How To Get Around Australia on the Cheap: A Guide to cheapest flights, lodgings, and food

You may be planning a long journey, but you don’t need to let that stop you from having fun along the way. Australia is a prominent place with a lot to offer, so cheap flights and accommodation will usually make finding your destination easy. If you can avoid it, the cheapest flights search engines are not the best way to find bargains. The more options there are for getting from Point A to Point B, the greater the chance of getting something perfect for your money. You’ll also be less likely to end up on page 24 of the results when looking for flights. If there’s one thing to know about Australian flight pricing, prices tend to rise constantly. This means it can often cost thousands less than you thought just to get from point A to B. If that's not reason enough to look at airfare search engines as a further savings opportunity, we don't know what is!

Australia is so large—over seven million square kilometers—that traveling takes a while. Given the distances, it seems that few people choose to visit the entire nation; there is simply too much land to explore in a short period. Most individuals travel the nation by plane or limit their exploration to a certain region. Given these great distances and the high transportation expense, it can be challenging to travel throughout Australia on a budget, especially if you only have a short period.

On Main Highway 1, the route that circles Australia, it takes around 14 days to travel its 15,823 km circuit. With the fewest possible stops and breaks. However, you should schedule at least a month in advance if you want to visit anything along the road (at the quickest). 3 to 6 months might be more appropriate. Many backpackers and "grey nomads" (retirees traveling in campervans) do. It takes roughly three to four days to drive directly from Sydney to Perth. However, what if you just have a few days? What if you have just a few weeks? How do you behave?

It is feasible to travel in Australia on a tight budget. In reality, if you are prepared, it is highly likely.

Cost Flight in Australia

Making a budget flight to Australia can be a bit of a pain, but there are ways to trick the system and get some value for your money. If you’re willing to do a bit of legwork, you can easily find cheaper flights to Australia than the search engines suggest. To find the best prices on Australian flights, you’ll want to do your research and look at both the low end and high end of the flight pricing spectrum. It can be hard to tell which price bracket a given airline is operating in, so you’ll want to look out for cues such as international operation and number of aircraft in service. If you’re unsure about a certain aspect of the pricing, always call the airline and ask. Most will be more than happy to explain what you need to know in detail.

What is a flight search engine?

A flight search engine is a tool that might help you find cheaper flights to Australia, or at the very least give you a better idea of what you’re getting into. These sites track hundreds of flights a day, and crawl the web looking for deals. They index flight data like departure and arrival times, costs, and flight numbers, and let you view airline and travel information for every flight.

How to use a flight search engine

The key to using a flight search engine is finding the flight that interests you. Flight search engines usually contain thousands of flights from many airlines, and therefore, it’s crucial that you narrow down your search to find the one that you want to fly. Staying on top of the latest deals and updates on flights can help you save a lot of time, and keep you from getting stuck in a sea of unrelated results. Here’s how to use a flight search engine: - Start by going to the homepage and scrolling through the list of recent deals. You’ll see a drop-down menu with a lot of options. - Choose the flight you want to research, and click on the “more details” button at the bottom right. You’ll see a lot of information, including the airline and flight duration, price, and whether or not there is an option to upgrade. - Click on “view details” at the bottom right to see additional information about the flight. - Scroll through the options at the top of the page to see what other flight search engines are offering, and consider taking a look at their algorithms to see if there’s a better way to search.

Avoid Overpaying for Flights

Overpaying for flights to Australia is something you’re likely to experience as a first timer, but it’s something that you can avoid by doing your research and following the rules of thumb that we’ve outlined above. You can often get a better deal by using the search engines than by speaking to dozens of airlines on the phone.

- Choose the airline with the best reputation. - Ask about the sale or special offers that apply to your route. - Look out for “book now” or “get on the guestlist” offers that might get you a better deal.

- Find out what the cheap flight deal is for the next day or two, and always check the price difference between two different routes or times of the day.

- Always make sure to use the exact flight numbers – there are many exceptions to this rule, but you want to stick to numbers that are identical or similar.

- Always include the date when booking – it’s considered very good form.

- Always check if there is a room discount available.

- Always check the weather before your flight, and make sure there isn’t a chance of lightning or a tornado. - Always have your travel documents on you, and have a travel guide to read in case you get lost.

- Be careful when using the Internet in a foreign country, and always use a VPN when connecting to a computer or mobile device.

- Don’t miss any connecting flights, or be in a rush when you get to the airport.

- Try to arrive at the airport at least 15 minutes before your flight, to allow for crowd control and traffic delays.

- Bring comfortable shoes, and stay hydrated.

- Don’t stress about eating well on the flight, as you won’t be able to eat the food served on board.

- Make sure to bring plenty of cash, as some airlines won’t accept payments over the Internet.

- Don’t miss any connecting flights, or be in a rush when you get to the airport.

- Try to arrive at the airport at least 15 minutes before your flight, to allow for crowd control and traffic delays.

- Bring comfortable shoes, and stay hydrated.

- Don’t stress about eating well on the flight, as you won’t be able to eat the food served on board.

- Make sure to bring plenty of cash, as some airlines won’t accept payments over the Internet.

How to use a city guide

Cities are a huge part of life in Australia, and you’ll find that there’s always something to discover and do in a given city. You don’t need to be a tourist, or even remotely interested in culture, to benefit from using a city guide. In fact, using a city guide can help you save a lot of time, and potentially money. A city guide is essentially a list of recommended destinations that are usually located in the city that the guide is giving recommendations about. The guide usually contains listings, maps, and helpful information about that city, as well as links to other attractions and activities. You can often find a city guide for a city near you, and they’re a great way to get around quickly, as well as find places to visit. The best part is that they’re pretty cheap to buy in most cities, so you can just pick one up from the library whenever you’re in town.

What to look out for when searching for flights

Choosing the right airline for your travel destinations is essential, but it’s often overlooked. Choosing the right airline for your destination can make all the difference in terms of getting the best price for your flight. You’ll want to research different airline codes, and see which one offers you the best price for the flights that you want to book. You’ll want to look at the largest departures and arrivals, as well as the cheapest flight options for that city. You’ll want to pay special attention to the number of stops, as well as the length of the flight. Exotic destinations like South Pacific islands often have cheaper flights compared to Europe, and Asia. Keep in mind that more expensive flights are often longer, and have more stops, so be sure to do your research and find out what you’re getting yourself into.

Flying for Cheaper Transportation

The easiest and most costly method to travel around Australia is this. Because there is little airline competition in this area, airfares remain relatively costly. While a few smaller airlines fly to remote locations, the majority of the country's destinations are served by Qantas (and its subsidiary Jetstar) and Virgin Australia. Tiger Airways, a low-cost airline, suspended operations in 2020, leaving the nation with limited choices for low-cost travel. These days, Jetstar is the largest low-cost airline.

Ticket prices are high unless there is a significant promotion because there are so few carriers. For instance, a round-trip ticket from Sydney to Perth will set you back at least 400 AUD ($300 USD), although it's more typical to pay 650 AUD ($475 USD). The approximate cost of the 90-minute trip from Sydney to Melbourne is 235 AUD ($175 USD).

Here are some sample fares on popular routes with two of Australia’s biggest airlines (prices are in USD):

• Routes
• Qantas (One-Way)
• Qantas (Return)
• Jetstar (One-Way)
• Jetstar (Return)
• Sydney – Melbourne
• $101
• $249
• $64
• $99
• Sydney – Perth
• $167
• $328
• $156
• $298
• Sydney – Cairns
• $174
• $377
• $115
• $244
• Melbourne – Perth
• $167
• $325
• $139
• $283
• Melbourne – Cairns
• $204
• $330
• $115
• $247
• Cairns – Perth
• $194
• $393
• 145
• 296

The prices in the chart above are the cheapest you’ll find. If you don’t book early, expect to pay much more for your flights.

In short, I would avoid flying in Australia. When Australians joke about it being cheaper to fly to Bali than around their own country, they really aren’t joking — they are being completely serious. Because it’s entirely true. Unless you find a deal or are in a rush, I’d avoid flying.

Two of Australia's largest airlines have the following sample rates on well-traveled routes; all prices are in US dollars:

Traveling on a Budget With a Backpacker Bus

There are still a few backpacker buses operating in Australia. These are fantastic options for younger travellers who want to party, have fun, and meet other travelers. Everything is planned out for you, so all you have to do is show up and be ready to have a good time!

The Magic Bus is the ideal party/backpacker bus for tourists who want to be wild. The tour leaves with 25 backpackers ages 18 to 35 once a month for 3 to 4 weeks of camping, bonfires, nonstop parties, and exploring the nation's national parks.

You must plan your journey appropriately to coincide with the scheduled departure because trips leave from Perth in the north to Broome or in the east to Melbourne. Every journey is different since the itineraries are adjustable and allow riders to vote on where to travel and what to do. To ensure that there is always a varied group, they make an effort to maintain a balance of 50% males and 50% women as well as a balance of various nations.

Trips cost $250 AUD ($183 USD) every 1,000 km, thus the cost will vary depending on your route and the length of your particular trip.

Visit Road2Adventure for a comparable experience that is also more personal. There is enough room for 8 people to live and travel in what is effectively a party hostel on wheels. It's significantly smaller than the Magic Bus, though. If you don't want to spend a month with 20 or more other travelers, there are exciting alternatives that conduct cross-country treks on predetermined timetables. A person can take a 12- to 19-day tour for 1,595-2,395 AUD.

Using Trains to Get Around Cheaply

The train system in Australia is an excellent method to explore the nation. Australia may be traversed extensively by rail thanks to city trams, commuter trains, long-distance trains, and trans-continental trains. Their use isn't very common, though. Only two other significant train lines run across the entire nation, one running north to south from Melbourne to Darwin and the other running east to west from Sydney to Perth. Train lines are primarily found on the east coast.

Australia has highly costly trains. For instance, a one-way ticket costs $890 AUD ($650 USD) and takes three days to get from Sydney to Perth. I wouldn't recommend taking the train across Australia unless you want to spend a lot of money on a romantic route like the Ghan with your significant other (or just adore trains).

There are very few ways to get cheap train tickets these days so avoid this transportation option. If you do take a train, keep in mind tickets for the scenic trains book out months in advance so book early.

How Long Does it Take to Get Around Australia?

Here are distance and time charts so you know how long it takes to get places from the major cities when you travel around the country:

• Traveling from Sydney
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Sydney – Adelaide
• 1412 / 877
• 2
• 23
• 25
• Sydney – Canberra
• 286 / 177
• 1
• 3.5
• 4
• Sydney – Melbourne (inland)
• 872 / 542
• 1.5
• 11.5
• 14
• Sydney – Perth
• 4054 / 2513
• 5
• 65
• 66
• Sydney – Darwin
• 4210 / 2610
• 4.5
• 55
• 72
• Sydney – Hobart
• 1589 / 985
• 2
• 27 (ferry)
• –
  Traveling from Canberra
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Canberra – Melbourne
• 648 / 402
• 1
• 8
• 8.5
  Traveling from Melbourne
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Melbourne – Adelaide
• 731 / 454
• 1.25
• 10
• 10
• Melbourne – Hobart
• 610 / 378
• 1.25
• 15 (ferry)
• –
• Melbourne – Devonport
• 307 / 190
• 1.25
• 10 (ferry)
• –
  Traveling from Adelaide
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Adelaide – Alice Springs
• 1533 / 952
• 2
• 20
• 25
• Adelaide – Perth
• 2706/ 1680
• 3.25
• –
• 44
• Adelaide – Darwin
• 3021 / 1873
• 3.75
• 43.5
• 49
• Adelaide – Brisbane
• 2045 / 1270
• 2.5
• 32.5
• 40
  Traveling from Perth
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Perth – Broome
• 2225 / 1378
• 2.5
• 35
• –
  Traveling from Darwin
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Darwin – Alice Springs
• 1489 / 924
• 2.25
• 22
• 24
• Darwin – Kakadu
• 200 / 124
• 1
• –
• –
  Traveling from Alice Springs
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Alice Springs – Uluru
• 443 / 275
• 0.5
• –
• –
  Traveling from Cairns
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Cairns – Sydney
• 2695 / 1671
• 3
• 47
• 41
• Cairns – Darwin
• 2857 / 1771
• 2.5
• 5 days
• 5 days
• Cairns – Brisbane
• 1716 / 1065
• 2.25
• 29
• 25
  Traveling from Brisbane
• Route
• Road (km/miles)
• Air (hrs)
• Coach (hrs)
• Rail (hrs)
• Brisbane – Sydney
• 965 / 600
• 1.5
• 16
• 14
• Brisbane – Melbourne
• 1674 / 1039
• 2
• 28.5
• 27

Final words

You’ve now learned about the best ways to find cheap flights to Australia. We hope that this guide has helped you get a better understanding of how to use airfare search engines. The best part is that you can use these tools to search for flights on practically any airline. Just remember, you get what you pay for!