How to Get Around Australia on the Cheap

With Australia being over seven million square kilometers, it takes a long time to get around the country. Considering the large distances, it’s no wonder few people end up traveling the whole country—there’s just too much ground to cover on a short trip. These large distances can lead to high transportation costs, and it can often be hard to travel around the country cheaply. Here’s a look at how to travel around Australia cheaply:

However, with so few carriers serving the country, unless there is a big sale, tickets will often be expensive (Sydney to Perth for $300+ each way). The hour flight to Melbourne can cost over $100+ AUD!!

If you book early you can save on fares but otherwise, I would try to avoid flying in Australia. When Australians joke about it being cheaper to fly to Bali than around their own country, they aren’t joking – they are being completely serious.

Backpacker Buses

There is one backpacker bus company in Australia: the Oz Experience. Oz Experience mostly operates along the east coast and the center of the country. However, unlike the Kiwi Experience, I didn’t really like them, despite both companies trying to do the same thing. While the Kiwi Experience took a lot of time to introduce people to each other and offer free activities, the Oz experience didn’t. Granted, Australia is a lot bigger than New Zealand, but if the Oz Experience is just a more expensive Greyhound (and a few drivers told me this too!), then what’s the point of taking them? Not once on my journey did any driver make an attempt to get people to talk to each other. We didn’t have any free stops or walks. I didn’t like the Oz experience. Just as many, if not more, travelers take the Greyhound bus. I say take the Greyhound, save some money, and learn to say “hi” to strangers on buses.

Public Buses

This is my favorite transportation option in Australia. On the east coast, this will be your cheapest option. On the west coast, buses are surprisingly expensive. There are not many people moving up and down that coast, and there’s limited competition. It’s often easier and cheaper to fly out in Western Australia. However, on the east coast, you can find really cheap bus tickets, especially if you book in advance. Greyhound Australia is the biggest company in Australia, though there’s also Premier and McCafferty. All three companies sometimes offer $1 fares but, for the most part, the buses ticket prices are around $35 (night buses are usually around $60–70 dollars). From Melbourne to Cairns, a Greyhound pass will cost you $549 AUD.

If you aren’t renting a car, take the bus! It’s the best way to get around.

Trains

Trains cover much of Australia, but their use isn’t that widespread. In fact, most trains are very expensive, even with the backpacker fare (one way from Sydney to Perth is $692 AUD!). It’s not really a cheap option so, unless you’re looking to splash out on a scenic route with your significant other (or just love trains), I’d skip this. Also, keep in mind tickets for the scenic trains book out months in advance. Book early!

Car Share

If you really want to save money and travel cheap, find some other friends, rent a car or campervan, and drive around the country. This will allow you to share the costs with others (and if you rent a campervan, give you a place to sleep). It will be much, much cheaper than any other travel option. You can look on hostel bulletin boards to see who’s looking for people to join their roadtrip. You’ll always find someone, and it’s a great way to make new friends.

It’s really easy to rideshare in Australia. Every hostel has a bulletin board where travelers post rides and the websites like Gumtree have active ridesharing sections where people look for cars or riders. It’s really robust. I HIGHLY recommend this way of traveling when in the country!

Rideshare websites:

• CoSeats – coseats.com
• Share Ur Ride – shareurride.com.au
• Life Social – lifesocial.com.au
• Catch a Lift – catchalift.com
• Hop Hop Ride – hooop.in

(Alternatively, you can also purchase a car from backpackers leaving the country or locals selling used cars. Rental services like Jucy are fairly expensive and would only be good as a last resort. You can usually find a used car for $1-2,000 AUD. Though that sounds expensive, you can share those costs with other travelers making to the second most affordable way to travel!)

When you plan to travel Australia, make sure you budget for transportation wisely. Outside the busy eastern corridor between Melbourne and Brisbane, travel is expensive. You’ll pay a lot more than you think. If you want to save a lot of money, car share or get the Greyhound pass.

Book Your Trip to Australia: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight to Australia by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines. Start with Momondo.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel in Australia with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates. (Here’s the proof.)

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I never ever go on a trip without it. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. You should too.

Need Some Gear?
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use!

Want More Information on Australia?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Australia for even more planning tips!

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