Canberra International Airport: where to stay, areas and recommended…

Canberra Airport has no rail line: 7 km from the centre, it's reached in 10 minutes by taxi (about 50 AUD) or with the Airport Express shuttle (12 AUD), which doesn't run on public holidays though. With no real transfer bottleneck, the choice of hotel depends more on the neighbourhood than on the distance: Civic remains the commercial and sociable centre, Kingston and the Parliamentary Triangle are closer to the airport and the institutional sites, NewActon goes for a trendier offering near the lake.

Civic

City centre · About 7 km from the airport: 10-15 minutes by taxi or rental car, or the Airport Express shuttle (12 AUD, not running on public holidays) with a stop in town.

Best for: Those who want the capital's shopping centre and restaurants just steps from the hotel.

Pros

Canberra Centre and the neighbourhood's restaurants within walking distance
A convenient starting point for Commonwealth Park and Lake Burley Griffin

Cons

No train to the airport: you always depend on a taxi or the shuttle
The area comes alive mainly on weekdays, quieter at weekends

Recommended hotels in this area

Crowne Plaza Canberra: On Binara Street, two minutes' walk from the National Convention Centre and a few steps from the centre's shops; indoor pool and gym.

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Kingston and the Parliamentary Triangle

Neighbourhood · About 5-6 km from the airport, 9-15 minutes by car or taxi depending on traffic; no direct public transport line to the terminal.

Best for: Those who want to stay closer to the airport and the institutional sites, with the lake and Kingston's restaurants within walking distance.

Pros

Lake Burley Griffin, Capital Hill and Kingston's dining precinct within walking distance
Closer to the airport than Civic, useful for those arriving or departing at awkward hours

Cons

Few shops compared with Civic's shopping centre
In the evening Yarralumla and Kingston are more residential, with less nightlife

Recommended hotels in this area

Hyatt Hotel Canberra - A Park Hyatt Hotel: An Art Deco building from 1924 on Commonwealth Avenue, 5 minutes by car from Parliament House; heated pool, tennis court and two restaurants.
Abode Kingston: Apartments with a kitchenette on Kennedy Street, less than 10 minutes' walk from Canberra's regional railway station and the lakeside.

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NewActon

Neighbourhood · About 10 minutes by car or taxi from the airport; no direct public transport connection.

Best for: Those looking for a boutique hotel near the lake and the Australian National University, amid art galleries and independent cinemas.

Pros

A design district next to Commonwealth Park, with galleries, art-house cinemas and restaurants
A few minutes' walk from Parliament House and the main national museums

Cons

Few everyday shops, an area designed more for leisure than for errands
Although convenient by car, it's disconnected from the rest of the city without direct public transport

Recommended hotels in this area

Ovolo Canberra, a Wyndham Hotel: Contemporary design in the NewActon precinct, next to Commonwealth Park; free Apero Hour every evening and an in-house art gallery.

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