Travel to AU Questions

[OnMyWay]

Thinking about going to AU during Christmas school break, maybe two weeks.  BIL and other family are in Melbourne.  We have some other friends in Canberra.  I have some ideas.  Shoot some holes in them.

1.  Flights to MEL are more expensive than SYD, generally.  There are only a few non-stop to MEL.  True or false?

2.  Cebu Pacific has a very cheap flight Manila to Sydney.  I would not want to submit myself to that torture, correct?

3.  Too many horror stories with Scoot.  Avoid?

4.  Taking a bus from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost?

Edit:  Bus to Canberra, overnight, then bus to Melbourne?

5.  Taking a train from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost?

6.  What would be the best area to get an Air Bnb in Sydney, central to transport and sightseeing?  For example, here is one.

https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/19811161?check_in=2022-12-18&check_out=2022-12-21&guests=1&adults=3&children=2&s=67&unique_share_id=f31504f2-eaed-4b34-b4e0-41df08b2982d

7.  Is the hop on hop off bus nice in Sydney?  I have enjoyed them in Europe.  Any recommendations?

8.  If we wanted to do a bus day tour for areas outside of Sydney, what are some nice things to see?  For kids?

9.  BIL will take care of us in Melbourne.  What should we see?

10.  New Years in Sydeny?

Thanks for any help!

 

 

Edited September 30, 2022 by OnMyWay

[Gas]

Do you already have your visas? Process times  seem to be slower than in the past and you all have to head to Manila for biometrics. 
Have done the cebu pacific flight from Manila to Sydney with a family of 5 in the past. Was a bit cramped but we used the money saved to upgrade our accommodation for the stay, so worth it in my opinion. 

[BrettGC]

I'll address them in order.

1.  Flights to MEL are more expensive than SYD, generally.  There are only a few non-stop to MEL.  True or false?

True.

2.  Cebu Pacific has a very cheap flight Manila to Sydney.  I would not want to submit myself to that torture, correct?

Even after you pay the extra for meals and baggage they're still the cheapest.  Just make sure to take something to keep you entertained.  I used to fly this route when living on the Gold Coast.  It was cheaper than Bris - Sing- Manila or even GC - KL - Cebu.  A lot of people like Jetstar via Bali as well, mainly for a couple of day stop over in Bali for some reason I don't understand; Bali is crap to my mind.  

3.  Too many horror stories with Scoot.  Avoid?

Yes, avoid.  

4.  Taking a bus from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost?

Bad idea.  Boring, cramped and the kids will drive you nuts. 

Edit:  Bus to Canberra, overnight, then bus to Melbourne?

It's  only about 3 hours from Sydney to Canberra so not much better than a direct trip to Melbourne.  

5.  Taking a train from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost?

This is a better way to do the trip, I've done it myself.  Pay the extra for a sleeper, you'll be happy with the decision.  Nice views, bar, restaurant car; much more civilised than the bus. 

6.  What would be the best area to get an Air Bnb in Sydney, central to transport and sightseeing?  For example, here is one.

Stick with the CBD, there's a great public transport system to all the things you'd want to check out.  Personally I'd prefer a hotel etc for the tourist desk, concierge etc. 

7.  Is the hop on hop off bus nice in Sydney?  I have enjoyed them in Europe.  Any recommendations?

Yes it is, to does laps of what's called "The City Circle" and the stops are all outside or close to tourist attractions and underground train stations. 

8.  If we wanted to do a bus day tour for areas outside of Sydney, what are some nice things to see?  For kids?

How long you staying? it takes about 90 mins to get out of the city in any direction by road.  There's plenty for kids in Sydney; Luna Park and Bondi Beach to name a couple.  

9.  BIL will take care of us in Melbourne.  What should we see?

This has you covered. https://www.thecrazytourist.com/25-best-things-sydney-australia/

10.  New Years in Sydeny?

Yes, it's the best fireworks bar none in the world mainly due to the venue being the entire harbour.  You have to get there early though.  

[OnMyWay]

2 hours ago, Gas said:

Do you already have your visas? Process times  seem to be slower than in the past and you all have to head to Manila for biometrics. 
Have done the cebu pacific flight from Manila to Sydney with a family of 5 in the past. Was a bit cramped but we used the money saved to upgrade our accommodation for the stay, so worth it in my opinion. 

I will apply for the visas for my wife and stepdaughter soon, but I don't thing the processing times are too bad now.  They are well travelled.

@ColsieHow long was it for your GF's visa to be processed?

We might consider Cebu Pacific.  How tall are you?

[GeoffH]

1.  Flights to MEL are more expensive than SYD, generally.  There are only a few non-stop to MEL.  True or false?

Flights to MEL are more expensive but in my experience the cost difference is less than the cost of the domestic trip from Sydney to Melbourne.

2.  Cebu Pacific has a very cheap flight Manila to Sydney.  I would not want to submit myself to that torture, correct?

I've used Cebu Pacific for 2 of my 8 round trips to and from the Phils over the past 5 years, both times the flights were ok (make sure you pre-order and pre-pay for food because the 'buy on board' selection is VERY limited).  The main issue was the smaller number of check in counters operating leading to long slow moving lines.  A secondary issue was the seat spacing is tighter than most full service economy carriers.  Lastly don't count on being able to alter your flight easily (if at all) if your trip plans change.

3.  Too many horror stories with Scoot.  Avoid?

I've used Scoot for 3 of my 8 round trips, once in "Scoot in silence" section, one in "Scoot Plus" and once in "Economy".  None of the trips gave me any issues although they were all routed via Singapore and hence there were two flights (baggage was checked through without issue).  Scoot in Silence has a little more legroom than economy and is in a seperate section (same seats as economy).  Scoot Plus has wider seats with more recline (similar to domestic business class) and offers a more relaxing flight (food is still the same but you do get fed first), it's a cheap upgrade option and I'd use it again (I just used it to travel to aussie a few weeks ago).

4.  Taking a bus from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost? 

About the same price as the plane, and you're unlikely to get an express Sydney to Melbourne service (would be my last choice).

Edit:  Bus to Canberra, overnight, then bus to Melbourne?

Can't see the point of that, extra cost for accommodation and extra time in the bus.

5.  Taking a train from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost?

The train is viable, I've done it a couple of times.  It's a long slow trip though and unless you're in an economy seat the plane is cheaper.

6.  What would be the best area to get an Air Bnb in Sydney, central to transport and sightseeing?  For example, here is one.

<SNIP link> No idea sorry.

7.  Is the hop on hop off bus nice in Sydney?  I have enjoyed them in Europe.  Any recommendations?

I enjoyed the hop on hop off bus in Singapore but I've never used the Sydney one.

8.  If we wanted to do a bus day tour for areas outside of Sydney, what are some nice things to see?  For kids?

The Blue Mountains and Katoomba would be number one in my book.

9.  BIL will take care of us in Melbourne.  What should we see?

The MCG tour is good if you're at all sporty.

10.  New Years in Sydeny?

Pass, no idea.  I avoid New Years celebrations like the plague.

 

 

[OnMyWay]

Thank you very much Brett!  See below in PURPLE.

1 hour ago, BrettGC said:

I'll address them in order.

1.  Flights to MEL are more expensive than SYD, generally.  There are only a few non-stop to MEL.  True or false?

True.

2.  Cebu Pacific has a very cheap flight Manila to Sydney.  I would not want to submit myself to that torture, correct?

Even after you pay the extra for meals and baggage they're still the cheapest.  Just make sure to take something to keep you entertained.  I used to fly this route when living on the Gold Coast.  It was cheaper than Bris - Sing- Manila or even GC - KL - Cebu.  A lot of people like Jetstar via Bali as well, mainly for a couple of day stop over in Bali for some reason I don't understand; Bali is crap to my mind.

I will consider.  It does save a lot of money.  How tall are you?

3.  Too many horror stories with Scoot.  Avoid?

Yes, avoid.  Check!

4.  Taking a bus from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost?

Bad idea.  Boring, cramped and the kids will drive you nuts. You don't know my kids.  Nuts is mild!  

Edit:  Bus to Canberra, overnight, then bus to Melbourne?

It's  only about 3 hours from Sydney to Canberra so not much better than a direct trip to Melbourne. 

The purpose would be to visit some friends.  Remember I told the story of friend who were parked at a rest stop and a truck lost control and hit them?  Killed their 7 year old passenger.  Could we take the train to Canberra and then on to Melbourne?

5.  Taking a train from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost?

This is a better way to do the trip, I've done it myself.  Pay the extra for a sleeper, you'll be happy with the decision.  Nice views, bar, restaurant car; much more civilised than the bus.  Train is sound good and the kids would enjoy the experience.  Maybe we could talk BIL into joining us for New Years in Sydney.

6.  What would be the best area to get an Air Bnb in Sydney, central to transport and sightseeing?  For example, here is one.

Stick with the CBD, there's a great public transport system to all the things you'd want to check out.  Personally I'd prefer a hotel etc for the tourist desk, concierge etc. 

I will check hotels too.  The problem is, we have 3 adults and two kids.  It is hard to find a hotel that can accommodate us without spending a fortune.

7.  Is the hop on hop off bus nice in Sydney?  I have enjoyed them in Europe.  Any recommendations?

Yes it is, to does laps of what's called "The City Circle" and the stops are all outside or close to tourist attractions and underground train stations.

Sounds like a plan!

8.  If we wanted to do a bus day tour for areas outside of Sydney, what are some nice things to see?  For kids?

How long you staying? it takes about 90 mins to get out of the city in any direction by road.  There's plenty for kids in Sydney; Luna Park and Bondi Beach to name a couple.  We are planning on a bit over 2 weeks.  Maybe 4 days in Sydney, then down South, back to Sydney for New Years, 2-3 days.

9.  BIL will take care of us in Melbourne.  What should we see?

This has you covered. https://www.thecrazytourist.com/25-best-things-sydney-australia/  Thanks!

10.  New Years in Sydeny?

Yes, it's the best fireworks bar none in the world mainly due to the venue being the entire harbour.  You have to get there early though. 

It may cost a lot, but maybe we could book a condo or hotel overlooking the harbour and watch from there?  What would be the location to look for?

 

[OnMyWay]

Thank you very much Geoff!  See below.

2 minutes ago, GeoffH said:

1.  Flights to MEL are more expensive than SYD, generally.  There are only a few non-stop to MEL.  True or false?

Flights to MEL are more expensive but in my experience the cost difference is less than the cost of the domestic trip from Sydney to Melbourne.

Good point!

2.  Cebu Pacific has a very cheap flight Manila to Sydney.  I would not want to submit myself to that torture, correct?

I've used Cebu Pacific for 2 of my 8 round trips to and from the Phils over the past 5 years, both times the flights were ok (make sure you pre-order and pre-pay for food because the 'buy on board' selection is VERY limited).  The main issue was the smaller number of check in counters operating leading to long slow moving lines.  A secondary issue was the seat spacing is tighter than most full service economy carriers.  Lastly don't count on being able to alter your flight easily (if at all) if your trip plans change.

I'm going to investigate.  I might have to endure some pain if it saves enough money.

3.  Too many horror stories with Scoot.  Avoid?

I've used Scoot for 3 of my 8 round trips, once in "Scoot in silence" section, one in "Scoot Plus" and once in "Economy".  None of the trips gave me any issues although they were all routed via Singapore and hence there were two flights (baggage was checked through without issue).  Scoot in Silence has a little more legroom than economy and is in a seperate section (same seats as economy).  Scoot Plus has wider seats with more recline (similar to domestic business class) and offers a more relaxing flight (food is still the same but you do get fed first), it's a cheap upgrade option and I'd use it again (I just used it to travel to aussie a few weeks ago).

The main worry for me is baggage.  Was here or on Angeles City FB group that everyone was describing baggage not making connections and then take a long time to get delivered?

4.  Taking a bus from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost? 

About the same price as the plane, and you're unlikely to get an express Sydney to Melbourne service (would be my last choice).

Edit:  Bus to Canberra, overnight, then bus to Melbourne?

Can't see the point of that, extra cost for accommodation and extra time in the bus.

Accommodation would be free as we have friends there.

5.  Taking a train from Sydney to Melbourne, round trip, with a family of 5, is a good or bad idea?  Cost?

The train is viable, I've done it a couple of times.  It's a long slow trip though and unless you're in an economy seat the plane is cheaper.

Will check it out.

6.  What would be the best area to get an Air Bnb in Sydney, central to transport and sightseeing?  For example, here is one.

<SNIP link> No idea sorry.

7.  Is the hop on hop off bus nice in Sydney?  I have enjoyed them in Europe.  Any recommendations?

I enjoyed the hop on hop off bus in Singapore but I've never used the Sydney one.

8.  If we wanted to do a bus day tour for areas outside of Sydney, what are some nice things to see?  For kids?

The Blue Mountains and Katoomba would be number one in my book.

Thanks!

9.  BIL will take care of us in Melbourne.  What should we see?

The MCG tour is good if you're at all sporty.

My legs used to sporty.  I will check with them........  They said no.

10.  New Years in Sydeny?

Pass, no idea.  I avoid New Years celebrations like the plague.

 

 

 

[Gas]

31 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

I will apply for the visas for my wife and stepdaughter soon, but I don't thing the processing times are too bad now.  They are well travelled.

@ColsieHow long was it for your GF's visa to be processed?

We might consider Cebu Pacific.  How tall are you?

Her most recent visa application was this year and it took 47 days.  She is a regular visitor to Australia and the processing time pre covid was usually less than 30 days. You might get luck and it will be processed quickly. 
I’m under 6ft, but you can always pay a little bit extra and get the seats with more leg room. It only a 8hr direct flight, so it’s not too bad. 

[BrettGC]

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

2.  Cebu Pacific has a very cheap flight Manila to Sydney.  I would not want to submit myself to that torture, correct?

Even after you pay the extra for meals and baggage they're still the cheapest.  Just make sure to take something to keep you entertained.  I used to fly this route when living on the Gold Coast.  It was cheaper than Bris - Sing- Manila or even GC - KL - Cebu.  A lot of people like Jetstar via Bali as well, mainly for a couple of day stop over in Bali for some reason I don't understand; Bali is crap to my mind.

I will consider.  It does save a lot of money.  How tall are you?

I'm only 5'7" so most seats are ok for me.   I do tend to pay for the emergency seats if available though, even at my height it is nice to be able to access the seat mid-flight easily if I miss out on the aisle side.  

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

Edit:  Bus to Canberra, overnight, then bus to Melbourne?

It's  only about 3 hours from Sydney to Canberra so not much better than a direct trip to Melbourne. 

The purpose would be to visit some friends.  Remember I told the story of friend who were parked at a rest stop and a truck lost control and hit them?  Killed their 7 year old passenger.  Could we take the train to Canberra and then on to Melbourne?

You used to be able to get the train Syd - Canb - Mel but alas, no more.  You have to change to a coach on the NSW/Vic border now (Albury) but from there it's only a couple of hours to Melbourne anyway.  As to the cost, as Geoff said, not cheap.  

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

6.  What would be the best area to get an Air Bnb in Sydney, central to transport and sightseeing?  For example, here is one.

Stick with the CBD, there's a great public transport system to all the things you'd want to check out.  Personally I'd prefer a hotel etc for the tourist desk, concierge etc. 

I will check hotels too.  The problem is, we have 3 adults and two kids.  It is hard to find a hotel that can accommodate us without spending a fortune.

Ah, gotcha, Air  BnB would  be the way to go then.  There's plenty of hotels with tour desks that would happily allow you to utilise their services anyway. 

1 hour ago, OnMyWay said:

8.  If we wanted to do a bus day tour for areas outside of Sydney, what are some nice things to see?  For kids?

How long you staying? it takes about 90 mins to get out of the city in any direction by road.  There's plenty for kids in Sydney; Luna Park and Bondi Beach to name a couple.  We are planning on a bit over 2 weeks.  Maybe 4 days in Sydney, then down South, back to Sydney for New Years, 2-3 days.

As Geoff said, Blue Mountains and Katoomba are nice.  There's a couple of wildlife parks where the kids can play with kangaroos etc and hug koalas as well in that neck of the woods.  

Edited September 30, 2022 by BrettGC

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Gas said:

Her most recent visa application was this year and it took 47 days.  She is a regular visitor to Australia and the processing time pre covid was usually less than 30 days. You might get luck and it will be processed quickly. 
I’m under 6ft, but you can always pay a little bit extra and get the seats with more leg room. It only a 8hr direct flight, so it’s not too bad. 

Quoting Colsie's recent thread.  Makes me hopeful.  Yes, I think I need an exit row on CP.

On 9/22/2022 at 7:54 AM, Colsie said:

All done visa granted. Took about 10 days from submitting the visa application, because I booked the Biometrics appointment  a week into the 14 days allowed.

Did the Biometrics in Cebu we got to VFS at 6:45 am and was allowed inside the building at 7am...took about 30 mins and it was all done and we strolled back to the Hop Inn where we were staying. 

The next morning she recieved an email saying her visa had been granted. 

Recommend choosing the first appointment time at VFS for the Biometrics (7am)

Now the next challenge is for her to get through immigration in Manila... 

I dont think she needs to do the lecture thing that used to be done by the nuns, as she's on a tourist visa and just going on holiday. 

Does anyone know if she has to do the lecture thing?