Australia is a very popular holiday destination for Brits, there’s so much to explore there from beautiful beaches and surf towns to the outback and the iconic Sydney Opera House. With Australia being so far away from the UK, it’s best to plan your trip in advance to help save you money on flights and accommodation and to make sure you make the most out of your trip.
If you’re a first-time visitor to Australia, you need to put some thought into your Australia travel planning. Many travelers disregard how big and diverse Australia actually is, it’s landscape is huge and there is so much to do so you wouldn’t want to arrive and end up regretting the choices made in the planning stage.
I’m planning on visiting Australia at the end of the year, starting in Melbourne then spending time travelling the East Coast and being in Sydney for New Year’s eve. As I’m going in peak season around December I’ve had to book everything well in advance as accommodation and flights can book up fast.
Here are my top tips for planning your trip to Australia:
When to book to secure the cheapest tickets?
When booking flights its best to book at least 5 months in advance as it can get very expensive if you book with less than a month to go. The best month to book is January as it’s 12% cheaper than other months. If you can be flexible with your dates then you have more chance to get a cheaper deal. It might also be worth having a stopover to break the trip up or to save money.
Stop overs
With flights from the UK to Australia taking more than 20 hours it might be worth having a stop over to split the trip up and visit somewhere new. Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong and Singapore are all great places to stop over.
Visa information
Unless you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen, you will need a valid Australian visa to enter the country. All other passport holders must apply for a visa before leaving home. You can apply for a range of visas, including tourist visas and working holiday visas, this can be done at your nearest Australian Embassy or complete the online form for a visitor visa here.
Accommodation
I’m planning to visit Sydney over New Years and we started looking for hotels 11 months in advance but a lot of them are fully booked already. If you’re visiting in peak times around Christmas and New Year then make sure you book well in advance! It’s also worth noting that Australia isn’t cheap so you will have to save up. There is however, a wide range of accommodation available such as hostels, Airbnb’s and hotels,
Climate
Australia’s climate varies widely across the continent. There are four seasons in most of the country, and a wet and dry season in the tropical north. Between December and February is summer for most of the country, and the wet season in the tropical north. The Australian winter, from June to August, is generally mild, but brings snow to the southern mountain regions and dry, sunny days in the northern states.
What to pack for the Australian climate
It’s important to protect yourself from the Australian sun, especially if visiting from December to February so make sure you bring a hat and SPF30+ sunscreen.
How to get around Australia
Australia is huge so driving around isn’t always possible. If you were to drive from Sydney to Perth which is a 4,000-kilometre trip and you drove for 8 hours per day then it would take you 5 days to complete the journey!
For a quick city hopping visit it’s much better to fly and Australia’s domestic airlines are affordable and reliable.
However if you have more time then Australia is a fantastic place for a road trip! We are hiring a campervan to travel some of the east coast. They have so many different types for all budgets and the costs cover both travelling and accommodation. We really likes the idea of the freedom to go wherever we want and spend longer in the places we like. If you don’t fancy driving there are plenty of tours you can go on or you can use the Greyhound Bus.
Major cities in Australia
If you’re after a city style vacation, Australia has fun, modern cities unique from each other filled with culture and natural beauty.
- Up north is Darwin
- On the east coast, there are the major cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane as well as the smaller cities of the Gold Coast and Cairns
- Down south is Adelaide and Hobart
- Over on the west coast are Perth and Broome
- In the red centre is Alice Springs
If you’re looking for a beach holiday then head to the east coast where you can relax on picture perfect sandy beaches. Relax on Fraser Island which is the world’s largest sand island or sail around the beautiful Whitsundays. Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef or learn to surf on the Gold Coast or Byron Bay.
If you are more adventurous head to the outback where you’ll experience the real vastness and diverse landscapes that Australia has to offer.
