Avoiding Road Chaos around Sydney Int. Airport

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  Janko on 21/01/2016 - 00:47

  I'm thinking I park at Wolli Creek, walk over and we catch the taxi back to the car, as the traffic only seemed last time to be going to the airport, not leaving it.

  • 

    victorwilson on 21/01/2016 - 04:09

    At the International arrivals terminal, there is an STA bus (route 400) which comes every 20 minutes and stops at Banksia and Rockdale stations. Much cheaper than a taxi, but less convenient if you've got lots of luggage.

  • 

    RM on 21/01/2016 - 08:10

    How is Taxi different from driving your own car on the same road at the same time?

    • 

      Janko on 21/01/2016 - 08:41

      Traffic was only bad getting into the airport last time, not out. It seemed to be where cars from the North had to marge over to arrivals while cars from the South west were trying to merge over to departures.

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  Findo on 21/01/2016 - 01:55

  +1

  Coming in from the north and through the ED isn't too bad most of the time.

  • 

    Janko on 21/01/2016 - 08:48

    Looking at the livetraffic.com now, it doesn't seem too bad going ED, General Holmes and Airport (Qantas) Drive. Marsh Street however also looks ok but last time, the left lane on Marsh street was empty, the right (airport) one full so I'm probably just seeing the average speed on these sites.

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  cDNA on 21/01/2016 - 09:24

  +1

  Park on a side street. When they call you, drive to the 15 minute pickup area.

  • 

    Janko on 21/01/2016 - 11:18

    I actually got off at the Princes Hwy exit last time to get out of the tunnel queue earlier, then tried to join Marsh Street half way along at the lights - however cars already on Marsh St were piling over the intersection allowing zero to one car to join in at each (long) light change. It appeared every one was so pissed off they didn't care. Then I had to get over into the airport lane which was cutting into a angry queue half way down it.

    So that street at the lights (Flora) and maybe the next closer one are the only side streets I can think of. Maybe coming from the North the freight terminal has some place to pull over.

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  humdingaling on 21/01/2016 - 10:13

  +1

  from prior experience i have found Saturday is much worse than Friday

  you probably have only minor traffic issues at all with the parents being 11am

  • 

    Janko on 21/01/2016 - 11:06

    I hope so - thanks.

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  bobbified on 21/01/2016 - 10:38

  +1

  If you have the time, perhaps just go a little earlier. I normally go from the M5 tunnel and the mornings always look really bad, but the traffic does seem to move and admittedly, the amount of time spent in that carpark of a tunnel isn't actually that long.

  Depending on what your girlfriend is like, you perhaps could ask her to wait a little longer like have a coffee or something after she arrives and it might help cut down the three hour block until her parents arrive. (Disclaimer: I take no responsibility for any relationship problems if she goes off at you for suggesting that!)

  Then you can park in the carpark and have a coffee or something while you wait for her parents. Yes, parking is quite expensive at $33 for 2-3 hours, but if you ask the parents to catch the train out a couple of stations away from the main airport, it'll cost a minimum of $26 ($13 each for airport station access, plus train ticket to whatever station you want to pick them up at) for them to do that…

  Take the difference $7 (or it could be even less than that depending on the train ticket cost) as the cost of brownie points.

  PS.. whatever you do, don't let the parking go over 3 hours.. . it becomes a daily rate of $58.50 for anything over 3 hours!

  • 

    Janko on 21/01/2016 - 11:25

    Thanks for the options. We'll be having coffee but planned on it outside the airport due to what could easily be over 3 hours parking. $25 I'd do, but $58.50 is a bit rich, then she (and her daughter) have another $26 airport station access fee as they'll be catching the train - I'm just grabbing their luggage due to insufficient room in the car. But if traffic is what it was like last time, I'd pay $60 to avoid doing it twice!

    • 

      Findo on 21/01/2016 - 12:52

      +1

      You could hang around Redfern station and get them to catch a cab out there. Airport to Redfern station is around $15-20 but you'll get a really pissed off taxi driver.

      • 

        Janko on 21/01/2016 - 18:08

        And I was thinking Airport to Wolli Creek - how pissed off will he be for that!

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  BargainKen on 30/01/2016 - 17:29

  +1

  Used to work ascot just depends the time of day you go. 8am Saturday is crazy busy. Go earlier or later in the day if you can. International is notoriously bad as you need to merge into 1 lane to get to the terminal. often I see people trying to push into that lane especially taxis

  • 

    Janko on 01/02/2016 - 10:54

    Yes, it appears Saturday is crazy time. The experience on the Friday was much better.