For a long time, Australia was near the top of my travel list. So, when the opportunity arose to go roundtrip to Sydney and back for $410, I didn’t have to think twice about pulling the trigger! But, it wasn’t until I knew we were going that I started to grasp the vastness of the country, and really start to make decisions on where we would visit! Sure, I knew we were flying in and out of Sydney, but there’s so much area to explore, and on both a time and financial budget, you’ve gotta make choices on what’s feasible!
After our experience, I want to give a little guide on what it looks like to explore different cities in Australia, and the best ways to get around! Did you know that the country is larger in land size than the continental United States? But, there are only 6 cities with over 500K people. For comparison, the US has 38 that large! All that to say, the population centers are pretty spread out, and you’ve gotta plan well for getting around. Let’s look at the most to least efficient methods of getting around, and compare how they’ll hit your budget!
There are plenty of options for hopping between cities by plane, with budget airlines like Jetstar, Tigerair, and Virgin Australia making it really easy to get around. But, make sure you know what you’re getting with your fare!
For example, a standard fare on Jetstar includes your carry-on and personal item, but not a checked bag. The cheapest chance to add checked luggage is while booking your ticket online, with prices varying by route. They also service a number of the smaller airports in cities, so make sure you know where you’re flying in and out of. You may find a cheaper flight into Melbourne Avalon, but be stuck paying for an hour long Uber ride into the city. Make sure you know what you’re getting to avoid any surprises!
Clearly, getting around by air is affordable, quick (Sydney-Perth is a 5 hour flight), and accessible! It’ll really drive you crazy thinking about why you can’t find these prices in the continental US!
Here, you can find a comprehensive rail map of Australia. Unfortunately, these aren’t the high speed kind like you’ll find in Japan. So, while these trains are a great way to see the Australian countryside, they take some time. And in some cases, they also aren’t cheaper than flying. So, we’ve gotta look for some sweet spots.
For example, to get from Sydney to Melbourne, an Economy Saver seat will run you about $80, and take about 11 hours. Personally, with the price of flights, this doesn’t really compete for spending a day of your trip on the train. But, if you can manage to find one of the night trips out, $80 isn’t too bad for transportation and lodging! This route runs almost daily with an 8pm departure from Sydney Central, so if you’re fine sleeping on the train, this is a great budget saver for getting around.
Unless you’ve got all the time in the world, travel by rail really doesn’t add up for Australia. But, if you’re a train lover, there are some value areas to double as lodging!
Like we talked about earlier, Australia is very spread out. But, there are also some beautiful drives, if you’ve got the time and energy for them! Taking the A1 between most of Australia’s major cities is a breathtaking experience. The highway runs along the entire Pacific Coast of the country, and is one of the greatest scenic coast drives in the world.
If you’re really time flexible and comfortable with driving somewhere new, I’d personally probably choose car over train for the flexibility that comes with having a car, but gas can add up. The price of gas in Australia is about $4.21/gallon (USD), so in the 1100 mile drive between Sydney and Melbourne, you’re looking at $150-$200.
I’m going to assume, as an international traveler, that your flight is going in and out of Sydney. And on a budget, that’s probably the cheapest airport to get to, especially if coming from the States. And that’s great, because Sydney is a great place to be on a budget!
Within Sydney, there are a ton of great hostels and cheap Airbnbs. We stayed right downtown in an Airbnb for around $50/night, but you can definitely go cheaper.
For US travelers, food is definitely where you might have some sticker shock, but remember that prices are a little different everywhere other than the States. Australia operates off a living wage, and even then, after currency conversion, you’re basically paying the same as you would for a meal in the US. Menu prices include tip (as in, people get paid enough by their employers that they don’t rely on random generosity of patrons), and after converting to USD or Euro, you’re looking at similar food prices to what you’d find in the US or Western Europe.
Getting around Sydney is easy and cheap, except for the international terminal of the airport, where the rail price is about double what we paid for the rest of our travel in the city combined. Smart move, Sydney! All bus and train travel operates off an Opal Card, which you can get from any major transportation hub. Once you’ve got it, you can easily add money from your phone throughout the trip. Just scan before you get on, and once you get off, and that’s it!
Melbourne is one of my favorite cities in the world, and a place that’s great for a budget! One bummer is that different regions of Australia operate their own transportation networks, so your Opal Card is no use here. In Melbourne, you’ll need to grab a myki pass for getting around, but great news, travel within the Melbourne Metro area is free on their trams, and you don’t need a myki pass to use them! Don’t worry about me, I’m just over here daydreaming about free public transportation…
Anyways, with getting around out of the budget, we can talk about places to stay! You’ll find really similar price options to Sydney, and find food to be relatively similar.
In my research, I’ve found that the price of lodging in the other major Australian cities to be slightly higher than those in Sydney and Melbourne, and the things to do just a little more expensive. But, that’s not to discourage you from exploring them at all! I’ll talk another time about itineraries for Australian adventures, but for now, I’d just say that choosing 2, maybe 3 of the big 6 cities is plenty for a two week trip, especially if on a budget and wanting to avoid the expense of hopping around too much.
Overall, the country is a great place to visit that won’t break the bank, and provides a ton of options for getting around affordably!
