FAQs

Sail on Sydney Harbour. Photo: Robert Stokoe, Pexels

Hopefully we've answered your burning questions on how to plan and budget for your holiday, and what to see and do when you visit Australia. If you can't find an answer to your question, send us a message or contact us on Facebook.
 

Checklist for travelling to Australia

When you travel to Australia, you will need a passport, money (cash/credit card/debit card), camera, hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, swimwear, walking shoes, at least 3 changes of clothes (to cover you for warm and cold weather). Other essentials - a huge smile and a sense of adventure – you’re about to embark on one of your best holidays yet!
 

How long should I spend in Australia?

Most people travelling to Australia from overseas stay between 2-4 weeks. However, your length of stay depends on your available time and budget. Ideally, you’ll spend a month travelling around Australia. Choose a few cities and towns to visit and take time to explore them. You won’t get to see everything but you’ll see most of the key highlights. And of course, there’s always next time. Australia is a huge country so you don’t want to spend all your time at airports or in cars getting from place to place.

If you live in Australia, you can easily take a weekend get-away or even a week’s holiday. There’s always great holiday deals and weekend packages on offer.
 

How much does it cost to travel in Australia

A general guide is that you’ll spend between $65-$350 per day while travelling in Australia. This is based on a budget to the moderate traveller and includes:

• Accommodation: $50-$120 per night (from a backpacker dorm to private hotel/motel room).
• Food: $15- 100 per person (depending on if you’re buying groceries or eating out.)
• Activities: $0-100 per person (depending on if you are sightseeing on your own or booking activities.)
• Incidentals: travel, bus fare, postcards, etc - $0-$30
   

What is the best time to travel to Australia?

Any time is great to travel to Australia. It really depends on the things you want to do and experience in Australia. For instance, if you want to do heaps of water activities such as surfing, snorkeling, kayaking and swimming on the beaches, Spring and summer are your best times. Spring and summer are also full of festivals, free events and parties such as the Sydney Festival, Brisbane Festival, Good Food Months around the country, Melbourne Cup Spring Racing Carnival and so much more.
 
If you’re visiting Australia in winter, there’s plenty of action waiting for you, from music and comedy festivals, hiking, foodie events and skiing. Most tours and attractions are available all year round, therefore we can safely say that any time is a great time to travel to Australia.
 

Is it safe to travel to Australia?

Australia is one of the safest destinations to travel to. Australia has very low crime rates but travelers should never take unnecessary risks such as walking alone at night in deserted areas or leaving wallets and other valuables lying around. Typically, Australians are friendly and if you need some help, you’ve only got to ask.
 

What is the weather like in Australia?

Australia's seasons are opposite to the northern hemisphere.

• Summer is December to February
• Autumn is March to May
• Winter is June to August
• Spring is September to November

Because the country is so large, the weather can be very different from state to state. As a general rule of thumb, Queensland, Northern Territory and Western Australia tend to be warm all year round (and hot in summer).
 
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania definitely have seasonal changes from being hot in summer to cold in winter. Melbourne is renowned for having four seasons in a day which can make your visit very interesting.

Do I need a passport to travel to Australia?

If you’re travelling to Australia from another country, you need to have a valid passport and a valid visa. When travellers enter Australia, they must have at least 6 months left of their passport. This is the general rule with entering most countries.
 

Do I need insurance to travel to Australia?

Travellers should always get insurance when travelling to another country. Travel insurance is one of the things we resent buying but if anything goes wrong, you’re covered. Let's face it, we've all heard stories of people having accidents or injuries on a holiday or losing their luggage. When you don’t have any insurance cover, you have no back-up plan and it can be extremely expensive.
 
Many banks offer complimentary travel insurance if you have a valid credit card with them and have paid for part of your holiday using that credit card. So check with your bank if you qualify for complimentary travel insurance otherwise, put some money aside and buy that policy.

What is the currency in Australia?

Australian dollars, and you'll often see if written as AUD. There are plenty of free currency converters available so you can see your conversion rate. 

How do I travel around Australia?

Australia has great transport options including planes, trains, buses and hire cars. If you’re short on time, we recommend flying from city to city so you don’t spend all your time in a car. (It’s a big country so getting from city to city can take a day or longer). There’s plenty of airline routes covering all major cities and towns.
 
If you’re spending a chunk of time in the major cities, Australia has a good public transport network to get you around. This means that you really don’t have to hire a car in the main cities because there’s a great choice of buses, trains, trams and ferries. When it comes to public transport, most Australian cities have pre-paid travel passes which will save you money. You can get these from bus and train stations and convenience stores.
 

What is Australia famous for?

Australia is famous for many things including the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, koalas, kangaroos, Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef, Crocodile Dundee (movies), stunning beaches, the world’s best wines, mouthwatering freshly grown produce, the Hemsworth brothers, super-friendly people, Bindi and Bob Irwin, Kylie Minogue and so much more.

Really, there’s so much to see, do and enjoy in Australia, you just have to visit and choose what you think makes this place great.

How do I plan and budget for my trip to Australia?

• Airfares and flights: compare airfares and book early to get better prices. 

• Accommodation: Book and pre-pay your accommodation early to get better prices. When it comes to choosing accommodation, the cities tend to be more expensive than regional towns, so factor this into your budget. If you are staying in the cities and looking for a bargain, look at accommodation outside the CDB. Book in advance for better options and deals. 

• Activities and things to do: there’s great deals and attraction passes that will save you a bundle and help plan your holiday activities. Pre-planning and paying for activities in advance means you have a partly planned itinerary so you don't waste a moment wondering what you should do. It also stretches your budget out. Search activities and special deals here.

• Lucky you...there's heaps of free things to enjoy in Australia which means your budget goes even further. For instance, maybe you'll spend a day or more at the beaches, do a hike, or a free self-guided city tour.   

• Hire cars and domestic flights: pre-booking transport means you generally get a better rate and better options.