Economical and scenic walk to the airport
Both the domestic and international terminals of Sydney Airport have a train station but catching the train to or from there will cost you a $16 airport fee in addition to the standard train fare. You can save yourself the $16 access pay by instead walking the 1.8km distance to or from Wolli Creek Station.
Note that this post is written for walking to the airport but of course you can do the same walk in reverse from the airport.
Assuming you’re starting from the city, take the train to Wolli Creek instead of the airport. Wolli Creek is a relatively newly developed suburb with a good selection of cafes, restaurants, and supermarkets, so plenty of options if you want to pick up something to eat and drink first.
Once you exit the station, walk through the pedestrian plaza and cross the main road to Cahill Park. Then enjoy a nice leisurely walk along Cooks River until you get to the road bridge. The footpath along the bridge is quite narrow so might be a bit tricky if you have a lot of luggage! But once you’ve reached the end of the bridge you should see a blue shared path to your left which you can then follow for another scenic walk along the river all the way to the airport.
The walk ends at the airport P7 car park one level above Arrivals and one level below Departures of the international terminal. So if you’re catching an international flight, then just take the travelator or lift up one level and then walk straight into the terminal. If you’re catching a domestic flight, then you can go down to Arrivals level and take the free T-bus transfer to the domestic terminal.
The walk from Wolli Creek Station to the international terminal is about 25 minutes but quite scenic. If you’re not in a rush to catch your flight then it’s definitely worth considering doing not just to save money but to enjoy one final nice moment in Sydney.