Is Mascot a good place to stay in Sydney?

Mascot is a practical base if you have an early or late flight, a short stopover or a meeting near the airport. Mascot station is one stop from the domestic terminal on the Airport Line, and trains run straight on to Central and the city. It suits transit travellers, business visitors and anyone who wants a modern hotel at a fair price.

The area is a mix of airport hotels, offices and new apartment towers around the station, with cafés and small supermarkets at street level. Sydney Park, with its wetlands and big lawns, is a short ride north, and Shep's Mound, a grassy hill beside the airport, is a popular spot for watching planes.

The downside is that Mascot has little character and nothing much to see. Evenings are quiet, the main roads are busy with airport traffic, planes pass low overhead, and every sightseeing day starts with a train ride. Apart from the cafés by the station, there are few places to eat that you'd make a trip for.

What makes Mascot worth considering is how simple it makes travel. Hotels are newer and often cheaper than in the city, the airport is minutes away, and Mascot station avoids the fee charged at the airport stations while still getting you to Central quickly. For a first or last night in Sydney, it takes most of the stress out of the journey.