Hmm, if theres complimentary tasting, would it be rude if we just head there for it? Since we're not drinkers, we'll probably not buy any wine back haha

Autumn colours (if any) is really dependent on the climate/weather for the year. It's not easy to predict.

A lot of people turn up for tasting. Some do buy, but some don't. You may find something you like, or you may not. Generally speaking, wineries perfectly understand this and they would not take offence as long as you remain polite.

 

[awhw]

If you feel paiseh, just share one glass for the wine tasting. Very often one would only take a small sip and pour the rest away in a bucket. Usually wine tasting entails seeing the colour, smelling and tasting. Not drinking. Have a good time at the Hunter Valley! Highly recommend Audrey Wilkinson too for it’s amazing views.

 

[Whirling_Dervish]

Thanks! Yeah we're not really drinkers, but we don't mind heading to one or two wineries just for the experience haha. Would that be recommended?

The Southern Highlands and South Coast are opposite ends from HV right? Seems like we can only choose either HV or the South since driving to either places takes a considerable amount of time?

Actually, I go to the wineries more for the experience and for the food! Yes, some of them have restaurants attached to the winery, and they have amazing views of the valley!

Actually the South Coast and Southern Highlands arent too far from each other, and definitely arent at the opposite ends from HV. You could definitely drive from South Coastal towns like Kiama to Southern Highland towns like Bowral/ Robertsons under half an hour!

 

[pau1ine]

Hello all sydney experts!

Going sydney early June, plan to self drive out of sydney city upon arrival, for 6N, then return to city 3N. 2A 2 teens.

Could I get advice on the order we should self drive to hunter valley, blue mountain, port stephen, jervis bay, Wollongong (or any other suggestions?). Best way/ where shall we spend the 6N? We have driven in Perth before but not exactly seasoned drivers. Prefer not to change accommodation every night.

Thanks!

 

[awhw]

Can’t really advise on the order, but do keep an eye on the remaining petrol and the distance to the next refueling stop. Try not to drive at dusk or dawn to minimize contact with kangaroos.

 

[WadsUpDoc]

Actually, I go to the wineries more for the experience and for the food! Yes, some of them have restaurants attached to the winery, and they have amazing views of the valley!

Actually the South Coast and Southern Highlands arent too far from each other, and definitely arent at the opposite ends from HV. You could definitely drive from South Coastal towns like Kiama to Southern Highland towns like Bowral/ Robertsons under half an hour!

Oh what I meant was that HV is North of Sydney, while the Southern Highlands and South Coast, are well.. South of Sydney.

Oh, any recommended restaurants- that are affordable haha.. How much are the meals at HV anyway? More than in Sydney?

 

[Awesom Andy]

Hunter Valley and Port Stephens are to the north. Blue Mountains is to the west. Wollongong and Jervis Bay are to the south. To go between any of these 3 directions, you would need to drive through at least some suburbs in Sydney. It's very difficult to fit all of those into 6 nights. My suggestion would be Blue Mountains, plus either the north side or the south side.

 

[seianko]

Can’t really advise on the order, but do keep an eye on the remaining petrol and the distance to the next refueling stop. Try not to drive at dusk or dawn to minimize contact with kangaroos.

havent seen u for a long while!!

 

[tulipkiss]

We'll probably head to HV rather than the South, since there's nothing particularly interesting about the south.. We'll be heading there in the first week of June, I don't think the autumn colours would still be around, would it?

Hmm, if theres complimentary tasting, would it be rude if we just head there for it? Since we're not drinkers, we'll probably not buy any wine back haha

there probably will be! a few of the locals here n there were telling us about autumn being delayed this year.. mother nature is confused about the dates >.< and that it will be nice in 2 weeks' time (beginning-mid may). but of cos, like awesome andy mentioned, nature is unpredictable - i shall not give you high hopes! but keep a lookout

and certainly no worries about not purchasing any wines. i believe most people visit for the tasting experience (do see people who leave without purchases after the tasting).
and so far, all the staff we've met at various vineyards in australia are nice and friendly - they seem genuinely happy just to share about their wines and story of that bottle they're serving you. just be nice to them as well. other than that, i think there's really no pressure to buy, no need to paiseh about it..


have a good trip! i miss the place already go to the alpaca farm if you like animals!

 

[awhw]

havent seen u for a long while!!

I only come here to look for suggestions when friends are visiting Sydney. Hehe