Best Place to stay in Sydney Australia
92Many people are surprised when they arrive in Sydney to find it’s a large, cosmopolitan city. Make a poor choice of hotel, and you could spend your vacation lost in suburbia, a very long way from where the action is!
The main sights in Sydney are either on the coast, or in the CBD. So it’s best to stay close to the city or in a beach suburb – otherwise you'll waste too much time travelling.
Unfortunately, staying in the CBD is ridiculously expensive, unless you're happy with a backpacker hostel or YHA (the backpacker hostels vary a lot in quality and standards, so do Google them before you book!).
Is Bondi Best?
Most visitors to Australia want to see the sun and sand. So while Sydney's Eastern Suburbs are the most expensive, they're also the place most tourists prefer.
Bondi is the most famous beach, but in my opinion, Coogee is better value: it has a great vibe, lots of cafes and restaurants, a long sandy beach to rival Bondi's - and an express bus to the city.
You can save money by staying a little away from the coast, in Randwick, Kensington or Kingsford – the beaches are a short bus ride or walk, and there's good bus transport to town.
Sydney Beaches
Other great beaches - less well-known outside Australia - can be found to the North. Surfers will hotly dispute which Sydney beaches offer the best surf, but my surfer friends all seem to live in the Northern Beaches at Curl Curl, Narrabeen, Dee Why or Palm Beach (where the soapie Home and Away is filmed). Getting to other parts of Sydney from these suburbs is an absolute pain in the neck as there's no train line - but if you're a surfer, you may never leave the beach!
A compromise is to stay in Manly, which is on the North Shore but serviced by a regular ferry service across the Harbor. It has the best of both worlds - a quiet Harbour beach and an ocean surfing beach, plus plenty of restaurants and cafes.
Sydney's West
If you’re not a beach bunny, then you'll find it cheaper to book accommodation to the west of the city, away from the beaches - but don't go too far!
The Western Suburbs are where most Sydneysiders live and bring up their kids, but they're not really suitable for holidaymakers - you're likely to find yourself in suburbia, with limited options for dining out and entertainment, and poor public transport.
Stay closer to the CBD, though, is a good value-for-money vacation choice - because the Inner West is where the young and trendy live, so most Inner West suburbs have good nightlife and great eateries. There are buses to the city and you're close enough to town that a taxi fare won't be astronomical.
The Inner West starts around Five Dock/Concord and extends towards the city, as far as Glebe. My favourite inner west suburb is Leichhardt, which is historically the Italian quarter of Sydney and still has a strong Italian influence, reflected in the quality of the coffee and cakes. If you like Portuguese food, go for Petersham - you'll be in heaven! Glebe and Newtown have an "alternative" feel.
There's something for everyone in Sydney!
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All text copyright Marisa Wright.
All photos from Flickr.com. City skyline and Bondi photos courtesy of t3rmin4t0r. Sydney fireworks photo thanks to Rob and Jules. Manly ferry photo by tm-tm. Sydney surfside pool photo from Tarotastic.
Sydney CBD - 
Bondi Beach - 
Randwick - 
Coogee Beach - 
Leichhardt - CommentsLoading...
I have always wanted to visit Australia. Unfortunately, the flight alone is a few thousand dollars. If I ever win the lottery I am going to use this Hub to find myself a place to stay. Thank you for being so kind!!!
I had a friend downtown for many years and was spoilt rotten every time I stayed in his 34th floor apartment on the hill in the centre of Sydney. I miss being able to get in the lift and be right in the thick of it in a minute, or strolling in the park in 2 minutes.
Lizzie, I stayed in an apartment in Glebe when working in Sydney for a few months. I loved the location and the bridge, plain as it is.
Lucky us we have family in Bondi, Kirribilli and Paddingtion so my trips to Sydney are delightful....thanks for this hub Marissa - btw if and when the family are away or we want to stay in a hotel for whatever reason we always use wotif.com and they have never let us down in the 8 years we have checked in through them ...cheers
What great info! One of these days I will make it to Sydney - just as soon as I find the right house sitting job there!
I have not been to Australia. I will certainly remember your hub should I be able to visit the place.
From another Australian. This is spot on information about Sydney the beautiful perl of the east.
hey this is a great hub! If you want to find out more about Australian cities, visit okbravo.com. Its a really good travel site that will help you plan your holiday in OZ. Thanks for the info Marisa!
This hub is amazing. It really makes me feel as if I am back in Sydney. I miss it so much...
This is to all the Aussie's out there...
I'm going to be in Sydney for NYE, what's the best place to stay? Is the Star City Hotel and Casino fun? I'm a single girl looking to find something comparable to the Hard Rock hotel in the US, lots of young people, fun, hip, but more upscale than a hostel.
Any suggestions?
Nico, if you haven't booked yet, you may find you don't have much choice - most of the best places are booked out already. The main action on NYE is in the centre of the City and Kings Cross.
excellent hub...
I have recently come back from Sydney and absolutely loved it, I am planning on going back next year. Bondi Beach was beautiful and I also advise people to visit the Gold Coast, about an hours flight away from Sydney. It is beautiful and the miles and miles of sandy beach is definitely a must see! I stayed in Surfers Paradise and although it is quite a tourist trap, which has a busy nightlife, the beach and lovely restaurants and bars make up for the hustle and bustle.
Hello Marisa
I enjoyed reading your article and your excellent information for visitors to this great city. I have just published an article on Best Sydney Beaches http://hubpages.com/hub/best-sydney-beaches and I hope you don't mind but I linked the two as I figured they were complementary.
I used to live in Coogee and I have to agree that it is a better option than Bondi.
Hot places to stay in Sydney never ceases to amaze me but less than one hour down the road is the most majestic piece of New South Wales I've ever known.
After taking a leisurely drive throught the Royal National Park and hitting the coastal scenery at Otford its the next two towns of Stanwell Park and Coalcliff that are the most out of the way and relaxing places to stay out of Sydney.
To learn more about the northern Illawarra check out this page; http://www.ideal-sydney-getaways.com/illawarra.htm
Nice hub! I was in Sydney 2 years ago and there you can find a lot of interesting places. I was there only 2 days and I liked walking trails on the east side of sydney where you can find also some nice beaches.
I love Sydney!!! I love the smell, food, and the energy of City.
Very nicely organized Marisa. Which of the Italian restaurants in Leichhardt do you recommend?
Gosh, Winsome, that's a tough question! I usually head for the cheap and cheerful ones. I've been to Castel Mola several times - nothing fancy, just good basic Italian food, especially the pizzas.
Thank you Marisa, I will be sure to stop in when I visit.
very nice dear keep it up
For special occassions I splurge and get an apartment at Star City Casino, that way the city is at your finger tips, you can easily walk around the CBD/Darling Harbour and explore the city without having to worry about transport. I also enjoy having my own balcony with a beautiful view of the Harbour Bridge etc.
I really enjoyed the content that you provided here and also the fireworks section. There are great harbour walking trails to views these type off attractions if you want any info get in touch with me?
I have never been to Australia but dream of going there one day. I liked your hub, it was really informative.
I liked your hub, it was really informative.
Just have to get to Australia and especially Sydney - the whole country looks beautiful and varied. The surfside swimming pools look like fun.
Cool Hub Marisa, I'm with you... backpackers and YHA's are the way to go. The northern beaches have some great places to kick back so does cronulla but what about a walk-in overnight stay on the beach in the Royal National Park? (Burning Palms) or maybe some day trips to some Sydney Secret beaches
Beautiful photos and great information about a great city. Living in this city can be frustrating at times with traffic, etc but its beauty far outweighs its problems. Thanks for a lovely hub about Sydney, one of the great cities in this world.
This is great info since I am planning to go the coming year! My nephew has traveled all over the world and when I asked him to name one favorite place he mentioned Sydney although it was almost impossible to choose he said.
Thanks for posting this wonderful piece..
Maybe it will help me if I visit Sydney someday.. Well done.
Top Hub, I grew up in Sydney and as a child I was very adventurous. Sydney is really fun, especially if you know where to go!
One of my students has a website all about Sydney and day trips that you can do. As far as I know it has about 70 pages now!
I think many would find it usefull.
http://www.ideal-sydney-getaways.com
Enjoy!
Marty Ware
The SEO DAD
I have lived in Sydney, and you are spot on. Great pics too. Balmain is worth visiting. Darling St. Balmain is full of old buildings and great shops - it's inner west on Sydney harbour but it does not have a beach. Short ferry trip. Great place to watch NYE fireworks though, without as big a crowd as some of the other places. Manly beach is my favourite of the beaches that are easy to get to, but Palm Beach is where I'd like to have a holiday house!!
I have always wanted to go to Australia and now I know where to stay . Thanks
A very descriptive hub - while reading yr hub, I felt like I was watching a video of Sydney... it is a beautiful place and you are right about all those beachs - surfers paradise! Thanks .. really well written.
interesting hub thanks for sharing
I love Sydney - your hub makes me want to go back!
Nice hub. your hub is informative.I like your hub.I really appreciate with your hub.
Excellent. I want to visit lovely sydney in australia.
Fascinating! So interesting.
In 2010, Sydney was ranked 10th worldwide by consulting firm Mercer on quality of living.
I like Sydney and Bondi!
Great hub. I actually live about 20 mins from Sydney and this makes me want to visit bondi beach right now!!!
Fantastic! I am desperate to get to Oz and I love reading hubs about it. Great photos, interesting information. Thank you for sharing it.
Sydney’s beach works and other attractions have great admiration among people all over the world. Interesting and very informative!!! All love to get through Sydney...
Thanks for the advice, I'm going to Sydney and planning to stay in Coogee
Thanks for this great hub. It's always great to hear from others who experienced the trip firsthanded. Thanks for the tips. :-)
I love taking the ferries at Sydney harbour to a few places nearby with scenic view. Simply awesome !
Planning a trip to Sydney on route to Melbourne, I intend to stay for a week before spending four weeks in Melbourne. Any info on where to stay in Sydney and what to do in both locations for a solo traveller would be great. Cheers
Craig, it depends on your age and interests, but if you only have a week I'd recommend staying at Bondi or Coogee, enjoy the surf, some lazy brunches at the beachside cafes and eat fish and chips on the beach. There's a great clifftop walk from Bondi to Coogee.
Take a day trip into town for a harbour ferry trip to Manly (cheaper than a harbour cruise and you'll enjoy Manly Beach).
Personally I don't think there's a lot to see in Melbourne, but you must take at least one weekend to tour the country north of Melbourne - including Daylesford to experience the famous Springs, Ballarat to see the recreated Gold Rush town, and the beautiful Grampian mountains. A tour to Phillip Island to see the fairy penguins is another must.
For accommodation, go to the wotif.com website.
I lived in Sydney for 6 months, in the CBD. I loved it there, and it is easy to reach everywhere else you want to go from there. I stayed at the Base Backpackers. It is a party place, but a great for meeting a lot of fellow travellers and have a good time.
Great hub!
Great info, we hope to visit there one day. We know several people who have spent weeks and even months in Australia and everyone loves it there. Thanks sharing your expertise!
Fantastic hub guys!! .. so much info for us people that don't know Sydney!! .. I need some good info from someone now! .. I am moving to Sydney in January to attend the Sydney Dance Company and I need [relatively] cheap accommodation, and also a job, could you's pleeeaase help me out for both ?!! Thanks! x
I had been in sydney 5 years. I'm very love here and i found aussie very friendly manners.there is one thing is for sure , nothing much to do in the everning,ha.....
Not much to do at night, Wendy? Where on earth in Sydney do you live?
@Courtney, lucky you going to Sydney Dance Company! Cheap accommodation is hard to find in Sydney, I'm afraid. Your best bet is share accommodation, but you may not be able to get one until you arrive. You could try homehound.com.au.
You need a work permit to work in Sydney - although I have to admit, if you're willing to work for low pay in a bar or cafe, you can probably find something.
I'm definitely going to Bondi Beach, but I'll be sure to check out Coogee too, as you suggested. Thx!
Great info for first time visitors to Sydney. You really explained the layout of the city in an easy to understand way from the point of view of access and transportation. Great work! Voted up!
Links
- North Bondi RSL Webcam
- The Rocks - Webcam
The Rocks framed by diamond-sparkled waters of Sydney Harbour and shaped by history, The Rocks is where Sydney began. With 19th century warehouses converted to chic restaurants, stylish bars, hearty pubs, interactive museums, eclectic shopping an - Sydney weather - local weather forecast
Sydney weather, Sydney, nsw - 7-day weather forecast and current temperature and Sydney weather radar from Weatherzone. - Sydney - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- New South Wales and Sydney Holidays, Visit NSW
Tourism New South Wales official State tourist site. Includes tours, events and accommodation plus maps of major highways and tourist routes. - Sydney Accommodation - Sydney Hotels, Tours & Holidays
LATEST DEALS for Sydney Hotels, Accommodation and Tours. INSTANT QUOTE AND BOOKING SERVICE. Lowest Price Guarantee, Quality travel information. - There\'s no place in the world like Sydney
Sydney, Australia. There's no place in the world like Sydney. - Sydney Airport
- Sydney the Harbour City
Lissie Level 1 Commenter 4 years ago
Last time we were in Sydney we stayed in Glebe - its very convenient to the ight rail which takes you right into Darling Harbour - good food too. Id stay there again - we got free parking for a vehicle too which you dont get in the CBD