Travel Plan Information

When planning a vacation, you wish to visit a place that offers you every comfort and great views. Australia is one such country that attracts thousands of travelers each year. The place has become favorite tourist spot for most of them, reason being the amazing environment, great shopping places, super-delicious food, exotic beaches, marine life and the welcoming people residing in the country. All the fun and fare that the city has to offer to the travelers can be purely addictive. Make sure you have appropriate knowledge of the places to visit so that you enjoy your stay to the hilt. Online travel guides cover all information about Aussie major attractions and stunning sightseeing places so that tourists do not miss any worth place to visit. There is no dearth of the activities that you can do here and the places to visit are bountiful. The country has everything to offer to a traveler, the vast beaches, the aboriginal spots, flourishing markets, natural and man made wonders. If you are a history enthusiast, the country offers one of the world’s oldest cultures for your exploration. The aboriginal Australians have carried forward their culture which is around 5000 years old and you can experience it all here in this country. Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and cairns are some of the cities that offer exquisite views as well as shopping places to the travelers. The travel guide will help you find a place you connect with so that you can experience the best of the country. When it comes to staying in the country, all Aussie hotels offer immense comfort and luxury to the travelers. For the best staying experience, you can make reservation in the hotels that are located on the beach side. The Australian hotels located in the hustle bustle of the cities and the markets also make for great places to stay as you get a closer view of the life in the city. You can find all accommodation related information from an Australia vacation guide covering details on different kinds of hotels, services and booking information. Every part of the country has something special to offer to the travelers, be it exotic locations or the special events that take place in the city like the marathons, flower festivals, cricket seasons, Hobart summer festival and the balloon fiesta. Aussie travel guide can provide you with all the relevant information that you need to make your holiday a perfect one at this place. What else do you need from a vacation, Startling sights, finger-licking good food, luxurious Australian hotels and hospitable people? Australia offers all this and much more to the travelers and welcomes with open arms.

In case you wanted to get any kind of insurance policy or domestic travel insurance for that matter you can be able to get it for less. Buying travel insurance Australia online will help you do that. Many known insurance agencies provide all kinds of insurance policies online and in time you can search the kind that is best for you.

Travelers who are familiar with flying will find use in Australian travel insurance. The market is swarming with many different policies that people can choose from. Insurance policies can extend to a single trip, many trips or even domestic flights.

In any kind of insurance policy prices should be expected to be different. In order for you to know what insurance plan to look for online it is best to already have in mind what it is you really need for the trip. You will have focus on the important coverage you will need protection for and one that will be useful at the end.

Judging from the other countries, it is Australia that offers inexpensive insurance. In the market a certain tendency has risen with less pricy domestic insurance. Being able to buy cheaper plane tickets now, more people love to travel.

Just in case you head over to Australia, bear in mind that their insurance policies are inexpensive, domestic flights in particular. For your next trip elsewhere always have this information ready. There is no other experience that can compare to having a wonderful vacation plus getting to save money.

Occasionally, there are people who forget about the domestic travel insurance Australia but it is important to consider it. Travelling can be very risky. Traveling domestically can also put you in danger like emergencies and accidents.

People and those travelers now all lean more to the Domestic travel insurance Australia because it is not expensive. A full coverage with additional services is what travelers will get out of this. In times when you can encounter any problems, this policy will certainly be able to give you protections.

The insurance in Australia can be tailored fit to whatever you need. You will be able to decide which coverage you want for the policy that you will buy. The benefit to this is that you will get the chance to adjust a policy so that it can fit your needs more. The travel insurance Australia is available to anyone who is interested to purchase it. You have a wide range of policies to select from. In line with this, you will surely have something that will fit you. The insurance policies for the domestic travels are very comprehensive. The great thing about insurance in Australia is that you can tailor the coverage inclusions to your liking. You will always have something to back you up wherever you plan on going.

 

Travelers traveling to Australia have plenty of options in terms of accommodation. The accommodation in Australia hotels is not only comfortable but also affordable. The unsurpassed services offered by various hotels in Australia ensure that travelers have an unforgettable holiday experience in the country. Known for their higher standard of hospitality, the Australia hotels provide a friendly ambience to travelers. Additionally, as hotels in Australia are quite professional, their services are seamless.

Spread in over an area of 7. 68 million sq. km, Australia is home to some 19. 5 million people and a popular tourist attraction in the world. Hotels in Australia provide advance reservations for room bookings and many of them are opened for online booking. Travelers can enjoy a range of services offered by various Australia hotels spread in wide region of the country. Notwithstanding, Australia hotels are well designed and equipped to ensure that the business as well as leisure travelers prefer to stay and enjoy their trip to Australia.

Land of dramatic landscapes, sun drenched beaches, coral reefs, tropical rain forests, deserts and bush lands, Australia is a picture perfect tourist destination. Its glittering rivers and oceans, imposing mountains, captivating scenery, enthralling wildlife, crystal-like waterfalls, and post-card perfect beaches are some major tourist attractions in Australia. In nutshell, Australia’s biggest attraction is its natural beauty and flora and fauna.

Some leading cities including of Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane are known for their beautiful historical importance. Located around the coasts, cities of Australia blend a European enthusiasm for art and food with a laid-back love of sport and the outdoor activities including of boating. Australia tourism is vehemently promoted by the government and various cheap hotels in Australia are promoting affordable accommodation.

Tourist attractions in Australia such as Ayers Rock, Melbourne, Brisbane, Alice Springs, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney, Darwin, and Hobart, Cairns, Canberra, Gold Coast and many others are extremely popular among travelers. Australia hotels located in these cities provide excellent range of accommodation facilities to travelers at attractive tariff. Owners of hotels in Australia run them with full professionalism albeit leaving all human touch of standard hospitality.

Fraser Coast is a leading tourist attraction in Australia. Known for its eco tourism, sand dunes, the rainforests on sand and the beautiful fresh water lakes, etc. , Fraser Coast is a popular tourist destination for picnic goers. Long surf beaches, cliffs and gorges in shades of orange, red, yellow and pure white sand, dense rainforests, vast, desert-like sand blows, etc. are some attractive features of Fraser Coast in Australia.

By size, English-speaking Australia is the 6th largest country in the world and it extends on to include a group of islands – one of which you might be familiar: Tasmania! Other countries close by include New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Zealand, and a few more. So if you’re thinking about traveling to Australia, you might appreciate knowing a few answers to some questions that people usually ask before making a trip to ‘The Land Down Under’ based either on rumors they’ve heard or the experience of others. Answers About Appliance CompatibilityFor instance, you might appreciate knowing what personal appliances of yours will work in this country, like a blow dryer or some other appliance that you need to ‘plug in somewhere’. You should note that although the country is closer to American culture than most of the others, the outlets in Australia are not the same as the outlets in the U. S. If you’re an American traveling to Australia, you’re going to need to get some socket adapters and you might also need to get some voltage adapters so that you can get some of your electronic appliances from back home to work. This is of course assuming that these adapters are not already in place at the hotel that you stay at (like if you were to visit with a relative or stay with a friend). If you want to bring along some VHS videos (like home videos) with you on your trip however, you won’t have a problem displaying these because all VHS videos play on Australian VCRs. And if you can manage to get your hands on a DVD player that works in any location of the world, then you’ll certainly have no problem with displaying these disks either. Other things like CD players and personal computers should work fine too, but your current telephone won’t work at all unless it can operate on a GSM-900 frequency. Should you decide to stay at a hotel, these accommodations should already be put in place. They’re really only relevant if again, you decide to visit with a relative or stay with a friend – or anywhere that might not support or use American-based electronics. Answers About TippingTipping in a foreign country is always a concern, as we’re often not too sure how much to tip or if even tipping is part of the custom. Although it’s customary in the United States, it’s actually an insult to tip a serviceman in other parts of the world. And what makes the issue even more confusing is that the rules about when to tip, who to tip, and how much to tip change all the time. Fortunately, the tipping rules in Australia are pretty simple. If you want to tip, feel free but note that most service charges are already included in any bill that you pay. Answers About Touring the LandBecause of its immense size, touring about Australia is nothing short of extreme temptation- so you may appreciate a little lesson in its geography. For instance, If you plan to rent a car and create your own personal excavation, understand that most cities are situated around its coast. As you travel inward, toward the center of this continent, you enter areas that are less populated and the more inward you go – the more remote things become. Although this certainly presents a circumstance of uncharted adventure for you, you’re strongly advised to stick to the cities along the outer limits unless you bring along an experienced guide. As long as you stick to the populated areas, you’ll be fine and you may come to enjoy some of the most attractive sights in the world like:The Great Barrier Reef – located off the northeastern coast of Australia, it’s the largest coral reef in the world. The Red Centre – home to the largest monolith in the world; otherwise known as the Ayers Rock. Sydney – a popular city that offers Opera House entertainment plus the Bondi, Chinaman, and Manly beaches. Melbourne – another city known for its stylish architecture, dining, and shoppingCanberra – the most modernized center of the world that serves as Australia’s own capital as well. Of course, you wouldn’t want to miss Australia’s own unique plant life either – a sight that you simply won’t find anywhere else in the world. And because Australia is rich with distinctive plant life, you’re bound to catch sight of some unusual animals that you’ve probably only seen in books!This certainly isn’t an extensive list of all your concerns, but hopefully it answered some of your thoughts about traveling to this great land. Travel by Bus Australia’s main cities can be well traveled by buses, as they frequently tour these areas on a regular basis. Moving about within urban and rural cities (up to 30 miles from city limits), you can visit some of the popular tourist attractions with discount tickets or ticket purchased directly from the bus driver. Travel in Australia by TaxiTraveling by taxi provides an extremely convenient way to move about when traveling short distances to important centers and residential districts.   Like traveling by taxi in the United States, you can flag down a taxi anywhere in Australia including airports, train and bus stations, or even on the street. Traveling in Australia by Car / Car Rental Traveling by car rental in Australia is an inexpensive mode of traveling around the cities – especially since some car rental services in the area discount rentals that are arranged for three days or more. Rentals require a driver’s license and a credit card that’s issued to a driver between the ages of 23 to 70.

When you are starting to plan your initial itinerary, you need to have worked out how many weeks or months you have for your trip. Presuming you are driving and leaving from home, look at a map and estimate how far you will be able to travel and what direction interests you and your other travellers. You may already have a destination you really want to go to, so work out if it is possible in the time you have available by using the trip planners as described above.

Find information about each region and town that you are interested in visiting. Check with others that are going on the trip or holiday to find out if they have any preference or interest in visiting a particular destination, attraction or experience.

Your trip or holiday can be organised in many different ways – here are a few suggestions:

Travel for several weeks or months to a year or more. Stay at 2 or 3 places or you may go on a long trip and stay at 20 or more places. Most of your trip might be kept to a budget but add a special experience or a couple of nights in a luxury or unique accommodation or include an attraction or experience that you have always wanted to do, like a cruise around beautiful islands or a flight, for example. Use several different ways of travelling like flying, hiring a car, travelling by coach or train. If you have one destination in mind, for example going to the ‘Gold Coast’ and maybe visiting the Theme Parks and relaxing for 2 weeks, you could travel in different ways. You could either fly to the Gold Coast to save time or drive there and make the road trip an adventure by taking a different route on the way back, e. g. follow the coast on the way there and return via the hinterland. If are interested in going to Central Australia but you live several thousands of kilometres away and you only have 2 or 3 weeks, a good option is to fly to Alice Springs, hire a vehicle and do some touring or go on organised tours. This option will work for any destination that is a long distance from your home.

Travelling around Australia can theoretically be done in about 4 months when you stay on Highway 1 and don’t do much side tracking, but it is not recommended in that short time frame. If you have 4 months it’s best to travel through half of Australia. If you want to enjoy driving around Australia and see a lot more the suggested time is about 6 months or more, while some travel for more than a year. If you have 2 or 4 months available, this is enough time to travel half of Australia – either the Eastern half or Western half. It’s best to allow 3 to 4 months for this so you can do plenty of sightseeing. Staying in one state or territory may suit you, touring the coast and inland and exploring all the different regions within that state or territory.

Australia has an amazing range of destinations, activities and experiences, which give you many options when you are planning your itinerary. Everybody is different so we all have different ideas of what a holiday is.

Some of us love to laze by the pool or the beach, or explore rainforests and nature’s wonders, while others try to find as much fun as they can, go adventuring and enjoying the nightlife. Or you may enjoy shopping and coffee shops or museums and art galleries. The list of things to do is nearly endless.

There is no right or wrong way to have a holiday, it’s completely up to you and your preferences to make your holiday the way you want it to be. You need to work out what sort of holiday you and other travellers that are with you will enjoy. Some compromising may have to be done as to who does what. Sometimes you will find that half will want to undertake an adventurous activity and the other half may want to do something quieter. This is quite OK, as everyone will get to do what they want to do.

 When you start working out a proposed itinerary, write down a list of places you have selected and next to each destination, write down how many days you estimate to stay there. Do some research on the towns and destinations you are interested in so you have some knowledge of tourist attractions etc. This will make it easier to estimate how long you need for each location.

Try to be realistic as to how much you can travel each day. If you are planning a road trip where you are constantly moving, try to have at least 2 or 3 nights in some places, otherwise you may become exhausted and won’t be able to relax and enjoy your surroundings and holiday

There are lots of ways to save money when budget traveling around East Coast Australia. I will show you the main ways you can save your Aussie dollars on accommodation, shopping, transport and much more so you can come home with more souvenirs and more happy memories without an empty pocket. I have lived in Sydney and Brisbane as well many other towns and cites on the east coast, hopefully my experience will save you lots of money!

Australian money

Money in Australia is called the Australian dollar. We have $100, $50, $ 20, $ 10 and $ 5 notes, and $2, $1,. 50 cent,. 20 cent,. 10 cent and 5 cent coins. Many shops will charge for items something like AU$ 10. 99 for a product, just for marketing effect, but in the end you will pay AU$ 11. 00. Capital cities expenses are usually more than country areas but sometimes it is the reverse. For example fuel can be more expensive in the country areas but not by too much. The list below is an estimate average of the prices charged in Australia, to be referred to as a guide only. It is all based on 33 years experience. . .

Accommodation

Budget tip: Use the Internet to get bargains and save loads of money. Some of my favourite sites are on the links page. If you’re travelling on a shoestring budget then I would suggest staying in hostels or caravan parks. They vary in price based on quality and location. A word of warning caravan parks especially along the coast are not what they used to be. These days they have almost resort style facilities so they can be just as expensive as staying in a motel.

Getting around

By air: Australia has 4 main airlines to choose from: Qantas: Usually the most expensive VirginBlue: Basic service at cheaper rates JetStar: Similar to VirginBlue TigerAirways: No frills basic budget service. Some of these don’t fly to certain parts of the country so you need to do your homework.

Public transport

A great way to save money on a tight budget. Queensland Rail or QR mainly covers south east Queensland (Brisbane, Ipswich, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast) now offers a goCard which is valid for train, bus and ferry services mainly in Brisbane. It is cheaper than paying by cash. I am a big fan of getting the train around Brisbane. It is convenient, safe and cheap. You can also purchase daily, weekly or monthly QR passes. The longer the pass the more money you save. QR also offers concessions for pensioners and students. City Rail (New South Wales): covers Sydney, Wollongong, Central Coast and Newcastle): Has loads of different tickets to save you money.

I used CityRail all the time when I was living in Sydney. Sometimes the trains run late but for the most part it is a good safe service. For families consider the Funday Sunday pass where currently (2009) you will pay just $2. 50 per person you just need a minimum of one adult and one child. City Rail also offers other discounted tickets Cityhopper (for Syndey only), day tripper and the Sydneypass (Sydney only for 3, 5 or 7 days for travel within a 8 day period) which gets you unlimited train, bus and ferry around Sydney. Concessions are available for students and pensioners.

Getting to or from the international airports

Avoid taxis. These will cost you a small fortune mainly because of traffic congestion. The price of a ticket from the Domestic Airport to the City is $14. 60 and from the International Airport to the City is $15. 20. And sometimes the cabbies get lost.

SUPER BUDGET HINT:

Instead consider airport shuttle services. Do a Google search for Airport transfers in the city you are landing in. For example ‘Airport transfers Sydney airport’. Sydney New South Wales: Usually price range for shuttle services will be $20 return to major CBD locations but may be cheaper if you book online. Brisbane Queensland: Airport transfers by Rail. These are privately owned companies that don’t usually offer concessions. They are an excellent way to save money though. Brisbane Airtrain: This is a rail service that will get you from Brisbane International or Domestic terminals to Brisbane CBD, Brisbane suburban areas or Gold Coast. The price shouldn’t be more than $30 one way to most destinations. Check out the Airtrain interactive map on their website to give you an idea Airport Link Sydney: Similar to Brisbane. As of 2009 a one way ticket to the CBD from the Domestic or International airport terminals will be a little under $20. Check out the FAQ section on their webpage for details.

Hiring a car

East Coast Australia has all the major hire companies Hertz, Budget, Avis and independents which may be better for budget travelling. There are all types of cars and vans to choose from, the bigger the car the more you will pay. They’re a few websites out there that allow you to compare hire car prices. Use them, they will save you lots of money! If you will be here for a bit longer then consider hiring a van. There are lots of options for you. In Queensland a popular choice is Wicked. In NSW they have depots in Sydney and Byron bay. In Queensland their depots are in Brisbane, Hervey Bay and Cairns.

Grocery Shopping

Australian grocery shopping is dominated by 2 big ‘players’ in the market namely Woolworths and Coles. If you spend over a certain amount your sales docket will get you cheaper fuel (see below) You will find Woolworths and Coles in most bigger towns and they are of course in every capital city. They now use ‘price per weight’ tickets so you can compare and save whilst browsing the shelves. Australia also has Aldi stores in most regional towns and all capital cities down the Australian East Coast. These are my favourite for budget shopping especially if you are travelling and you only need basic items along the way.

SUPER BUDGET TIP:

Cheaper items are usually below eye level. That’s right the more expensive items will be on the middle shelves so look down and grab a bargain. Australia’s generic brands such as Home Brand, Black and Gold and Woolworths and Coles own varieties are just as good in value as the bigger name brands. Aldi are cheaper than Woolworths and Coles and the quality is just as good. You will though have to take your own bags to pack your items or buy bags at Aldi. There are other supermarkets in Australia such as Foodowrks and IGA and they are great if you just need a few items in your travels.

Fuel (Gas)

We call a gas station a service station. Australia has all the major fuel companies available (BP, Caltex, Ampol, Shell etc). Some offer 4c off your fuel if you present a supermarket docket. Caltex accepts Woolworths dockets and Shell accepts Coles dockets. I highly recommend using these especially if you are doing most of your traveling by car. Fuel prices go up and down through the week. Anecdotal research indicates the cheapest day to buy fuel is now either on a Tuesday or Wednesday. To save on fuel drive smoothly, limit using the air conditioner and don’t speed, this chews the fuel (and it is dangerous too!) A special word on Service station stops: All service stations want you to buy something else while you’re in the store such as drinks, chocolates, lollies, CDs etc. Avoid the temptation, as you will be paying extremely high prices for doing so. Instead plan your trip by buying drinks and food at a supermarket for your travels. Some service stations even offer 4c off your fuel if you buy $2 worth of food. This means you are worse off then if you didn’t buy the food or drinks. Don’t be fooled!

Phone calls

Cell phones are called ‘mobile’ phones in Australia. AVOID USING YOUR MOBILE (CELL) PHONE. INTERNATIONAL ROAMING RATES WILL STING YOU. Of course mobile phones are useful for emergency situations. Cheapest option when on a budget to save money when travelling is using international telephone cards. With one AUD 10 card, you can talk to the USA for longer than 2 hours. Keep in mind that making a lot of shorter calls will costs you more than a 1 longer call. For instance 6 calls of 10 minutes will cost you more than 1 call of an hour. There are lots of telephone cards available. Including: Ozcall, Daybreak and Gotalk. There are also lots of online sites to compare prices; just do a Google search such as ‘International telephone cards Australia. ‘ You can buy the cards from Newsagents or online and for a range of prices. To make it easy though buy them in even amounts of AUD 10, AUD 20 or AUD50 and use them from your home phone and also public phones.

Food and drink.

Eating out and drinking lots of alcohol can be very expensive. Depending on the bar or restaurant beer can cost from AUD 2. 50 up to AUD 7. 00.

SUPER BUDGET HINT:

Size of glass will determine the price. The Beer names given to different beer glass sizes varies from city to city in Australia and generally from state to state. For example asking for a Schooner in most Victorian or Western Australian Pubs will earn you a confused or annoyed look, as the don’t serve that size. Ordering a ‘Beer’ in Victoria will get you a 285ml (10 oz) ‘Pot’ however if you said the same thing in a Queensland Pub you might find yourself with a smaller 200ml (7 oz) glass. In other words a Pot (in Qld) is the same thing as a Middie (in NSW) and usually is a comfortable size to enjoy a beer. A schooner is larger and a pint is larger again. A jug of beer is (literally a jug of beer) is 1140ml or 40oz is the largest of all. Careful though, you’re not meant to drink straight from the jug, pour it into a pot (middie) and enjoy! Ordering spirit drinks (rum, bourbon, vodka etc) at a bar will normally cost you from about AUD 7.

SUPER BUDGET TIP:

One way to save is buying alcohol at a bottle shop. There are big ‘superstores’ such as LiquorChoice and Dan Murphys in all capital and some regional cities. A six pack of local beer (xxxx, Tooheys, Cascade etc) will be anywhere from $12 to over $20. A carton of beer consists of 24 cans or stubbies (small bottles). Local beer will set you back anywhere between AUD 35 to AUD 65.

Wine

Australia boasts some of the finest wines in the world and I highly recommend you try some while you’re here. The prices range but you can usually get a ‘good drop’ for about AUD 15.

SUPER BUDGET TIP:

Look for the ‘clean skins’, which are bottles with no brand. Some have labels some don’t but they are often in the bargain bin but can be tasty surprises. A ‘clean skin’ will cost you about AUD 7.

Eating out

Australia has all the main food chains McDonalds, KFC, Hungry Jacks Wine Australia boasts some of the finest wines in the world and I highly recommend you try some while you’re here. The prices range but you can usually get a ‘good drop’ for about AUD 15. I especially like the light variety of Moscato. It won’t give you a hangover and it won’t dent the budget. Subway and numerous pizza franchises: If you want to stay healthy on a budget Subway is a good option. They offer special prices for certain subs on each day of the week. Some pizza outlets such as Dominoes offer discounts on a Tuesday.

SUPER BUDGET TIP:

For budget travellers (backpackers and families) the best option is to: Buy food at the supermarket such as cheese, ham, and chicken and make sandwiches to pack for traveling. Also consider buying ‘popper’ packs, which are little square packs of juices that usually come in packs of 6. Australians love their pub meals and I highly recommend them. They can be costly though, expect to pay from AUD 15 upwards. Smokers Better stop smoking, as a packet will cost you about AUD 15 for a packet of 20 cigarettes. Some states in Australia also have strict laws about where smoking is allowed. Queensland probably has the toughest laws of all with smoking banned in indoor and outdoor public places. Also Queensland has just brought in a new law banning people smoking in cars if children under 16 are in the car too. Fine is $200 on the spot!

Entertainment

Movies (Cinemas): Go on a Tuesday, tickets are cheaper. DVDs: Again, buy on a Tuesday. Many outlets offer reduced prices on this day for whatever reason. Free entertainment for kids: Kids love beaches and there are loads along Eastern Australia. Keep the kids entertained for free by stopping off at some. Kids also love parks, and parents love them because they are free. Why not stop off at our great parks, which are often near beaches. The playground equipment is tested to the highest safety standards so you can rest assured the kids can play hard and then rest hard!

Summary

There are lots of ways of ways to save loads of money when travelling in Australia on a budget. My best advice is to plan ahead. That doesn’t mean a regimented itinerary but just some forethought such as picking up some groceries at the supermarket the morning you plan on setting off. My other super tip is to budget and add at least 20% on that. If there’s one thing I have learned in my travels is that despite all my good intentions and strategies I have always gone over budget. Hopefully though I have given you some tools and tips that will mean you keep more of your hard earned money in your pocket and leave the Australian East Coast with loads of happy memories!