Wollongong is 80 kilometres south of Sydney, making it an easy day trip or weekend escape from the city. The train from Sydney Central Station takes about 90 minutes on the scenic coastal route through the Royal National Park, with views of the escarpment and sea — one of the better commuter rail journeys in Australia.
By car, the quickest route is the Princes Highway via Helensburgh (about 1.5 hours in traffic). The more scenic option is the Grand Pacific Drive — south from Sydney along the coast road through Stanwell Park and Coalcliff, crossing the Sea Cliff Bridge before descending to Wollongong. This adds time but is considerably more interesting. Wollongong Airport has limited regional services.