How to go from Sydney Airport to the Blue Mountains?

Sydney . 2013 . May 19

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

Enjoying a day at Blue Mountains is one of the reasons that attract tourists like ourselves to Sydney. Most people would take a day trip to the Blue Mountains from Sydney City where you can visit the Scenic World and view the famous Three Sisters Rock Formation in Katoomba.

Travelling time from the Sydney city to the Blue Mountains takes around two hours by City Rail train or driving. Considering the relative long travel time to and from the city in a day trip, we decided to stay a night at the Blue Mountains area in The Carrington Hotels in Katoomba. You might want to check out our review of the hotel here. This gave us ample time to add in a trip to the Jenolan Caves besides exploring the Blue Mountains area around Katoomba.

Check out all the best deals of the day for accomodation options at the Blue Mountains here!

Getting from the Airport to Blue Mountains

If you would like to start your Sydney journey with a trip to the Blue Mountains straight from the Airport, do read on as we share our experiences of making that journey.

Do grab some free Sydney Guide at the airport before moving on. You never know when it would come in useful.

Step No 1 - Take the Airport Train to Sydney City

There are clear directions within the airport that lead you to the Airport Train platform. Just follow the signs and you should reach a lift to get to the train level.

Lift to the Trains. You would need to take the lift down to the Train Station level.

You can buy the tickets to Katoomba (Blue Mountains) directly from the manned ticket office or from the ticket machine. Note that you would need to transfer trains at Central Station.

We have cropped the Airport Rail Map to zoom in on the stations between International Airport Station to the Central Station (City) for easy reference. There are 3 stations (Domestic Airport, Mascot and Green Square) between them on the Airport & East Hills Line (GREEN). The journey from the International Airport station to Central Station takes around 12 minutes. You may want to click here for the full map.

Airport Link Map (Source: http://www.airportlink.com.au/sydney-city-map.php)

Our Airport Train Ticket to Katoomba. A single trip ticket costs AUD $20.70. If you have not booked your accomodation at the Blue Mountains yet, its time to look for one here. :)

Entrance to the Train Station. Just tap your card and the doors will open automatically.

Once you have past the entrance, take the lift to the Train Platform 1 to board the train towards Central Station.

Train Information at the Platform Level.

The train is double decker and there are plenty of seats available. There are spaces where you can place your bulky luggages if you are travelling to stay a night or two at the Blue Mountains.

Step No 2 - Transfer Platform to Train to Katoomba

 The train will arrive at Central Station at Platform 21. You would then need to transfer to Platform 12 to catch the Blue Mountains Line at Central Station for your onward journey to Katoomba. Click here to take a look at the full City Rail Network Map. Look out for the Blue Moutains Line.

You might want to grab something to eat on the train as the journey from Central Station to Katoomba Station would take around 2 hours. Don't worry - Eating is allowed on the trains.

Once you are on board the train, relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery as you make your way to the Blue Mountains! :)

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

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Breakfast @ The Carrington Hotel, Katoomba Blue Mountains Sydney

Sydney . 2013 . May 20

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

Breakfast comes complimentary with our Colonial Room stay at the Carring Hotel in Katoomba Blue Mountains. Check out our review of The Carrington Hotel if you have come here through a search engine or you have not read our review of the hotel.

The dining room of The Carrington hotel.  Be sure to get there early, for the tables fill up quickly.

Utensils neatly placed on our breakfast table.

The continental breakfast spread, consisting mainly of breads, pastries and cereal.

Complimentary coffee and tea, and apple and pineapple juice.

We loved the pastries - freshly baked and crispy in the mouth.

If you are one who prefer hot American Breakfast, there are hot breakfast options which include the Carrington Full Breakfast, Eggs Bennedict, Scrambled Eggs and even pancakes @ AUD $14.50 each. You might also want to try The Carrington Hotel unique Local Award Winning Fish River Coffee @ AUD $3 per cup.

Final Verdict:

Overall, we felt that it was a good breakfast to start our day, although we would prefer that the hot breakfast be part of the complimentary breakfast. :)

If you came to this post via a search engine, you might want to check out our full review of the Carrington Hotel.

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!

Restaurant Review: Blue Hour Cafe, Katoomba Blue Mountains Sydney

Sydney . 2013 . May 19

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

The Blue Hour Café  is a small, cozy and intimate cafe, located along the main street of Katoomba, Blue Mountains a 5-7 walking distance from The Carrington Hotel where we stayed.

We were looking around Katoomba for dinner at 6pm on a Sunday evening after a long over night flight from Singapore to Sydney and felt a growing desperation upon realizing that most shops and restaurants in the area had closed for the day.  Fortunately, Blue Hour Café was one of those handful of cafes that were still open for business.

Shops along Katoomba Street.

We were attracted by the strong aroma of coffee as we walked along Katoomba Street that we went into this cafe.

Blue Hour Café has a lovely décor and ambience that is so relaxing that I could stay here and people-watch!  Based on their interactions with the staff, some customers look as if they were regulars!

Prices at the Blue Hour Café are average in terms of what you can get in Katoomba.  A home-made Fettuccine costs AUD $18 while a cabonara costs AUD $15.

Menus for Blue Hour Cafe retrieved from the Urbanspoon website.

Blue Hour Menu (Credits: http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/70-sydney/restaurants/1483381-blue-hour/menu)

Blue Hour Menu (Credits: http://www.urbanspoon.com/cities/70-sydney/restaurants/1483381-blue-hour/menu)

Cozy atmosphere in the Blue Hour Cafe.

BLT with spicy pancetta bacon, tomatoes and avocado (AUD $15) for Tommy. It's certainly filling but the vegetable do taste a bit raw for our liking.

Pasta with Tomato and Bacon (AUD $7). A kids’ meal for me, because the carbonara is sold out! Nevertheless, it is still yummy. 

The best coffee I had in the Blue Mountains.  If there’s any regrets, it’s that we did not have the time to come back often enough.  We’ve seen people buying take-aways as well. 

Verdict:

Great coffee, great atmosphere, service and food.  We will definitely come back here again when we visit Blue Mountains next time!

Blue Hour Cafe
Shop 1 -177 Katoomba St,
Katoomba NSW 2780
Tel: +61 (02) 4782 6601

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

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Hotel Review: The Carrington Blue Mountains, Katoomba Sydney

Sydney . 2013 . May 19

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

The Carrington Hotel is one of the oldest buildings in the Blue Mountains, with a long history dating back to 1882, where it was popular even back then as a mountain retreat.  Originally named as ‘The Great Western’ when it first opened its doors in 1882, it was renamed as ‘The Carrington’ after the then Governor of New South Wales, Lord Carrington.  Today, The Carrington Hotel is listed as one of the heritage buildings in Katoomba, New South Wales.

Fantastic Location

The Carrington Hotel is located strategically within a 2-3 minute walk from the Katoomba Railway Station.  The public buses and trolley services also stop right at its door step.

Along Katoomba Street where the Carrington Hotel is located is the buzz of the town, where shops, cafes and restaurants are located.   If you drive, Echo point where the Three Sisters are is only about 2-3 km away.

Road leading to Echo Point.

Friendly Service

Service has always been friendly and immaculate throughout the duration of our stay.  Housekeeping was also within expectations.  The reception desk leads to a large wooden staircase leading to the upper floors.  Do stop and admire the iconic stained glass windows at the hotel too.

Charming Colonial Room

We booked a Colonial Room, which is the lowest grade room that comes with an ensuite bathroom (The Traditional Room which is the next cheapest only has shared bathroom facilities).   Both the Colonial Rooms and the Traditional Rooms are located on the same floor.

Our room keys to Room No. 17, the Colonial Room that we stayed.

Though well-used, the room is clean and spacious.

We were especially drawn to the bay windows and the settee beneath it and had spent our 2 nights reading at the settee.

The room has a cozy feel, especially with the warm lights on at night. 

View outside the bay window at night.

The bed is also fitted with an electric blanket for warmth during the night.  We sure needed them for it was cold in the Blue Mountains especially at night!

You can help yourself to complimentary beverages provided by the hotel.

One negative point was that the plumbing system in the room was ancient! The pipes run along the ceiling of the room, and we could hear sounds of water being flushed through the pipes throughout the night!  Because our room happened to face the direction of the wind, we were also kept awake by the constant rattling of the windows.

Modern Contemporary Bathroom

The bathroom had obviously been refurbished, for it looks a different era from the rest of the hotel!  In contrast to the Victorian décor for the rest of the hotel, the bathrooms have a modern contemporary look.  We especially love the stained glass feature at the shower area.  However, beware, the floor tiles are cold at any time of the day!

Beautiful Victorian Design

The Carrington Hotel being built in the 1880s, has a strong Victorian look and feel to it.  Despite its age, great efforts had been put in to instil a homely and welcoming feel to it.

The Colonial Lounge Area. Spacious area to relax complete with comfortable sofas.

Sunset against the beautiful stained glass.

The lifts must be as old as the hotel!  It is those kind where you need to open 2 doors - the door to the lift and the door of the lift! There is even an important notice on how to use the lift!

Though the lift must be an antique and fun to watch, it is certainly not convenient for those with large luggages.

Great Views of Blue Mountain and Jamison Valley

If you stay at The Carrington Hotel, do make a trip to its balcony for a spectacular view of the Blue Mountains and the Jamison Valley. Some suites and rooms at The Carrington Hotel also offer views of the Jamison Valley.

Continental Breakfast is included with every room booking at The Carrington Hotel. Do stay tuned as we will review the breakfast at The Carrington Hotel in our next article.

How to get to The Carrington Hotel from Katoomba Railway Station

Upon your exit from Katoomba railway station, you will encounter a kiosk ‘Café Xpresso’ located right next to the steps from the railway station.  You’ll also see the shop selling tickets to the Blue Mountains explorer Hop on – Hop off bus next to it.

There is a pedestrian crossing outside the Blue Mountains Explorer shop, and the photo below is the view you should see from the shop.  Cross the pedestrian crossing and turn to the left, following the pathway up the slope .

This is the view you should see when looking back at the Katoomba Railway Station after crossing the road. 

 Another 1 to 2 mins walk will bring you to the entrance of The Carrington Hotel.

Overall Verdict

Old and charming hotel. Offers a romantic stay for a couple.  Cannot expect five star treatment of a posh and upclass hotel, but it offers a comfortable and charming stay. We saw a number of old couples during our stay at The Carrington Hotel, probably reminiscing the romantic memories of their stay at the hotel in their younger days.

The Carrington Hotel
 15 - 47 Katoomba St Katoomba,
New South Wales 2780
Australia

Do stay tuned as we will review the continental breakfast at The Carrington Hotel in our Sydney Trip series!

You might want to check out all the best deals of the accomodation options at the Blue Mountains here!

This post is part of our Sydney 7 days 6 nights Trip Itinerary and Report. Do check out the full itinerary and our reviews here.

We hope you enjoyed reading this article. To receive notifications on updates, subscribe to our blog via RSS feed and email.

Like us on Facebook @ Discover. Book . Travel and follow us on Twitter @Discoverbooktra!

Do check out our Flickr photos & Youtube videos too!