Arriving in Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth Airports

If you install your Australia eSIM before the flight, you can be online within a minute of landing: turn off airplane mode, make sure the eSIM is your mobile-data line with data roaming switched on, and your phone connects to Optus. From there you can message home, check your hotel address and book a ride or plan the train trip into the city. This guide walks through the first minutes after landing and the main ways into town from Australia's four largest airports.

Before you land

• Install the eSIM at home on Wi-Fi and set it as your mobile-data line. Installing doesn't start the plan; it starts when the eSIM first connects in Australia.
• Save the essentials offline: your accommodation address, booking confirmations and any visa or travel authority documents, as screenshots or downloaded files.
• Sign in to Uber or DiDi at home while your home SIM can still receive the verification text easily.
• Download an offline map of your arrival city in Google Maps.

Australia's arrival process includes immigration and strict biosecurity checks, so allow time after landing. Declare any food, plant or animal products as instructed; the queue is a good moment to let people know you have arrived.

The moment you land

1. Turn off airplane mode.
2. Check that the eSIM is selected for mobile data and that data roaming is on for the eSIM line. Keep roaming off on your home SIM.
3. Give the phone a moment to find Optus. If nothing happens, switch airplane mode on and off once, or restart the phone.
4. Still no connection? Turn off automatic network selection and choose Optus manually.

Major Australian airports offer free Wi-Fi, which is a useful backup if you need to troubleshoot, open the My eSIM page or read the quick fixes in our complete Australia eSIM guide. If you are still stuck, contact us with your order email — we reply within 24 hours.

Sydney Airport (SYD)

The Airport Link train stops at both the International and the Domestic terminal stations and runs to Central and the city center in roughly a quarter of an hour. Sydney's trains, buses, ferries and light rail accept contactless bank cards and phones at the Opal readers, so you can tap on without buying a card. Taxis wait at signed ranks outside arrivals, and Uber and DiDi pick up from designated rideshare zones that the app directs you to.

Moving between the international and domestic terminals is not a short walk — they are on different sides of the airport — so allow time if you connect to a domestic flight.

Melbourne Airport (MEL)

Melbourne Airport has no train link yet. The SkyBus express runs frequently between the terminals and Southern Cross Station on the edge of the city center, where you can connect to trains and trams. Taxis use ranks outside the terminals, and rideshare pickups are at a signed area that your app will direct you to.

Once you are in the city, Melbourne's trams inside the Free Tram Zone cost nothing, and in 2026 the myki readers on trains and trams began accepting contactless bank cards and phones for full adult fares. Check the Public Transport Victoria app for current details.

Brisbane Airport (BNE)

The Airtrain runs from both the International and Domestic terminals into central Brisbane and continues on to the Gold Coast, which makes it useful if you are heading straight to the beaches. You can tap on and off with a Visa or Mastercard contactless card, phone or smartwatch, or use a go card. Taxis and rideshare pickups are signposted outside each terminal.

Perth Airport (PER)

The Transperth Airport Line runs from Airport Central station, linked by walkway to Terminals 1 and 2, to Perth station in the city center in about 20 minutes. Transperth services accept Visa and Mastercard contactless cards and digital wallets as well as SmartRider cards.

Terminals 3 and 4 are on a separate part of the airport and are not directly connected to the train, so if you land there, check the Perth Airport website for current bus and transfer options, or take a taxi or rideshare. Perth is two to three hours behind Sydney and Melbourne, depending on the season, so double-check the time of any onward booking.

Cairns, the Gold Coast and other airports

Many visitors arrive at, or connect to, regional airports such as Cairns for the Great Barrier Reef and the Gold Coast at Coolangatta. Neither has a train: Cairns Airport is a short drive from the city by taxi, rideshare or shuttle, and Gold Coast Airport is served by Translink buses, taxis and rideshare. Optus covers both airports and the surrounding towns, so the same steps apply. For trips beyond the cities, read our outback and road trip coverage guide before you head off, and see the Australia eSIM plans if you still need a plan.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to buy a SIM card at the airport in Australia?

No. With an Australia eSIM installed before your flight, you are online on the Optus network as soon as you turn off airplane mode.

What if my eSIM does not connect after landing?

Make sure the eSIM is your mobile-data line with data roaming on, then toggle airplane mode or restart the phone. The free airport Wi-Fi lets you troubleshoot or contact us.

Can I pay for the airport train with my phone?

In Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, yes — the airport trains accept contactless bank cards and phones. Melbourne has no airport train; the SkyBus links the airport with Southern Cross Station.