Opal Card, Weekend Visit for Wife and Kid Cost $80. How Come So Expensive?

[Deactivated] on 31/10/2018 - 18:09
Last edited 31/10/2018 - 18:32 by 1 other user

Been a while since my family lived in Sydney, pre Opal card.

So my family went to Sydney for the weekend, apparently it cost $80 just to get two cards issued including some credit and one of the days was Sunday Funday.

This is crazy, am I missing something or this a tax on rural Australia? Cheaper to drive the ute down and add to the traffic rather than fly and public transport. And we live 4 hrs away. Be interested to know if we were overcharged or this is the new normal? If so I reckon we should start charging all you Sydneysiders to use our beautiful beaches and surf our uncrowded breaks.

Travel Opal Card Top up

Comments

  • Save Medicare on 31/10/2018 - 18:17
    +2

    There's a minimum spend on opal top ups at the airport

    You can uber from the airport to the city and buy opals there

    • singlemalt72 on 01/11/2018 - 08:05
      +1

      If you travel light it isn't hard to walk to Wolli Creek station from the airport and avoid the whole Airport station cost or catch the bus instead of the train - cost is $3.66 for adults and may require a change depending on which part of the city you are going to. It takes a lot longer than the train (45min vs 10) but is a load cheaper if you don't mind a little inconvenience.

      • Love a bargain on 01/11/2018 - 16:49
        +1

        the domestic terminal is closer to Mascot

        • singlemalt72 on 01/11/2018 - 20:15

          Ah, correct, I was thinking International

  • dylo on 31/10/2018 - 18:19
    +6

    rather than fly

    If you can afford to fly when you only live 4 hours away I am not sure why you are complaining about the cost of opal.

    • [Deactivated] on 31/10/2018 - 18:43

      Amex annual travel voucher (thanks OzB). I had to pay $120, 2 kids 1 wife. Opal was $80, so around 40% of total travel cost was Opal.
      Not complaining just feeling ripped off for using off peak public transport and relaying that to my fellow Ozbargainers.

      • shadowangel on 28/11/2018 - 22:52

        Station access fee is a joke. It costs me near $80 return on the train, it's not much cheaper then flying.

  • onetwothreefour on 31/10/2018 - 18:31
    +2

    There's a daily cap on Opal card, $15.80 a day for Adult. $7.90 a day for Child.

    This probably won't include the airport fee which would cost extra but $80 in a weekend seems a bit much, you sure you got that right?

    • [Deactivated] on 31/10/2018 - 18:53

      Pretty sure; my wife bought the Opal stuff and she doesn't even have an Ozbargain login or cashrewards account (forgot to ask before the wedding,now waiting on a cashrewards,Ebay discount with bonus flybuys divorce deal on OzB) and so she may have paid to much :p
      Anyway I think there is some rebate for rurals? Will have to follow up.

      • RockyRaccoon on 31/10/2018 - 20:19
        +3

        Well the airport fee would be $27.10 (1 adult and 1 Child) and same on return to airport, so there is $54.20

        Add 2 days max daily cap mentioned above $47.40 so your total could be upwards of $101.60. Obviously if you only paid $80 then it would appear the daily cap wasnt met and the non airport fares for the two days was fairly reasonable

        Its the airport access fee which is the killer.

        You dont indicate where in the country you live, but a 3 hour drive to the outskirts like Hornsby (if from the North) then catch the train would probably work out better. Also give flight time, getting to airport earlier and getting off plane, luggage pickup etc, proably close to the same time in travel.

  • ozhunter on 31/10/2018 - 18:35
    +1

    If so I reckon we should start charging all you Sydneysiders to use our beautiful beaches and surf our uncrowded breaks.

    Lol, do it

  • ihbh on 31/10/2018 - 19:12
    +4

    Register your Opal cards online and do a deep dive into the transactions and repost if you find any anomalies.

    • [Deactivated] on 31/10/2018 - 19:16

      Cheers will do

  • oscargamer on 31/10/2018 - 19:47

    Is there any credit left on them?
    Cancel cards and cash that in.

    • [Deactivated] on 31/10/2018 - 20:27

      just spoke to my wife and we will do this option,prob no credit left after reading RockyRaccoon post.

  • Quantumcat on 01/11/2018 - 07:17
    +1

    Once you have more than two people it is cheaper to get a taxi than get the train. Next time get a taxi or Uber to the city then use trains from there. Or if you are really cheap, get an Uber to green square. (I used to live in Bathurst and would catch the train in, sometimes to go to the airport)

    • dane45 on 02/11/2018 - 10:54
      +1

      Last time I was in Sydney I got an Opal from the newsagent in T2 Arrivals (didn't want to head down to the station because I was heading straight for the 400 bus). Assuming they still sell Opal cards, probably best to start buying your opal from there if you don't want a $35 minimum recharge.

  • djones145 on 01/11/2018 - 10:59

    u live 4 hours away right?
    prolly because of this, u paid country link prices, and the 15 cap only applies to a certain area in Sydney (think its from blue mountains, to Wollongong to maybe newscastle)

    • Savas on 19/11/2018 - 09:36

      You can't use opal on country link

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join