Table of Contents
Travel Tips – Travel Australia On A Budget
Australia is the 6th largest country in the world, with a similar land mass to the United States, with this in mind, it can be difficult to choose where to go and what to see, especially if you are restricted by a budget. Wondering if and how to travel Australia on a budget? Yes, it can be done.
Given the size of Australia, it might be a good idea to pick a specific region of Australia when planning your holiday, like Melbourne, the East Coast, or Western Australia, depending on the duration of your Australia holidays. As Australia has little competition in comparison to many continents around the world, there are generally higher taxes on various goods. So here are a few money saving tips and tricks when traveling around Australia on a budget.
Where to stay
Hostels
Australia has a great backpacking culture, and with it, an extensive network of hostels to cater! Hostels around Australia are always located around the central landmarks and natural attractions like beaches. You can book a bed in a decent hostel for as little as $20 a night. Hostel World is a great site to easily compare, find and book hostels on the go! Accommodation is no problem at all when you travel Australia on a budget.
Airbnb
Airbnb, the humble home-sharing service is more popular than ever in Australia. With more than 60,000 properties listed nationwide, you can easily snatch up a bargain of a room to cater for your travel group. Get your friends to download the app, and take advantage of the $30 credit you can apply for.
Free Campsites
Australia is blessed with so many breathtaking natural landscapes, that campsites are literally everywhere. Depending on the time of the year and the location of the campsite, some destinations charge a fee, but there are many beautiful, free camping sites around Australia, for you to park up at for the night. Check out this website for free campsite destinations near you.
How to get around
Flying
Thankfully, in recent years, the prices of air travel have dropped, and of course there are many inexpensive flights to Austraila and internally too things are better as originally there was an oligopoly between Virgin and Qantas, making competition low and airfares high!
Nowadays, there are a number of spinoff budget lines, including Tiger Airways, Rex Airlines, Jetstar, and JetGo. These discount airlines offer flight deals, for example, Jetstar’s Friday Frenzy! Where you can snap up flight deals for as little as $39AUD, which comparably could have been a flight worth $150. And if you are in for a regional experience, Rex (which stands for Regional Express) offers international travelers “backpacker passes” which service regions such as King Island, Kangaroo Island, Eden & Merimbula and Cairns.
In general when searching for flights always be sure to book directly through the airline, to ensure the cheapest prices possible. You can find which airline is offering the cheapest flights through apps and websites such as Skyscanner.
Driving
When it comes to driving, fuel in Australia can be rather expensive, especially on the weekends. Be sure to fuel up during the middle of the week and try and walk or ride bikes as much as possible.
Acquiring a vehicle for travel can be easy. If you are doing a shorter trip e.g. a few weeks, your best option is to hire a motorhome or campervan e.g. from a company like the gregariously decorated Wicked vans, Britz, or the green and purple Juicy vans. For a longer-term option, e.g. if you are traveling for the year, you might consider purchasing a motorhome over here. This might be a better option, as you can then sell the campervan at the end of your Australia trip.
Public Transport
Public transport is obviously much cheaper than taxis, ubers or other car pick up services, but everywhere you go around Australia, there will be a different method of transportation established. For example. Melbourne city has an extensive tram line established to cater for their large population, but a smaller town like Mudgee has a much less frequent bus service. You can look up to the bus, tram, light rail and train timetables on Transport NSW, so be sure to check in before you travel somewhere to ensure you won’t be spending big bucks on your transport. If you are staying around Sydney, be sure to invest in an Opal Card, similar to the UK’s Oyster Card, and Opal Card will get you from A to B relatively cheaply.
How to eat on a budget
Grocery shopping
Australia’s two largest grocery chains, Coles and Woolworths offer fuel discounts when you spend over $30AUD and specials on alcohol at their associated bottle stores, for e.g. a bottle of wine for $10AUD.
Free Barbeques
All around Australia at local parks, gardens, beaches and communal areas, there will be electric barbeques available to the public for use, free of charge.
Doing things in Australia on a Budget
Beaches
All around the coast of Australia, are some of the world’s most beautiful beaches. By spending most of your day enjoying the sun and the sand, you will save exorbitant amounts of money on entertainment, especially if you are traveling with kids. But remember the Australian sun is powerful, so sunscreen and cover-ups are a worthwhile investment.
Bushwalking/ Hiking
Australia is home to many stunning and well preserved National Parks and natural wonders. Look up a National Park near where you are staying and head out for the day to see wildlife, waterfalls, incredible landscapes, native bushlands and enjoy a challenging hike through the Australian bush.
Swimming
Even near the sea, Australia is swarming with freshwater swimming holes, from rivers to lakes and dams, there is no shortage of water in Australia. Enjoy the regions local rivers, but be aware of currents and never swim alone. If you are a keen angler, you should also throw a fishing line into the Australian water’s, and try and catch yourself some dinner! The waterbodies are bound to make your Australia vacation an experience to cherish for a long, long time.
Free Walking Tours
Especially in CBD’s like Melbourne and Sydney, you will find free walking tours everywhere! These are a fun and informative way to learn about the local history of the areas you are ttravelingaround and will give you insight into Australian culture in general. The free walking tours take you to the best places to travel in Australia on a budget. They are a great way to save on Australia travel expenses.
Markets
Whether you are in the city or country, there are local markets all around. Markets are a wonderful way for communities to express their local talent and flavours, and they are also a wonderful place to snap up a bargain! When you visit Australia do check out the local markets.
Administration Tips and Tricks
Cheap Sim Cards
When traveling around Australia, communication can be extremely cheap, with some sim cards costing only $1AUD, and regular prepaid credit costing only $30AUD a month. This will give you calls and texts, and you can buy data packages on top of that if you will be without wifi. Communication costs can be hefty in many countries when you are on a budget travel, but not so in Australia.
Free WiFi
Australia has many free wifi portals, including McDonald’s, shopping malls, airports, most hostels, AirBnB’s and hotels, and also at Telstra phone booths on the street. You will rarely be without wifi around the CBD’s in Australia. This availability of WiFi will ensure that while on your Australia travel you are always within connected.
Australia Tourism
How To Get To Australia
Book cheap flights, hotels, and cars on rent here.
Where to stay in Australia
If you are planning to visit Australia then you must be wondering where to stay in Australia or the best hotels in Australia. For best accommodation in Australia, we recommend Booking.com or Skyscanner to save huge and get best deals on booking your stay in Australia.
Tours/Activities available in Australia
Australia points of interest are many and if you are wondering what to see in Australia or what to do in Australia, then look no further. Australia attractions pass are available for the best Australia tours. You can now book tours in Australia as well as activities in Australia. Plan the best places to visit in Australia and experience Australia, the land of kangaroos. Australia bus tour is always a great way to get a hang of the beautiful cities and towns and absorb its ethos.
| Click to know more about Best Things To Do In Australia. |
|---|
Driving around Australia
If you are looking at getting best deals on car rental in Australia, look no further. You can rent a car in Australia to explore and experience amazing Australia and embark on a road trip of exploration and discovery of Australia.
Have you been to Australia? Which is your favorite place in Australia? Which place in Australia according to you is the cheapest and can be done on a budget? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
Check out some of our Australia related posts:
Places You Just Can’t Miss In NSW
Five Popular Day Trips From Gold Coast
Best Road Trips in the NSW Area
The Best Of Sydney
Day Trips from Perth, Australia
Budget Friendly Travel Guide to Sydney
A Road Trip from Sydney to Brisbane
14 Awesome Places Along the Great Ocean Road
Brisbane – A Wishlist of Things to Do
Day Trips from Cairns
Day Trips from Melbourne, Australia
Do You Love To Travel?
Do you want to know how to travel the world? We have put together a very useful travel resources page with best travel tips. Go check it out now.
Thanks for visiting our site Voyager – imvoyager.com and taking the time to read our post!
We’d love if you’d comment and share this post.
[shareaholic app=”share_buttons” id=”27413782″]
My daughter will be turning 30 soon and she wants to travel to Australia ASAP. These tips will help her so much because she’s definitely on a budget.
I would love to check out the natural wonder and wildlife in Australia. My husband went and still talks about it. These ideas for travel and tours are good to keep for that future trip.
Australia is on our bucket list. This would be a dream come true. Loved reading everything about Australia.
Australia is on my bucket list for sure. My old boss was a world traveler and Australia was his favorite place to visit.
Thank you for these tips. I’ve been wanting to go to Australia for years. I’m glad I can do it on a budget!
I have always wanted to see the land down under! It has so much beauty and culture to offer.
My mom is interested to go to Australia to see a doctor she found online. I might as well send her this list so she can have a good vacation while there.
I love to travel! I’ve always wanted to visit Australia. Can’t wait to actually use your great tips!
I have a friend in Australia, and I would love to visit and travel the country while I’m there. These are great tips for traveling Australia, especially on a budget.
Australia is on my ultimate travel bucket list! We might get there sooner thanks to your tips 🙂
I’m going to share this with my sister-in-law. This is her number one place to visit on her bucket list.
Great idea! Camping sounds awesome though it would be best if you had someone with you. I’ve heard Airbnb and if you look hard enough you can find a very affordable and cozy place to stay.
Australia is definitely on my travel list. These are some great tips on how to be able to go without an extravagant budget.
I have never been to Australia but have always wanted to visit! The flight just seems very daunting, especially with kids! But these are great tips for anyone wanting to travel, budgeting is always more appealing haha
I’ve always wanted to go to Australia. We just have so many places in our bucket list. This guide really helps, I love traveling but it’s also important to follow a budget.
I am an Airbnb user and I must say its a great way to save especially for travellers. Thanks for this great tips too.
Two of the countries I would love to visit someday is Australia and New Zealand. These tips are great, it would be fun to rent a motorhome.
Australia is super high on my travel bucket list! I am dying to go there and see everything!
Looks like you got everything covered! It’s really nice to have a guide like this especially for a place you want to visit but have never been to before. Thanks for making it budget friendly as well!
We are planning a visit to the country next year. This post sure is a good guide to plan my visit.
Thanks for sharing the information.
interesting travel diary thanks for sharing
I would love to go to Australia and it would have to be on a budget. This is very helpful and detailed.
Great tips! I never knew that there are electric barbecues for use in the public places! I love Australia – for its charming natural landscapes, lovely kangaroos and koalas and all the interesting food stuff in their supermarkets, will definitely be heading back there again soon! Thanks for sharing this post! 🙂
I was thinking on how can I budget my incoming vacation to Australia this year, and now after I read this I don’t have a problem how to it. thank you for sharing this to us you really help us a lot.
This is a great guide for traveling to Australia without spending a bomb. Australia is so beautiful with its picturesque scenery and amazing culture. Camping looks like a perfect way to spend some quality time close to nature.
Very informative! I had no idea even possible to visit Australia on a budget. Guess getting visa is easy as well.. Cool to know many free options to try during trip. Free barbecues is the interesting one 🙂
I’m so pleased I found this article, I’m in the process of organising a six month trip to Australia and have to admit I’ve been worried about finaces. Love the free ideas, especially the free camping. Can’t wait to go now, thank you 🙂
Some great tips here on how to do Australia without spending so much. I had NO idea that petrol prices change during the week, I never would have thought that, this is a super helpful piece of information. And of course, with all the huge distances, the budget airlines make domestic flights a lot more affordable too. As for activities, a great reminder of how much can be enjoyed for free.
I’ve never thought of Australia as a budget-travel country, but your post is an eye opener. This is such a great guide and you’ve covered everything from transport and stays to food, activities and shopping. There are so many budget and free things to do. I like the idea of free campsites and free barbeque. Thanks for sharing this detailed information. Very helpful! Bookmarking the page for future reference.