My uncle and I had a disagreement: I wanted to fly, he wanted to take a train. Spoiler alert: we took the train. This review covers my train trip from Canberra to Sydney.
It wasn’t that I was opposed to the train, it was just that flying just made so much more sense to me. There is no security theatre before Australian domestic flights, I’d be able to review the Qantas Lounge in CBR, and we’d get to the Park Hyatt Sydney before dark.
My uncle reasoned that the train would be relaxing and give us a chance to see the Australian countryside. It was also cheaper.
So I agreed. We booked a midday train, enjoying a leisurely morning at the Park Hyatt Canberra before heading out. Booking the ticket took mere moments online and I printed out the tickets at the hotel.
The above image is just a recent screenshot, but first class was also sold out on my train. That said, first class only offers a bit more legroom and recline…it wasn’t necessary since economy class was only about half full.
Canberra central train station does not feel like most train stations in a capital city. Quite the contrary, it appeared like a small town train stop. That’s part of the charm of Canberra, the “compromise capital” since Melbourne could not bear to let Sydney be the capital and Sydney could not bear to let Melbourne be the capital.
The Journey
The train boarded about five minutes before departure and our 4.5 hour journey to Sydney began. There was no wi-fi onboard and having eaten a late breakfast, we skipped the onboard meal service. In addition to a small buffet car, a hot lunch (meat pie) was offered. Those interested had to pre-order just after the train departed. The meal was served about an hour later. Cell phone coverage was non-existent until we reached the outskirts of Sydney.
I must say I was disappointed by the views. There’s really very little to see during the journey, at least that I noticed looking out of the right side of the train. It reminded me of driving on I-5 in California in the Central Valley.
We arrived in Sydney promptly on schedule and caught a connecting Metro to Circular Quay.
CONCLUSION
There was nothing wrong and also nothing remarkable about our train from Canberra to Sydney. I’d still fly, but at least it forced me to unplug for a few hours and enjoy a nice book.
I had round trip train tickets booked for a day trip from Sydney to Canberra but due to track maintenance we had to take a coach on the way there and train on the way back at night. So we got the best of both worlds with that one and even saw a few wild roos on the way there Also, we walked from the War Memorial to the Parliament House because it looked close – it took us just under an hour.
Notionally Canberra is the capital but Australians unanimously accept the view that Melbourne is the true capital…in respect of culture/the arts, financial and business centre, food/entertainment, sport, life generally. It has a more equitable climate.
It should be acknowledged that Sydney has a nice harbour and a couple of nice beaches.
Very few people take this train. Plane takes 30 minutes, driving is 3 hours…so not much of a market for a 4.5 hour dreary train.
no one in australia thinks melbourne is the capital.,.
-a melbournian
Exactly. What a ridiculous assertion.
I was like “Wait, what!?” – Non-Aussie currently planing a trip to Australia and leaving Melbourne out of the plan (too cold around that time – apparently you lot go skiing in Victoria around that time of year :O )
Depends where you’re going, but I’d recommend a visit to Melbourne, including the great ocean road and phillip island.
Spent 13 hours in MEL during a positioning layover to get home from Mardi Gras. 13 hours was about 12 hours too long. Aside from a check-in-the-box about having been there, I’d say it’s fairly unremarkable and is comparable to Portland, OR or Berkeley, CA. Yeah, cute cafes and shops are fun – for a bit – and art is, well, art. You’re not missing anying.
That is absolutely untrue.
It is not unanimously accepted that Melbourne is the capital.
The only people that think that are arrogant Melbournians, just as the only people that think Sydney has a claim are arrogant Sydneysiders.
Canberra is the true capital and better than either city.
Personally, I love Canberra. IMO Murray’s bus service is the way to go. About 3.5 hours from sydeny central to Canberra and it was uber cheap. Sorta a nice Megabus between DC and NYC.
I caught this train around once per fortnight for the last 3 years. I much preferred it to the bus, despite the slightly longer journey time, because it was much more spacious and you could walk around, there were bathrooms in each carriage, and also the meals on board are quite decent. I would usually be able to work quite comfortably for most of the journey so the extra time didn’t really matter to me. If I was in a hurry (e.g. I needed to be in Sydney for a 9am meeting) I would fly, but flying is considerably more expensive.