This is the SYDNEY Kingsford Smith Airport Guide
With thanks to contributors (as of now):
kpc, UMD,simong
ARRIVING
Customs and Immigration formalities. Do I need to fill out any forms? How do I get through quicker?
Regardless of your nationality you will need to fill out an arrival card which incorporates quarantine declaration.
Depending on the time of the day you arrive, quarantine can be very busy. Pax of incoming flights from Asia will be thoroughly vetted regardless of whether they present items for declaration due to the tendency of such pax to be in possession of items forbidden by quarantine laws like wooden articles or dried foods and then unknowingly failing to declare them. To avoid lengthy queues and unnecessary delay, simply buy something simple to declare (if you have nothing to declare) before you board your flight to Sydney - a chocolate bar usually does the trick and you'd be let through without having random customs people rummaging through your bags.
UPDATE:
Since 1NOV07, MEL, SYD and BNE have been conducting a 6-month Arrival Express Path trial for premium passengers. The Arrival Express Path will allow Suites, First Class, Business Class and *G passengers to clear CIQ via an express lane.
This new facility is offered as an extension to the Express Path on departure. Currently the only other airline offering such a service at these airports is QF, and I'm not sure if there are plans to extend it to other airlines.
Note: to use the Express Path on arrival, you must have nothing to declare. In other words, if you are eligible for this service, please disregard all previous recommendations to declare chocolate bars or Kris Chili Sauce on arrival. You must also have no more than TWO pieces of checked baggage.
Luggage reclaim : Do priority tags work? Is it quick or slow?
Luggage reclaim does have a tendency to take an age relative to Changi, but otherwise comparatively efficient. Priority tags do work very well.
Duty Free Shops – Costs for typical items
There is a duty free shop on arrival just before passport control, operated by SYD Airport Tax and Duty Free. Prices for typical items per this website.
Transport to Town tips – what’s the best way?
Taxi - taxi ranks are plentiful, and taxis are freely available. Typical fares to the CBD will run about 30+ AUD, to elsewhere <Help needed here for typical prices to other destinations>
Train - All 3 terminals in Sydney have access to Airport - East Hills train line which serves the airport with the city (Redfern, Central, Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St. James, and Museum) and the Southwest suburbs all the way to Campbelltown and Macarthur.
Access to the train station at the International T1 (International Station) is at the end of North Concourse past McDonald's close to the Qantas Domestic Transfer area. There is a lift that will go down to the train platform.
At JetStar / Virgin Blue Domestic T2, there are sets of escalators that go down to the platform (Domestic Station) located close to Virgin Blue baggage claim area.
At Qantas Domestic T3, there are sets of escalators that go down to the platform (the same Domestic Station as T2) on the east side of the arrival / baggage claim hall.
Are there any left luggage services? Where and how much?
See here for prices and other info
Are there airport hotels? Are they airside? Are they within the compound?
There is no transit hotel inside the terminal. The 2 closest hotel to the airport complex are the Stamford Hotel and the Mercure Hotel. If any outgoing planes hit the 11 o'clock curfew and cannot fly out, airline will usually room stranded passengers at these 2 hotels. Most of the time, I believe it is the Stamford.
With thanks to contributors (as of now):
kpc, UMD,simong
ARRIVING
Customs and Immigration formalities. Do I need to fill out any forms? How do I get through quicker?
Regardless of your nationality you will need to fill out an arrival card which incorporates quarantine declaration.
Depending on the time of the day you arrive, quarantine can be very busy. Pax of incoming flights from Asia will be thoroughly vetted regardless of whether they present items for declaration due to the tendency of such pax to be in possession of items forbidden by quarantine laws like wooden articles or dried foods and then unknowingly failing to declare them. To avoid lengthy queues and unnecessary delay, simply buy something simple to declare (if you have nothing to declare) before you board your flight to Sydney - a chocolate bar usually does the trick and you'd be let through without having random customs people rummaging through your bags.
UPDATE:
Since 1NOV07, MEL, SYD and BNE have been conducting a 6-month Arrival Express Path trial for premium passengers. The Arrival Express Path will allow Suites, First Class, Business Class and *G passengers to clear CIQ via an express lane.
This new facility is offered as an extension to the Express Path on departure. Currently the only other airline offering such a service at these airports is QF, and I'm not sure if there are plans to extend it to other airlines.
Note: to use the Express Path on arrival, you must have nothing to declare. In other words, if you are eligible for this service, please disregard all previous recommendations to declare chocolate bars or Kris Chili Sauce on arrival. You must also have no more than TWO pieces of checked baggage.
Luggage reclaim : Do priority tags work? Is it quick or slow?
Luggage reclaim does have a tendency to take an age relative to Changi, but otherwise comparatively efficient. Priority tags do work very well.
Duty Free Shops – Costs for typical items
There is a duty free shop on arrival just before passport control, operated by SYD Airport Tax and Duty Free. Prices for typical items per this website.
Transport to Town tips – what’s the best way?
Taxi - taxi ranks are plentiful, and taxis are freely available. Typical fares to the CBD will run about 30+ AUD, to elsewhere <Help needed here for typical prices to other destinations>
Train - All 3 terminals in Sydney have access to Airport - East Hills train line which serves the airport with the city (Redfern, Central, Town Hall, Wynyard, Circular Quay, St. James, and Museum) and the Southwest suburbs all the way to Campbelltown and Macarthur.
Access to the train station at the International T1 (International Station) is at the end of North Concourse past McDonald's close to the Qantas Domestic Transfer area. There is a lift that will go down to the train platform.
At JetStar / Virgin Blue Domestic T2, there are sets of escalators that go down to the platform (Domestic Station) located close to Virgin Blue baggage claim area.
At Qantas Domestic T3, there are sets of escalators that go down to the platform (the same Domestic Station as T2) on the east side of the arrival / baggage claim hall.
Are there any left luggage services? Where and how much?
See here for prices and other info
Are there airport hotels? Are they airside? Are they within the compound?
There is no transit hotel inside the terminal. The 2 closest hotel to the airport complex are the Stamford Hotel and the Mercure Hotel. If any outgoing planes hit the 11 o'clock curfew and cannot fly out, airline will usually room stranded passengers at these 2 hotels. Most of the time, I believe it is the Stamford.
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