Sydney Airport

Let’s assume you don’t have time to worry about where to park before your holiday: you haven’t planned and have no idea until the morning of where you’ll leave the car. Your friends/family/yourself jump in the car and speed off to the airport parking facility.

Current Sydney traffic conditions combined with localised construction in and around the airport means extended driving times. Road congestion heading into and out of Sydney Airport has caused such great cause for concern that it is recommended by Sydney Airport that you travel in off-peak times daily and avoid public holidays, events or school vacation periods. Stressed yet? Evidently, you’ll leave several hours earlier than really necessary.

Hours later, you’ve arrived. First thing you notice? It costs a small fortune. To park for a period of more than 3 hours in P7 (the closest, multi-story facility) its costs $60.50, doubling in price every 24 hours.

Try parking at P9 and simply walk, but even then, for over 3 hours, the rate is $50. Not to mention, P9 is harder to get to. Outdoor parking and free on-site parking is limited with very long delays, according to Sydney Airport, as a result of construction in those facilities.

So, you bite the bullet. If that’s what it costs, then there is nothing you can do about it. You drive into the complex and spend upward of 40 minutes looking for somewhere to park. It then becomes apparent: the facility is practically exhausted. You could, of course, up the budget and park valet, a service costing $81.50 for 3 hours, or pre-book, but even then, for a short stay, the discount is a mere $10.

All in all, it’s a pretty expensive service with little to no return. A week long, domestic holiday could cost you upwards of $260, for the most basic package.

Public Transport and Miscellaneous Options

From the CBD, its can cost anywhere upwards of $45 to catch a cab to the airport, ignoring booking fees and additional tolls/charges that might be applied depending on the time of day. This is assuming you live in the CBD, as many do not.

The alternative is uberX, which is a little less, with one-way being about $30 to $40. Depending on how much luggage you’re taking and how large your party is, an uberXL does the same job with more space for $45 to $60 one-way.

If you’re lucky, you could always park at a friend’s or family member’s house, if they live near the airport, or at least significantly closer. This does limit a large portion of your problems, but it doesn’t resolve them. You still need to drive to their house and then add on the travel time of a cab or any combination of other transport services. Optimally they could drop you off, but even then, how do you know they’re not going to take your car for a joyride while you’re gone?

And then, there is always the train. The joys of public transport: lugging around 20kg baggage, bumping into walls, seats and other people, planning intricate trips, being so stressed by the actual event and, of course, the dreaded mess that is peak hour.

Sydney Trains, although appealing, result in extended travel times and a great deal of stress for travellers. Delays and missing services are the nightmares of commuters, not to mention, the pressure of ‘sticking together’ if you’re travelling in a group.

Or changing trains. Moving to a new line or even having to switch platforms can put you’re your trip back significantly. The result: leaving ridiculously early or missing your flight.

After lugging everything across stations and train carriages, you finally make it to Central Station, where you are met with more platforms, stairs and escalators. And we didn’t even mention those who need a bus, ferry or light rail service!

From Central Station

Finally! It’s only taken all day, but you made it to the station. You now need to make it to the Airport Line. So far, you have spent approximately $5 one-way on a train fare, all depending on how far you live from the CBD. Now that you are at Central and have manoeuvred to the Airport Line, shoving and being shoved by endless lines of commuters, you can expect to be charged both a rail fare and an airport station access fee. This amounts automatically to about $18, and if you make any mistakes, you could be charged a capped price of up to $27.

At the end of the day, being optimistic, that’s $22 one-way and anywhere from 4 to 15 hours in travel time, excluding getting to the train station from home! But hey, at least you made it?

The Park on King Alternative

The above options are a perfect blend of high-costs or backbreaking luggage hauling.

The alternative is driving your own car and parking with Park on King where we offer a range of affordable and secure car parking options to keep you at ease.

With the choice of Outdoor or Indoor Self-Parking or VIP Parking, there is an option for everyone, with our cheapest airport parking rates starting from just $16/day.

Our state of the art facility is monitored 24/7 with both CCTV and security personnel, and open 365 days a year. With additional services like free on-demand shuttle buses, car washing and complimentary luggage assistance, we provide a service second to none, that leaves our customers feeling secure and confident in their choice.

Remove the hassle and stress from your holiday by choosing to park with Park on King, Sydney’s finest off-site airport parking facility. Our booking process is so easy, and takes just minutes to reserve your car parking at Park on King. Click Here to book today!