Airport Link is the Sydney Trains line that connects arriving passengers at Sydney Airport to the Sydney CBD and to the southwest suburbs of Sydney. This airport line is known as T2. It is a convenient way to get to Central Station, in which you can connect to other Sydney Trains lines as well as inter-city train and bus services.
This airport line has a stop at the Domestic and International terminals of Sydney Airport. While a couple airlines like Qantas and Virgin Australia offer their passengers a shuttle service to connect between the Domestic and International terminals, this isn't offered to all passengers. Hence taking Airport Link would be one option to use if you need to make an airport terminal transfer. The trip takes 2 minutes and there is frequent train service on this line.
The airport trains are interesting as they are triple decker. The entrance is located on the second level which has limited seating. This level consists of seating for seniors and disabled passengers. Lower and upper levels is where the general seating is located and with varying numbers of seats. Some rows are three seaters.
While these trains are clean, they aren't the most passenger friendly for airport travelers. The general seating areas don't have much space between them. So if you have large pieces of luggage, they may not fit. In that case, you might be better off standing on the second level. I wouldn't recommend taking this service if you have multiple pieces of luggage and would suggest an airport shuttle or taxi instead.
I took this line several times to and from Sydney Airport and like the convenience and frequency of services. The train ride doesn't take very long to reach Sydney CBD as it is only about 15 minutes long perhaps. Though the reason for the three stars is for the pricing.
Like the airports in Chicago and Vancouver, Sydney charges a station access fee (aka surcharge) on top of the standard fare. But unlike in those cities in which you can buy day passes to avoid the charge, it isn't possible in Sydney. And the surcharge is quite high as it tacks on an additional $13.40 on each fare. This access fee is limited to traveling from and arriving at the Domestic and International Airport stations. So you wouldn't be subject to the charge if you decide to take the train from the next station, Mascot Station to Sydney CBD and vice versa.
If you are traveling light and don't mind paying the station access fee, taking Airport Link to the airport is a quick and easy way to get there. However the pricing for an airport shuttle is pretty comparable to taking Airport Link, so that would be a better choice for someone with a lot of luggage or if you are not located close to one of the stations on this line. read more