Australia, is a dream destination and certainly a place like no other. Yet it is also a place where the airfares can substantially bump up the cost of the holiday.
The good news is that there are ways to make it all more affordable.
Maybe not being able to travel recently has given you the chance to save for a higher end trip.
Or it is somewhere you want to eventually save for.
Either way, if it is on your bucket list, I hope these budget saving tips can help make visiting a reality.
Reducing That Flight Price
Being able to keep the flight price down is key. Then once you have paid for those, everything else does not always have to be so costly. You can make the rest of the trip as cheap or expensive as you want.
From Mid-April/after Easter until the end of June is generally when you can find the cheapest flights and that time of year is not even winter Down Under; so another absolute plus.
The actual day of the week you fly can also make a difference. Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be the cheapest, and the date of the outbound flight usually determines the fare, useful if you are on a longer trip.
Avoid travelling in December and the run-up to Christmas when flight and accommodation costs are considerably higher. Or during any of the school holidays in Australia.
The month of January is the bulk of the summer holidays there and the half terms usually falls the last week of June or the beginning of July; and again towards the last week of September overlapping into the beginning of October.
It does vary with each state.
One of the beauties of Australia is that you can travel outside of their summer, when flights are slightly cheaper, and still get decent weather.
In particular, Western Australia is certainly what we consider hot for most of the year, outside of July and August.
As for Queensland, it can still feel like summer all year round.
So lower airfares do not necessarily mean lousy weather.
Decent But Cheaper Accommodation Options
In Australia you are not confined to only expensive hotels, and whilst they do have some amazing ones, there is also an extremely wide choice of decent yet affordable accommodation.
So if you want to compensate for some of the airfare cost, you could stay at cheaper options.
Let’s face it, do you really want to go all that way and spend too much time at your accommodation, instead of being out and about?
Providing it is clean, comfortable and quiet, that is all you need.
Australia has excellent hostels and before you grumble, some may surprise you!
A lot of them are a particularly good standard. Many have twin rooms with private bathrooms and some even have a pool.
Usually, they are well located and can even have good views; and no, not all of them are party hostels either.
With the expansion of Airbnb, it means you have an even wider range of places you can stay to fit your budget. So if a hostel is not for you, then consider this great option and find something that fits into your daily expenditure.
Food And Wine
One of the numerous things I love about Australia is that it has an incredible amount of picnic areas overlooking stunning views.
Public barbecues are in abundance, they seem to be everywhere.
Add to that, excellent fresh produce that the country is renowned for, and cheaper eating out alternatives such as these are hard to argue with.
However, if you do want to wine and dine; then Australia just keeps moving further up the ranks when it comes to world-renowned cuisine, along with its increasingly popular wines.
If you are on a stricter budget, but still wanting to eat out in restaurants, then there are many places that offer BYO.
This is a long-standing tradition in Australia whereby some restaurants allow you to bring your own bottle of wine. They do charge corkage rates, which can sometimes vary greatly, so do check those charges in each establishment beforehand.
An Abundance Of Free Things To Do
A trip to Australia is certainly about embracing the outside lifestyle and climate, while lapping up the culture, unique wildlife and local produce. Incredible scenery and stunning walks, least of all impressive cities full of parks and open spaces.
Of course not forgetting the utterly glorious and unspoilt beaches that beckon you.
All of them free!
There are also many other free things from Melbourne’s Vintage City Circle trams to Brisbane’s Red City Hopper ferries along its impressive river.
Perth’s free inner city transport includes even going up to stunning Kings Park (bigger than Central Park, and in my opinion more beautiful), with its iconic city view.
Add interesting city walking tours full of history and culture to the mix, (although tipping should apply). Plus some excellent museums, in Sydney at least twenty of them are free.
So, if Australia has ever been high on your dream destination wants, then maybe this could be the ideal time to think about being able to start planning it.
Please check any current travel rules and restrictions before booking any trip