Renting (hiring) a car near Sydney - or not
 

We're staying IN Sydney at a hotel in the CBD. The overnight parking rates nearby are . . . astronomical. This raises two questions: (1) where are overnight parking areas with reasonable (for Sydney) overnight parking rates (35AUD or less) that are on or near City Rail or a short ferry/bus ride from Hyde Park and Castlereagh street area; (2) are there good wildlife tours for Blue Mountains and for whale-watching that depart/launch from Sydney that would render hiring a car daft?

We have two miniatures with us so taking a 2-hour (each way) train ride to Katoomba to see the BMNP would be a bit much.

Thanks in advance.

Didn't we have this discussion before, Russ?

Anyway .. You do NOT need or want a car for your Sydney sightseeing. Public transport in & around the CBD, out to Bondi, across to Manly, the Zoo etc is excellent & cheap.

Rent one for the day/s of your Blue Mountains excursion.

I like Bayswater Car rentals in William street. Good cars, good rates, minimal CDW ( about $10 or less per day from memory.). Excellent location for access the F2 ( road to the Blue Mountains).
Get a bus up there the day you want to collect the car. Or walk. Takes me about 15-20 minutes from DJ'S.

What does your hotel charge for in-house guests' parking? In the unlikely event that you would need or want to keep a car overnight, you may find it's less than you think. Certainly it will be less than the public rate.

And yes, there are tours that go to the Blue Mountains - a google search will bring up the most popular. Have a look at the TA reviews for those that you think will meet your interests best.

Personally, I think you'd be better off using their itinerary as a guide & renting your own car. It'll be cheaper but most importantly, that will give you more flexibility & a haven if your sprogs need a bit of rest time.

It's well worth a night in the Blue Mountains if you can swing it. Lots to see & do & you could go up via Kurrajong & the Blue Mountains towns & back via Bells Line of Road, Mt Tomah Botanical Gardens & Bilpin. Or vice-versa.

Stop at the apple pie stall for world's best apple pie ;). Better still, call in at
Tutti Fruiti & have a coffee/meal & something delicious in their rosé garden.

There are whale watching trips from Circular Quay & other places around the Harbour. When are you coming?

It's certainly not "daft" to rent a car to go to the Blue Mountains, but it is "daft" to rent a car for sightseeing in Sydney. As Bokhara says, you don't want or need a car in Sydney.

Should you decide you don't want to drive to the Blue Mountains, don't discount taking the train, even with "miniatures". On our first trip to the Blue Mountains, we took our toddler and baby on the train and it worked fine.

I don't know the ages of your "miniatures", but I would think twice about taking young children on a whale watching tour. There's usually a whole lot of sitting around with nothing to see which can be a big bore for kids. And, if you don't know how your kids handle the open seas, you could be in for an unexpected, unpleasant surprise with seasickness.

I agree with the comment above re whale watching. Our grandson was 6 before he did his first trip (and loved it) - around 2 hours on board is way too long for tiny tots. Di

There is NO possibility that we will rent for sightseeing in Sydney. Let me be clear on that. I've been to Sydney twice. I have no desire to drive there.

The hotel rate is 60AUD. This may be a bargain in Sydney; I'd willingly pay that number in one of the various Scandinavian kroner, not in Aussie dollars.

We would rent for going down the coast or to the Mountains or both. The inexpensive rental places are a nice idea, but they close mid-afternoon on weekends (we'll be in Sydney over a weekend) so taking a trip will mean having the car overnight.

The minis are 7.5 and 5. Both handle the sea better than their old man does . . . well, that's faint praise; they handle with no problems.

Googling found this in about 3 seconds

http://www.secureparking.com.au/prom...FZGUvQodPy8AOg

I have just spoken with the manager at the Domain Car Park.

For SATURDAY & SUNDAY - you can park from anytime during the day & overnight, for $20 - PROVIDED YOU EXIT PRIOR TO 10:00 AM

And quaintly, they only take AUD.

Well Bok, that's brilliant. Didn't find a thing like it, even on Secure Parking's own site. Thanks much.

Too bad, would love to pay the same # in kroner.