Remember when orange was the new black? Well, flying from Sydney to Europe via China is the new Silk Road. Not new new, because people have been transiting via China since forever ago, but it’s today’s hottest stopover destination, especially with 30 days’ visa-free travel extended for Australian passport holders! Discover why Sydney to Europe via China is a 2026 travel trend.
The Silk Road was once one of the world’s most important trading routes, connecting Asia and Europe. Now, Sydney Airport have dubbed Sydney to Europe via China the Silk Skyway; the modern-day Silk Road.
Instead of spices, porcelain, and tea plying the route, it’s now your clients, looking for an affordable, safe, and effortless way to visit Europe.
And instead of it taking one to two years (yes, years) to travel the Silk Road, the Silk Skyway gets travellers there in a matter of hours.
Truly, Europe has never been closer!
Sydney to China & beyond
Nine mainland Chinese airlines fly direct to Sydney Airport, providing the most capacity to China of any Australian airport.
We’ve crunched some numbers and estimate there are an average of 21,000 seats per week available to get your clients from Sydney to China and beyond.
Whether it’s jetting via Beijing with Air China, Shanghai with China Eastern Airlines, or transiting in Guangzhou with China Southern Airlines, these full-service carriers have excellent connections to collectively more than 125 global destinations, including all the traditional European must-see stops, like Rome, Paris, and Madrid.
For European trips, Air China has its highest capacity between Beijing and Frankfurt. Additional stops like Stockholm, Milan, Geneva, and the recently added Brussels make it an appealing choice.
China Eastern includes Vienna, Moscow, Dublin, and Istanbul on its schedule, while China Southern alone has seven flights a week to London Heathrow and three to Gatwick. The latter will also get your clients to Helsinki, Budapest, and Belgrade.
Visa-free for Aussies
It’s easy to get more bang for your buck when transiting via China from Sydney.
Not only because Chinese airline fares are more competitive than more popular hubs (especially business class travel), but also because the visa-free policy has been extended to 31 December 2026.
To qualify, your clients must have an Australian passport (or one of 44 other qualifying passports) and have an onward flight (or cruise) to a third country or region.
This extended waiver saves on visa fees and the admin time of visa applications. The policy allows Australians to enter China up to 30 days for tourism, business, visiting family, and transiting.
Why not encourage a Great Wall of China add-on when travelling to Greece to see its historic monuments? Or pair that Venice summer vacay with Shanghai’s nearby canals and waterways? And a spot of Guangzhou shopping on the way home from seeing the extended fam in Blighty is never a bad idea.
World-class airports await
Just a couple of decades ago, China’s airports were a little… brown. Today, they’re smashing out awards for their modern amenities, connectivity, and efficiency.
Just a week ago, Shanghai’s Hongqiao International Airport ranked ninth for Skytrax’s ‘World’s Cleanest Airport’ award. Guangzhou Baiyun also took out the Best Airport in China trophy.
Last year, Shanghai Pudong International Airport won the accolade as the Best Airport in the Asia-Pacific region. Awarded by Airports Council International, it was Pudong’s sixth year to snatch this title, with its rankings based on real-time performance and optimised services across security, border inspection, customs, rest cabins, and 24/7 shower rooms.
Perks on perks
As if affordable airfares weren’t enough, Chinese carriers are generous with free inclusions to sweeten the deal.
For qualifying clients flying Air China, the official flagship carrier offers complimentary transit accommodation with breakfast and transfers for stops between six and 24 hours. For transit times between four and 12 hours, lounge access is available at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Air China also connect travellers with complimentary tours for transits of more than eight hours, whisking your clients off to the Great Wall of China or on a half-day Beijing city sights excursion with admission tickets included for both.
China Eastern also has a free hotel stopover programme for involuntary layovers between six and 24 hours. For layovers over eight hours, passengers can join one of three Shanghai Express free layover tours. The Huangpu River Cruise even departs at 6 PM, to see the city skyline lit up at night.
China Southern also provides free one-night transit accommodation with breakfast and transfers for qualifying travellers with layovers between six and 30 hours. There are three complimentary Guangzhou city tours available, too, for layovers of eight hours-plus, including a delicious dim sum lunch.
Learn more
With visa-free travel, a plethora of perks, and increased capacity between Sydney and China, it’s never been easier for Australians to travel to or transit through China.
To find out more, visit thesilkskyway.com.
This article is brought to you by Sydney Airport.
