pakitty

I'm visiting Sydney from June 29th to July 3rd.
What parts of Sydney should I consider staying in? Is there a hotel or hotel chain you would recommend that's low-to-mid priced? An Ibis hotel in Darling Harbour has rooms for $99A per night - is this an okay location for getting around?

Which airlines to consider to fly from Melbourne to Sydney?

Is it worthwhile to take a tour of the Blue Mountains in the winter?

Similarly, will the Royal Botanic Garden be worth visiting in the winter?

What's the best way to get to and from the airport (3 or 4 are listed in my tour book)?

Here's my rough agenda so far:

Monday - Fly to Sydney, check into hotel, walking tour of the Rocks, and afternoon ferry to Manly

Tues - Sydney Harbour Explorer Cruise, either take tour of Sydney Opera House or walk around in it, and walk across Sydney Harbour Bridge

Wed - Blue Mountains tour

Thur - Royal Botanic Garden, Art Gallery of New South Wales, and St Mary's Cathedral in morning
Darling Harbour, Chinatown, and Sydney Aquarium in afternoon

Fri - fly back to Melbourne

Do I have enough or too much planned for each day? Are there other major sites or museums you would recommend?

Susan7

Most first time visitors like to stay near to the harbour, in the Rocks area Lord Nelson gets good recommendations. But it's listed as $130 with share bathroom.

http://www.lordnelsonbrewery.com/

You should also try Wotif and GoStay etc to see if there's a bargain to be had. I wouldn't stay at Darling Harbour if it's possible to find something reasonably priced in the Rocks. Although it's well located in terms of transport, it's a very ugly, tacky tourist area.

The Blue Mountains is great in winter, and Sydney's winter is relatively mild.

Some other possibiities to visit: Taronga Park Zoo is a nice day trip; the walk from Bondi to Bronte Beach is very scenic with cafes at either end; two other museums depending on your interests: Museum of Sydney, Museum of Contemporary Art.

Neighbourhoods that are interesting for shopping, eating, pubs and people watching: Newtown-Erskinville, Paddington-Darlinghurst, Rozelle-Balmain.

longhorn55

While I agree that it would be more convenient to stay near Circular Quay or in the Rocks (and I generally prefer to do so), I have stayed at the Ibis at Darling Harbour and it was perfectly fine. While there are several tourist attractions at Darling Harbour such as the Aquarium, I didn't find the area to be ugly or tacky at all.

Neil_Oz

I suspect that the Ibis' $99 is the best you'll do within walking distance of downtown Sydney*. Google "map 70 murray st pyrmont" and you'll see where they are - not the most ipcturesque of neighbourhoods but a shortish walk across Pyrmont Bridge into the city centre, from where you can catch a bus down George Street or a train from Town Hall station to Circular Quay. Or walk.

I'd definitely take up Susan's suggestion to check late deals on www.wotif.com and GoStay, which might get you into a nicer location at a reasonable rate.

The only risk you might run in the Blue Mountains in winter is the possibility of fog, which can blanket the awesome valley views. You could check with the tour company closer to the time. If possible, go on a weekday when crowds will be less.

Bushranger

I doubt you'll get much better than $99 but then tourism/travel is down all over and you may get something better on wotif closer to date and also check re jetstar and virginblue in particular having fly and stay packages and there's a monorail station right at the hotel that will take you around into Pitt Street

If you want a real colonial rooms experience in the Rocks and can make do without an ensuite, check out http://www.australianheritagehotel.com/ their rooms being something else but ask for a room away from bridge side.

As to activities, seems as you have it reasonably well balanced and if looking at airfares separately, www.webjet.com.au will show you the range but just be wary with jetstar re some flights depart from Avalon, twice as far as Melbourne Airport from CBD and costs more re transport from/to CBD.

Ibis and other hotels may have their own airport transport services or alternately there's the airport train, probably close to $30 return, Townhall station being just a short block along Park St. from the DH monorail Park Plaza station.
Alternately, there's shuttle buses at the airport, a ticket kiosk just inside external ground level door, shuttle outside and last time there it was $12 for drop off at hotel and you can book pick-up for return.

lanejohann

my friends just stayed in potts point at a bed and breakfast in a victorian style buiding
140 a night
albert and victorias - about 15 mins walk from the botanical gardens according to these older folk
i had a look inside - rather nice and id stay there myself
they stayed for five nights with no complaints

rn11

hi pakitty

is your trip still on? Due to the H1N1? I'm planning to go aroud the time, booked my flight already. Not sure if is alright to still go?

Bushranger

Seems very mixed signals on H1N1 not to mention what gets served up by media but it seems a bit low on hits and very high on misses as to whether you might get it.

The number of cases [though still a minute %]has soared dramatically in last week and Sydney schools were even instructing students to isolate themselves if they were going to be at an interstate rugby match being held in Melbourne last Wednesday, and then on other hand there have been quite a few medicos coming out and saying that H1N1 is not really anything to be concerned on more than other flu strains.