I am looking at all of the travel options for Cityrail in Sydney. We want to buy what we need, but not spend extra on what we won't use. Here are the basics:
*In Sydney for 10 nights
*Fly in to International and Out of International Airport
*We will depend on city transportation to get around
* We are staying at the corner of Wentworth and Goulburn

Things we would like to do that will need transportation:
* Manly Ferry
* To and from airport
* Sight see
* Go to Blue Mountains
* Visit a Hillsong campus on Sunday
We plan on walking quite a bit out and about, but we also want to be able to take the City rail too.

So my question is: What kind of pass do we need? Is it cheaper for us to just buy a day pass, and add the extras? Or is there a pass that covers what we want? I have gone to the Cityrail page, but I am not sure what all the descriptions of the zones are. DH and I are sitting down to look at the info, but I thought all of the great people on here may give us some helpful insight. Thanks in advance!

Get a shuttle or cab to and from the airport.

Buy a green weekly travel pass $43 for the first week.

Buy extras for the Hillsong and blue mountains trip.

You will know the ropes after a week.

Pick up a sydney tourist guide at the airport or info centre for some discounts on attractions.

Don't buy the sydney pass.

You can go to a Hillsong service in Alexandria which is very close to the city - a 10 min bus ride from where you are staying.

Hillsong? Are we talking about that sect of crass, money-worshipping God-botherers? Sorry, you just lost me.

Thanks for the tips Johhj- I wasn't sure if I should buy the pass or do individual from the airport...and that would be our stressful time! That should make our entry into Australian Society so much more worry free.
Sarvowinner- thanks, we'll check on that.
Neil_Oz- I don't know about the money-worshipping, but I do know God likes to be bothered. I "bother" him frequently. ;-)

fiesty 1-

In Sydney, the ferry to Manley leaves from Circular Quay. You can do this yourself. Ditto with the ferry & admissions to Taronga Zoo.

For the Blue Mountains, simply go to the CountryLink window at Circular Quay and buy a CityRail Blue Mountains ExplorerLink ticket. This ticket provides return train transportation from Central Station to Katoomba and an all day 'get-on-get-off’
Explorer Bus tour to 30 locations through the mountains. Stops include the Three Sisters at Echo Point, Leura village, the Scenic Railway plus many others.

You can leave when you want, see what you want, stay as long as you want and then return when it is convenient for you. Trust me, it is not complicated and very easy to do.
You don't need to spend the money for an organized tour.

The Sydney Explorer is a hop on/hop off tour bus that gives a pretty good running commentary and covers a route with all or most of the major tourist attractions. You can buy a single day or a two-day pass.

I think we used a shuttle to/from the airport and it worked fairly well.

Aaak! Think twice about taking a shuttle to/from the airport. We did that a couple of years ago and it took <i>forever</i> to get to our hotel and then back to the airport when we were leaving. They'll make sure the shuttle is totally stuffed and will wait for thoughtless late passengers to wander from their hotels.

We took flight in/out of Sydney to/from the GBR, taking the train to/from the airport, and it was so much easier!

I want to second Betsy's complaint for the shuttle. We used it both times to Sydney and NEVER AGAIN should we be so lucky to come to Australia again. It is hot, cramped, takes forever and a day when you don't want to waste any time, and not worth the savings. Take the train or a cab. The cab costs more but would have been soooo worth it.
Sally in Seattle
p.s. I second the recc for a green pass. It works on most ferries (although not the super jets) and the busses. I don't think it works on the train to the airport, though. We bought ours in the train station in Circular Quay.

My sentiments exactly, Sally.

I think there's some little quirk using your green pass to get to the airport. The pass will get you <i>to</i> the airport, but to transit the airport you have to buy another ticket for some strange reason. I'm sure someone will clue you in if you ask when you buy the pass. At any rate, it's better than that godawful shuttle.

Oops, in case there's any confusion. You have to buy an add-on ticket to transit the airport, not another ticket for the complete journey. As well as I can recall, at the airport you get off the train, ride up an escalator, and find a ticket booth at the top.

Look don't let the sirport rail link rip you off..

one way or another they will charge you $14 if there is two of you that will be the same price as the train tix.

in any case where you are staying is not that convenient to a station.

two train tix will be the same price as a cab fare.

O.k., so I want to see if I am understanding all the info. Johh...you are suggesting taking a cab rather than the train because they are the same price? What exactly is the shuttle that I shouldn't take? Is that from a specific hotel? So, no on the shuttle...$14 per person no matter what from the airport for the train, and a cab will be the same amount as two train tickets? Did I process that right? And a go on the green pass for the week, which we will buy when we decide that we want to start touring by rail. (We have a pretty hectic schedule the week before, so we may just sit in our hotel and sleep the first day!) If I have interpretted this wrong, please correct me. I greatly appreciate the input. And a HUGE thanks to everyone who has chimed in, not just on this question, but everyone that has helped plan this trip!!

i suggeat the cab because for two it is the same price and more convenient..straight to the hotel with ur luggage etc..

the shuttles are cheapest but tend to be cramped and go to a number of hotels around town...they tend to wait till the van is filled up and of course you are always the last stop....

the green pass applies to ferries/bus and rail.it is excellent value imho.Buy it at a railway station on your first morning.