Cheapest ways to get to the airport in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra

DON’T fork out a fortune on airport parking. A few Aussie travellers in the know are getting to the airport and back for just $7. Here’s how they do it.

That extra $30 to the airport could be better spent on cheap holiday cocktails ...

TO THE airport and back into town for $7?

To most Aussies, it sounds too good to be true — but if you live in Adelaide, it’s the real deal.

Meanwhile, Melburnians are forking out up to $112 for taxis to and from the airport when they head away on holidays, and Sydneysiders can expect to budget $189 if they choose to park at the airport for a week away.

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Working out the cheapest way to get the airport can be a complicated affair — and if you’re not aware of all the options, you can end up making a costly mistake.

Thankfully, comparison site finder.com.au has compiled a list of the cheapest options for getting to the airport in each Australian capital city.

Looking at the main options available for an airport user going on a one-week international trip, it found that unsurprisingly, Sydney tops the tables as the most expensive airport to get to, with an average access cost of $94, followed by Melbourne, Brisbane and Hobart.

Adelaide is the cheapest airport in Australia to access, with a return bus fare of $7 due to its proximity to the city, low $68 parking for a week and a return taxi fare of only $37.

There are ways to avoid this. Picture: Bob Barker

The Uber airport hacks you need

Finder.com.au editor-in-chief Angus Kidman says with Uber now allowed at major Australian airports, it’s making travellers reassess their options for airport transport.

“Ultimately when you’re planning your travel to the airport, the tipping point for public transport versus an Uber or taxi is the number of passengers travelling,” he says.

“If you’re on your own, a shuttle or train will be more cost efficient, but an Uber or taxi might be just as cheap for a party of three.”

It’s worth noting that some airports, including Adelaide, don’t actually allow Uber pick-ups.

However, the hack to get around it is walking just outside the airport, dropping a pin, and getting picked up there.

It’s a handy hack to use in Melbourne, where only the premium service Uber Black is officially available from the airport, and not the budget Uber X.

Check out the table below to calculate your best bet of getting to the airport without getting ripped off.

ADELAIDE (6.4KM FROM CBD): AVERAGE COST $35

Parking: $68

Return Uber: $29*

Return taxi: $37

Return shuttle / train: $7

DARWIN (11.4KM FROM CBD): AVERAGE COST $49

Parking: $65

Return Uber: N/A

Return taxi: $53

Return shuttle / train: $30

CANBERRA AIRPORT (7.3KM FROM CBD): AVERAGE COST $61

Parking: $112

Return Uber: $61

Return taxi: $49

Return shuttle / train: $20

PERTH AIRPORT (15.6KM FROM CBD): AVERAGE COST $64

Parking: $91

Return Uber: $61

Return taxi: $74

Return shuttle / train: $30

HOBART AIRPORT (18.2KM FROM CBD): AVERAGE COST $68

Parking: $76

Return Uber: N/A

Return taxi: $97

Return shuttle / train: $32

BRISBANE AIRPORT (17.2KM FROM CBD): AVERAGE COST $76

Parking: $105

Return Uber: $67

Return taxi: $93

Return shuttle / train: $40

MELBOURNE TULLARMARINE (23.7KM FROM CBD): AVERAGE COST $78

Parking: $75

Return Uber: $88*

Return taxi: $112

Return shuttle / train: $38

SYDNEY AIRPORT (8.4KM): AVERAGE COST $94

Parking: $189

Return Uber: $73

Return taxi: $80

Return shuttle / train: $34

* Uber X pick-ups at these airports require passengers to walk outside the airport, drop a pin, and get picked up there.

Source: finder.com.au, adelaidemetro.com.au, transportnsw.info, melbourneairport.com.au, sydneyairport.com.au, bne.com.au, hobartairport.com.au, perthairport.com.au, adelaideairport.com.au, canberraairport.com.au, darwinairport.com.au and linked transport sites.

Originally published as Cheapest ways to get to the airport in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Canberra