Originally Posted by
FLYMSY
I’m arriving in Sydney on 1/24 and will only be there until 1/26. I would probably take a few bus rides, in addition to the train to & from the airport. I’m debating whether to try to squeeze by with the $35 top up or to be on the safe side, do a $50 top up. Any suggestions?
How long, approximately, is the train ride from the airport to the stop near the Hilton?
You can download the (free) Opal app for your phone or tablet. It can calculate routes between places and show the prices, so you can know if you will need to top-off or not. The app can also show the card balance if you forget it (it is shown when you tap off a train or bus). At the Hilton, the Woolworth's is super close (it's at Town Hall station) and provides top-off.
If you are arriving with luggage and don't want to walk further than necessary, take the train all the way to Town Hall station, but it does take a long time because you have to go all around the city loop. It always feels like it takes forever, but probably only 30 minutes in reality.
By the way, the train cars have a few seats on the level you enter, with most seats on the lower and upper levels. If you don't mind the stairs, go up or down. You'll get better views upstairs. If you'd rather not mess with the stairs, take one of the seats on the entrance level.