6 Budget-Friendly Tips for Travelling Across Australia

Australia is a bucket list destination for virtually all international tourists, and let us Australians be the first to admit ourselves that we’re pretty darn lucky. We get to embark on a great Aussie road trip whenever we want, and all without having to account for flight tickets on either end.

Yes, Australia is very much a continent you can spend your entire life exploring. But if you’re on a tight budget, then you’ll need to plan your Aussie vacation with expert precision – just to make sure you don’t miss any of the must-dos!

Thankfully, we’re here to share our top rated budget-friendly travel tips specifically for Aussie exploring. Here’s how you can make the most of your time in Australia without breaking the bank in the process.

Before we get into the adventure stuff, it’s important we first address the elephant in the room: Australia is a famously dangerous country. We’ve got snakes, spiders, and rip tides galore, and tourists get injured all the time.

Don’t let this deter you though! We know it’s part of our appeal in the international travel landscape after all. But if you are planning to visit down under then you will absolutely need to come with travel insurance.

Thankfully, it’s never been easier to get a quote for travel insurance, with the vast majority of international travellers securing their cover online and in just a matter of minutes – no physical required. You can even compare quotes online to find the best deal for you before making your final decision.

On top of ensuring you’re covered in the event that you need medical care during your Aussie getaway, travel insurance can also help provide cover if your luggage is lost in transit, or you experience any theft. If you’re expecting to enjoy a layover or two on your way over to the great Southern Land, then it goes without saying that travel insurance is an essential expense for peace of mind during a long, long transit just as much as it is for a long, long hike.

If you’re wanting to travel on a budget, whether using caravan parks or motels, it’s best to avoid making any bookings during the term holidays and public holiday weekends. Australia typically has three 2-week school holiday breaks throughout the year, as well as their extended Christmas and summer holidays break from mid December to late January.

As families love to travel with their children during these times of the year, you can expect lots of attractions and destinations to be pretty busy – and some to even be fully booked. Take it from us, you’ll definitely want to avoid the Gold Coast theme parks and even Luna Park in Sydney or Melbourne during the school holidays!

Thankfully, Australia still has an abundance of natural bushlands, rainforests, and beaches to be explored, so we highly recommend you go off the beaten path if you are travelling during peak seasons. If you’re only coming for a vacation that’s only 2-4 weeks long, however, you’ll want to make sure you’re booking during the off season so you can enjoy all the attractions with minimal queues and crowds.

From camping to glamping, there’s plenty of accommodation options in Australia that are designed to help you really experience the great Aussie bush. Some tourists may even opt to hire a car or campervan so they can chart their own course out on the open road over following a strict itinerary.

If this is your travel style, then you’ll definitely want to take full advantage of all the low- and even no-cost accommodation that can be found across rural and bushland Australia. You can find unpowered campsites across most state and national parks, ensuring that you can pitch a tent for a grand total of zero dollars.

And if you do require a powered campsite for a night or two, these are easy enough to book online through park websites. You may need to pay a small fee for a vehicle pass in some states, however, so make sure you familiarise yourself with these costs before you finalise any campsite bookings.

If you’re doing a city stay, or are trying to keep your fuel and car hire costs low, the best thing to do is make use of the local public transport that’s available to you. Cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide have highly accessible and well-connected public transport networks comprising a mixture of interconnecting buses, trains, and even trams (a recent addition for Sydney!).

Alongside being convenient, these public transport networks can also help keep your travel costs low from day to day. Plus, the networks are also designed with tourism in mind, making them super useful when wanting to see popular and local attractions like Luna Park, Federation Square, or the Queen Victoria markets – and all at minimal cost.

This doesn’t just apply to metropolitan public transport either, but to regional train systems like the VLine in Victoria as well, which can get you from sight to sight or even state to state with limited impact to your wallet. For example, you can travel entirely on a Myki ticket from Melbourne to Geelong or Melbourne to Warrnambool with V-Line trains for only $11.00 full fare max (single or return). Talk about value!

While many of us like to think of a holiday or road trip as a means to not do all the cooking from our own home, the truth is, if you’re wanting to travel far, and for minimal expense, you’re going to have to budget by making your own meals.

That said, budget meal prep doesn’t have to mean boring. In fact, a good Aussie road trip or camping experience is genuinely incomplete without a simple evening meal or two along the way. We’re talking maybe a flame-grilled kangaroo steak, or even just some sliced carrots, cucumber, capsicum, and a handful of crushed Sakatas.

So if you’re looking to dine in the bush, don’t be hesitant to make use of simplicity. Sometimes, the most delicious thing can be made simply from flour, salt and a bit of water, mixed with your own flavours. Yep, it’s Aussie damper!

It’s also wise to make use of campsite barbies and packing things that can be stored in airtight containers and that aren’t going to spoil quickly. Stock up at the truck stop servo (service station) or a local grocery before you go or when you reach a town so that you have some staples, such as bread, water, milk; a basic pantry to tie you over.

Finally, Aussie road trips, camping expeditions, surf schools, and hiking adventures are always best with a couple of mates. We’ve got wide open plains to explore, so whilst solo travel can be especially serene, it can also be pretty isolating.

And with hundreds or even thousands of kilometres between destinations at times, travelling with a bigger party can also help ensure you don’t find yourself stranded in the middle of nowhere. Most of Australia honestly can be classified as ‘the middle of nowhere’.

Plus, travelling with a big party can also help you split your travel and food costs, so there are major financial incentives for exploring Australia with plenty of friends and family in tow.

All in all, when it comes to doing budget travel in our Southern Land, it’s really about not being fussed, having a good plan and a DIY attitude. Nevertheless, when you go walkabout, plan to know your route, and make sure there’s always fresh socks and jocks in your pack!