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Sydney Layover Tips For Flight Attendants | WOC

Sydney Layover Tips For Flight Attendants | WOC

Sydney has the best of beaches, nightlife, experiences, food and more. Find out what you need to do during your layover in Sydney with these WOC tips for flight attendants!

What to do in Sydney for 24h – 48h?

The Best Of Sydney’s

…Beaches

Bondi Beach Sydney

Sydney is synonymous with its beaches, and the area is also especially famous for having world-class surfing. Since it’s warm and sunny most of the year, the city has a strong beach culture. From Palm Beach and Manly in the north to the famous Bondi and Coogee in the south, Sydney has a beach for everyone. All the beaches are easy to get to via public transportation or car and there are tons of restaurants and surf shops around, too! The best beaches are Manly (wide and beautiful) and Bronte (small and quiet).

WOC Tips: Ferry to Manly Beach— The ferry ride to Manly (12.40 AUD round-trip, 2.50 AUD on Sundays) offers sweeping views of the harbor, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and the world-famous Opera House. It’s a picturesque 30-minute ride each way. Manly is famous for its wide beach, giant waves, surfing, and nightlife.

Do a coastal walk — There are a number of stunning coastal walks that allow you to take in the breathtaking natural beauty of Sydney Harbor. (Bondi to Bronde walk)

…Experiences in Sydney

Harbour Bridge and Opera House Sydney

Sydney Harbour Bridge — The bridge was built in 1932 as a government employment project during the Great Depression. Its steel frame has become an iconic symbol of the city. While tours that climb the bridge are expensive (160 AUD), it is free to walk or bike across it for panoramic views of the harbour and Opera House.

View the iconic Sydney Opera House — Just as iconic as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House is famous for its white-shelled roof. As an architectural delight and feat of engineering (getting the roof to stay up took the creation of a complex support system), guided tours (40 AUD) give you a whole new appreciation for just how challenging the building was to design and erect. Tickets for a show in the Opera House are surprisingly affordable (45 AUD), so try to take one in if you can.

Learn to surf — Sydney is often the place travellers bite the bullet and learn the art of Australia’s famous national pastime. There are many companies here that offer lessons. While Bondi is the most popular beach, Manly on the north shore of Sydney has better waves (though you can find good waves up and down the coast!). A group lesson starts at 70 AUD, and a 1-hour private lesson starts at 100 AUD.

Visit The Rocks — The Rocks is the oldest part of Sydney. With it narrow lanes, fine colonial buildings, sandstone churches, and Australia’s oldest pubs. The Rocks’ weekend markets, art museums, street entertainment, delicious (and sometimes overpriced) restaurants, and beautiful views of the harbor, Opera House, and bridge make this is one of the coolest areas of the city.

…Food in Sydney

Australian National Hotel in Sydney

Harry’s Cafe De Wheels is a Sydney icon and the city’s first “food truck”.

Chat Thai is one of a handful of restaurants anywhere that you could stand in line for hours for. As you’re lined up in front of the restaurant, you can see the cooks creating classic Thai dishes through the window.

The Australian Heritage Hotel is where I would always take visitors to Sydney because it’s such a classically old school Sydney pub. They serve craft Aussie brews and deluxe pizza with toppings like kangaroo and crocodile

Post Cafe  It is a great place for people watching or spending the day with a good book.

Big Brekky The Petersham cafe is known for their breakfasts, like massive omelets and fruit plates.

Guzman y Gomez Mexican Taqueria Newtown is your go-to for a quick burrito fix. They have a Tabasco bar and serve frozen margaritas, Mexican beers and even Mexican sodas.

…Nightlife in Sydney

night life in sydney australia

The Glenmore Hotel has arguably the best view of the harbour. Head to the roof for the full experience.

Harts Pub They are the home to the Rocks Brewing Company and have a full menu of upscale bar food.

Opera Bar is an icon in the city, located beneath the Opera House.

Scubar is one of the best backpacker bars anywhere, located below the Central YHA. They host weekly crab racing and contests for travelers, as well as happy hour on jugs of beer and cocktails.

…Shopping in Sydney

The Glebe Market Sydney

What makes Sydney a great city for shopping is its neighbourhood markets.

The Rocks Market is one of the most popular, held weekly in the city’s oldest neighbourhood. Here you’ll find both souvenirs and handmade goods.

Glebe Markets include more secondhand clothing and jewelry vendors

Reverse Garbage in Marrickville feels more like a flea market. There are also weekly markets in Bondi, Rozelle, Paddington and Surry Hills.

Some Useful WOC Tips

Getting Around Sydney’s transport system is made up of trains, buses, and ferries. Bus fares depend on the number of zones you travel with adult fares beginning at 4 AUD.  Taxis are fairly easy to flag down but expensive. Ferries range between 5-10 AUD each way. The airport express train is 15 AUD. UberX has become a really popular form of transportation around the city and is about 40% cheaper than a taxi.

Opal Card This metro card is free – you just need to load it with money. It’s worth using for three reasons: first, it offers discounted fare compared to purchasing one use tickets (varies by distance); there’s a maximum fare charge of 15 AUD per day; and on Sundays, a maximum of 2.50 AUD. That means you can go anywhere in the metro system on a Sunday and you’ll never pay more than 2.50 AUD!

Free Walking Tours I Am Free runs a free daily tour of the city centre and The Rocks. Additionally, you can use Sydney Greeters, which is a free service that connects you with a local who will show you around their neighbourhood.

Flight Attendants Discounts in Australia

World Of Crew gets you a few awesome deals only for cabin crew in Sydney. Have a look into these and let us know if you manage to visit them during your layover!

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Any experiences to share?

What is the best dish you tried and which is your favourite beach in Sydney during a layover? Share your experience with us and your fellow flight crew members by commenting below!

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