Are you planning a trip to Australia and don’t know where to start? We were there too! Which is why we wrote this post for you. Australia is a huge country and flights there are expensive which can make planning overwhelming. If you’re anything like us, you want to make sure you have your perfect dream trip to Australia. Below, you’ll find advice on how to plan a trip to Australia, and to make sure you have the absolute best Australia vacation imaginable.
1. Decide How Long You Will Stay In Australia
The biggest factor when planning your trip to Australia is deciding how long you want to stay. Most of our readers are from Europe or the U.S. so I’m assuming most people reading this will need to invest in an expensive and multi-day round trip flight. We don’t think you should do this for anything less than 10 days. The flight time just isn’t worth it for us. We spent 3 weeks in Australia but we think anything from 10 days to 1 month is perfect for an Australia vacation.
It’s Big – You Can’t See It All
Remember, Australia is big – about the size of the continent U.S. so seeing every corner of the country just isn’t an option. You really need to pick one “region” for every four or more days. So in 10 days, you can see two regions. In one month, you can see seven regions. We saw 4 regions in three weeks.
The absolute hardest part about planning a trip to Australia is balancing all of the things you want to do with the time you have.
2. Decide Where You Want To Go In Australia
The first step in planning your trip to Australia is deciding exactly what you want to see and do. Again, this country is huge and you can’t see it all (unless you’re planning on staying for months). Do you want to dive the Great Barrier Reef? Do you want to see the red rocks of Ululru? Do you want to see the Sydney Opera House? Something Else? We’ve included a few posts below to help inspire you.
Additionally, Perth is great for exploring the west coast. Darwin is a gateway for the rainforest. Alice Springs is a gateway to Uluru. Adelaide is great for exploring the south coast. Lastly, Tasmania is a unique island state.
All Beaches Aren’t For Swimming
Australia is famous for its beaches. However, they are not all for swimming. There are beach for swimming, there are beaches for surfing, there are beaches for jellyfish, there are beaches for crocodiles, there are beaches for whale spotting. So if spending loads of time at the beach is important to you, make sure to choose a place with a beach that is right for you at a time when jellyfish are less prevalent. If you’re interested in swimming/laying beaches, Brisbane is a great base camp for beaches. There are so many great destinations close to Brisbane with smooth sandy beaches nearby.
However, most of Australia’s population is located near the coast – so you’re likely to find beaches everywhere you go. Just make sure you are only swimming at beaches where locals are also swimming. If you don’t see a local – it’s likely not a beach for swimming. Either the beach has huge rip currents and/or waves or there are critters that can hurt you. The most common critters are jellyfish. Many beaches even have jellyfish stations where they store vinegar to treat stings (don’t pee on them – that’s a myth). However, in the north saltwater crocodiles can also be common on beaches so keep an eye out for those too.
Melbourne>Sydney
Okay, this one is pure opinion. Sydney is the most iconic of all Australian cities. It has the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. It is full of bucket list Australian things to see. However, we like Melbourne better. Melbourne has a ton to do – lots of it free – and free transit in the inner city. We also just liked the vibe of Melbourne better. It is filled with Australia cuisine, coffee and people in a way that the more touristy Sydney wasn’t able to compete with. Additionally, we liked the multiple day trip options from Melbourne better than those near Sydney. So we just want to put in a small plug for Melbourne while you are planning your trip to Australia – as it’s a city we don’t think you should miss.
3. Decide When To Go To Australia
Now that you’ve decided how long to stay and what to see, you’ll be able to decide when to go. There are different “best times to visit Australia” for the different attractions around the country.
Seasons Are Backwards
Remember, there are actually two different zones of Australia that have two different rotations of seasons.
The first is the southern portion of Australia which experiences four seasons. However, those four seasons are the opposite of the northern hemisphere. Summer is December-February and winter is June-August.
The northern portion of the country is in the tropics, which means there are two seasons. The wet season in between November and February and is characterized by frequent rain storms – and sometimes flooding. The dry season is warm and drier, though it still rains occasionally and is hot and humid.
You Need A Visa To Visit Australia
Once you’re decided when to take your trip to Australia, you’ll need to see if you need a visa. Pretty much everyone needs some kind of visa, unless you’re visiting from New Zealand. See what kind of visa you need here.
For travelers from the U.S. like us, the visa process is easy, online and only costs $20. You apply online and the visa is sent to you electronically, usually the same day. However, you should not wait until the last minute to do this —just in case. Instead, apply ahead of time. The visa is good for three months of travel in Australia any time within one year of your receiving your approved visa.
4. Decide How To Get Around Australia
Flying is by far the easiest and fastest way to get around Australia. And flights within the country can be inexpensive, especially if you plan and book ahead. This is the absolute best way to get from one region to another in the country. Then you can do smaller road trips in each region.
Do A Road Trip
However, we love road trips! So we will always recommend at least a short road trip in each country. We think it helps us to get out of touristy districts and into the heart of a place. Our favorite road trips in Australia were The Great Ocean Road and the Pacific Coast Highway.
Australians Drive On The Wrong Side Of The Road
Sure they drive on the wrong side of the road: the left side, not the right side (double entendre intended). But driving in Australia is actually quite easy for those who can read English. There are road signs everywhere! They are very helpful. There are even road signs about what government grants sponsor the newly erected road signs.
Honestly, I was really worried about driving on the left side of the road starting in a big city. But it was super easy to get adjusted. Big cities are full of lots of other cars so you can just pick one to follow!
However, you do need to keep an eye out for the Australian critters that like to jump out in front of you at dusk and in the dark. We all want to see kangaroo and koalas when we’re in Australia, but you don’t want to smash into them on the road. If you aren’t used to staying aware of animals, you should avoid driving at night when they are harder to spot.
5. Prepare For Your Trip In Advance
Planning ahead for your trip to Australia can save you a ton of headache and lots of moola. With a bucket list trip to Australia, you want to make sure you get to see and experience all of the things that you can to do. Additionally, making last minute plans, or changing your plans once in the country, is hard because Australia is so big and far apart it’s pretty much impossible to change regions last minute. So plan ahead – it is the best advice we can give you.
However, we do have a few other tidbits of advice to give you as well.
Things Are Trying To Kill You
All wildlife in Australia seems perfectly designed to murder you. Or at least that’s what Scott thought before we went. You see a lot of information about all of the dangerous snakes, spiders, jellyfish and more that call Australia home. So to make sure you have a safe trip to Australia, make sure to familiarize yourself with the times and places that dangerous animals are active.
For example, box jellyfish have a season – it’s October-May. This is when these critters migrate to the waters along the north eastern Australian shore. Other jellyfish also have seasons that are similar, like the Blue Bottles and more. This is why you don’t want to be swimming if you don’t see others swimming. We visited a great beach with calm waters and no one entering the water. We figured out why when we found hundreds of Blue Bottles washed up onshore.
Slip, Slap, Slop
In addition to the wildlife, the Australian sun is trying to kill you too. Skin cancer is a real problem in Australia so you’ll see signs everywhere telling you to Slip on a shirt, Slap on a hat and Slop on some reef-safe sunscreen. While you may remember to do this at the beach – the sun is everywhere – so make sure you’re following these tips throughout Australia to reduce your risks of pesky sunburns and your overall risk for sun cancer.
Book Things In Advance
Now that you’ve planned the perfect trip – get booking. We booked our flights, transportation and accommodations between 9-6 months prior to our trip to Australia. This includes international (from the U.S.), domestic flights (within Australia), rental cars, hotels and home rentals. While Australia is often thought of as an expensive destination, it is the cheapest dollars per day vacation we’ve ever taken and I credit all of that on the fact that we booked so far in advance.
We hope these tips have helped you to plan your perfect trip to Australia. For more inspiration, check out our Australia inspiration page here with all of our Australia trip planning guides. We’d also be happy to help if you want to reach out in the comments section below. Good luck and great planning!
