For budget travellers, a new country can mean a whole new collection of financial challenges. With such a wide variety of sights and activities available in Australia, it’s a shame to miss out because of budgeting restraints. The following ideas will help visitors down under see more and spend less.
Hit the Road on a Budget with Wicked Campers
A Wicked Camper is a brightly painted van that can be hired pretty cheaply, used as a mode of travel and (this is where the real money-saving happens) can be used as accommodation. Traditionally hired by backpackers who want to traverse the long distances in Australia by road, the Campers are big enough to sleep in, but are smaller and more mobile than an R.V. or caravan. With prices ranging from around $50 to $80AU per day, this is a great option for saving on accommodation, airline, bus and train tickets.
The Best Budget Airlines
The budget airline renaissance in Europe is in full force, and now Australia’s starting to follow suit. Possibly the cheapest domestic airline in Australia is Tiger Air, which services most of the main cities from its bases in Melbourne and Adelaide. Other budget airlines include the very reasonably priced local Jet Star and, of course, Virgin. It’s important to remember that airline tickets are slightly more expensive in Australia due to the longer distances covered between cities; although in recent years the prices have come down dramatically.
Oz Tracks Rail Pass
Rail Travel can be quite expensive in Australia due to the vast and empty distances the rail system covers. Yet for those travelling a lengthy amount of time, say a month or more, an Oz Tracks Rail Pass is a great way to travel and save. With trips that take in Australia’s epic ‘red centre’ or the Great Australian Bight and the Nullabor Plain, an Oz Tracks Rail Pass might be the easiest and cheapest way to see the Outback up close and in detail. See the Oz Tracks website for more details.
Accommodation Options: Couch Surfing, Hostels and Campsites
Australia is one of the world’s most prolific utilisers of Couch Surfing – this is where people advertise their couch (or spare bed) on the Internet for free use by budget travellers. This means of accommodation is a way of encouraging the more personal sharing of cultures and experiences, and helps travellers meet locals while getting a more in-depth experience of their location. Websites like couchsurfing.org are a great place to find more information and to start couch surfing. Otherwise, there are many high quality hostels in Australia and with a shift in modern travel preferences, hostels are no longer simply for backpackers. Hostelworld.com and Hostelbookers.com are a good place to start reading the visitor reviews. Due to consistently decent weather, camping is a popular pastime in Australia, and the quality and frequency of campsites are usually very good. For driving holidays, this option should definitely be considered.
City Audio Guides and Free Walking Tours
For those who like walking tours filled with information, history and anecdotes – but who like to move at their own pace, a downloadable audio guide is a great idea. There are currently guide available for Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with more to follow, and they can be easily downloaded in advance from the Internet. In Sydney there is a free walking tour that gives an entertaining and lively overview of Sydney’s sights, history and culture. Visit the website for more details about times and locations.
Eating on a Budget
Restaurant meals can be quite expensive in Australia, so the best advice to save money is; self cater by buying meals from the supermarket. Be aware that foods which are usually cheaper in Europe and the US are more expensive in Australia and vice versa. For example, salmon and pork are more expensive in Australia than overseas, while chicken, lamb and Sushi are much cheaper. The best way to eat out inexpensively in Australia without is with a pub meal. A pub meal will offer a good variety of meals traditionally enjoyed by Australian’s and should cost between $7 and $18AU - to pay any more should be considered excessive.
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