Airport Transfer Links to CBD in Australia's Biggest Cities

I generally prefer to use public transport to get from the airport to the CBD, regardless of whether I'm travelling for business or pleasure. I guess it's really a matter of personal taste, but give me the space, peace and reliability of a train over the cramped back seat of a grubby cab as it crawls through rush hour, any day of the week.

It's also the most eco-friendly way to travel, and whilst not everyone may be fully on board the 'green' transport bandwagon yet, at least you can feel like you're doing your bit.

Australia has some of the best, and possibly some of the worst airport public transports links in the world, and having sampled them all, here's a run through of each one:






Sydney
The Airport Link train costs $16.70 one way, and will have you at Central Station downtown within fifteen minutes. There are also at least four other convenient CBD stops. As a bonus you also get to stop or pass through Circular Quay, meaning you get to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge right from the comfort of your train seat, within half an hour of landing in Sydney.

Brisbane
Brisbane's ultra modern Airtrain costs $16.50 one way, and takes twenty five minutes to get to Central Station, which is an easy walk from most hotels in the city's compact CBD. You can also catch the train direct to the Gold Coast from the Airport.

Melbourne
The subject of much heated debate, Melbourne still doesn't have a rail link to Tullamarine Airport. In fact all public transport links are weak. There is the privately run Skybus service which runs direct to Southern Cross and costs $18 one way. This takes about thirty minutes, but that's dependent on traffic. It also only drops you at Southern Cross coach station, which more than likely means you need to catch a train or tram to reach your destination. That's no fun in peak times with luggage, and you would need a MYKI card to pay your fare.

Perth
There is a shuttle bus called Perth Airport connect which costs $15 one way, but can take up to an hour if you're using Terminals 1 and 2. It also a minibus service, meaning that space is no bigger than a cab, although it's still a lot cheaper. There are around four CBD stops.

Adelaide
The public Jetbus costs just $5 one way and takes less than twenty minutes to get to the CBD, with a number of convenient stops. The timetable is a tiny bit unpredictable, but that's public transport for you, and heck, it only costs $5.

The Winner: Sydney by a huge margin. Fast, frequent and cheap.

The Loser: Melbourne. It badly needs a rail link. The Skybus is admirable, but too reliant on traffic and onwards links.