Flying into or out of Perth Airport?

Perth is one of Australia’s easiest airports to navigate; it’s small in size, close to the city, and doesn’t have the congestion of bigger city airports like Melbourne or Sydney.

Though from the parking, to the airline lounges, connecting to Wi-Fi, and finding a place to sleep, we’ve put together the following tips so you can maximize your experience.

Things to Know About Perth Airport

It’s Super Close to the City

Perth airport is one of the closest of any other Australian airports to the center of the city; it’s a short 20 minute drive to get there, only 12kms from the Perth CBD.

If you’re flying into Perth, there are a wide range of transport options for getting into the city, whether you’re renting a car and driving yourself, catching a cab, or using public transport.

You’ll find taxi ranks out the front of all terminals, with easy to follow signage; expect to pay about $43 AUD one way to get to the CBD. It’s worth noting that there’s no rail in Perth like there is in Melbourne or Sydney.

If you’re opting for public transport, you’ll catch the Bus Route 380 from terminals 1 or 2, or the Bus Route 40 from T3/4. Fares for an adult single ticket are $4.50 AUD, and you can buy it from a Transperth ticket booth at the airport.

If you’re heading in from the city, because it’s so close, the best option is driving yourself and taking advantage of parking at Perth airport.

Great Airport Parking

Perth airport offers some of the best airport parking in the country, and there are great value options for all budgets and timeframes, from long term parking, short term parking, or fast track.

Parking at the airport saves a lot of time, and it’s super close to the airport – you won’t be walking for miles with your luggage. In fact, you can’t park any closer!

Parking is safe and secure here, with CCTV and 24/7 airport security, and if you book online you can save up to 30% of what you would pay by driving in on the day.

If you opt to go for a parking garage further away from the airport for even more savings, you would then jump on a convenient shuttle that takes you directly to the terminal. These parking spaces are cheaper than Perth airport charges.

There are in fact many third party car parks around the airport that offer almost the same service as the airport parking, but at much affordable rates. And these will often offer additional services like having your car washed and cleaned while you’re traveling.

Know Your Terminal

One of the most important things to know when navigating any airport is which terminal you need. There are four terminals at Perth Airport – T1, T2, T3 and T4.

The four terminals are split into two precincts; T1 & T2 are in the same precinct, and then it’s a roughly 15 minute drive to get from there to the T3/T4 precinct (there’s an airport shuttle).

Pro tip: We recommend the airport shuttle, otherwise it can be a very expensive $30 taxi fare to get between terminal precincts.

T1 is the international terminal, and where you’ll go if you’re flying out of Australia to another country. Perth has many exciting international routes, including a direct route from Perth to London, which was launched last year as the first non stop flight from Australia to Europe.

T1 also receives domestic flights, and is the home of Virgin Australia. You’ll head to T2 for domestic flights with airlines like Tigerair, and Virgin Australia for regional services. Terminal 3 services Jetstar, and Terminal 4 services Qantas.

Terminal 3 specifically can be a little awkward to get to if you’re traveling during peak traffic, so we recommend arriving early, and checking in online in advance so you’re not stressed about running late in traffic.

There’s Free WiFi

Perth airport has free Wi-Fi throughout all four terminals, and it’s fast as well as free.

If you need to plug-in, there are plenty of seats throughout each terminal which have been strategically positioned next to power points and charging stations, which is something that many airports often miss, so we give Perth credit on this!

Airline Lounges at Perth Airport

Once you’ve parked your car, checked your bags, and made sure you’re at the right terminal, it’s then time to relax and wait for boarding.

Perth has a good range of airport lounges in the departure areas of terminals T1, T2 and T4 for eligible members. In T1 International you’ll find an Air NZ, Emirates, Qantas Business, and Singapore Airlines lounge. In T1 Domestic you’ll find a Virgin Australia Lounge.

T2 has an Alliance Airlines lounge, T3 has the Qantas International Transit Lounge, and T4 has both the Qantas Club and Qantas Domestic Business Lounge.

If you’re not a member of any of the above airline lounges, Perth airport has plenty of comfortable waiting areas outside each gate, and airport facilities like children’s play areas, a quiet room for prayer, and charging stations.

The nice thing about Perth too, is that the public areas have long seats without any arm rests, so you can lie down if you need a nap (though don’t sleep through your flight boarding!)

One of Australia’s Easiest Airports

By comparison to mega airports like Sydney, Brisbane, and Melbourne, Perth airport is small, but this makes it incredibly easy to navigate, and everything from the parking to airport maps are very straight forward and self explanatory.

There’s easy access to everything at Perth airport; it’s easy to catch transfers, find food inside the terminals, and there are friendly volunteers / staff who are always happy to help you.

The terminal precincts are walk-able and pedestrian friendly, and it’s a very clean and well maintained airport. The organization of gates is perfectly structured to make it easy to find your way.

Because it’s a small airport, there’s not a lot of variety when it comes to shops and restaurants, but there’s more than enough to keep you happy, with a decent range of coffee shops, fast food, international cuisine (like Mexican and Asian themed), and proper sit down restaurants.

Great Airport for Sleeping

Perth is a great airport for sleeping; though if this is the plan you should aim to nap in terminals 1 or 2; people are often kicked out of terminals 3 and 4 at night, and these terminals aren’t as well set up for catching some shut eye as the T1/T2 precinct.

If you’re after something legitimate, there are sleeping pods available at terminal 1 which you can book by the hour. These are opposite Hudson’s Coffee.

The pod you get is a small space, similar to a business class flatbed, where you’ll have room for hand luggage, and charging points for both USB and GPO plugs, so you can charge your devices while you rest.

If you’re sleeping in the terminals rogue, T1 & T2 are the best choice as there are rows of seats without arm rests, which means you can lie down comfortably without having to resort to the floor. But make sure you have your hand luggage secure.

What has your experience been with traveling to / from Perth airport? How do you rate it?