Explore Australia on a Budget: Travel Tips for Young Adventurers | Lets Go Caravan and Camping

Explore Australia on a Budget: Travel Tips for Young Adventurers

Category: News, Date: 10 July 2024

Australia is an incredible place to travel. Offering some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, stunning coral reefs, breathtaking national parks and unique outback landscapes that you won’t find anywhere else, there are so many iconic destinations to add to your bucket-list! But travelling to all of these iconic destinations can be expensive. Given the sheer size of Australia and the remote-ness of some of our most spectacular landmarks, exploring by car, campervan or RV is the most convenient and cost-effective way to travel!

To help you make the most of your camping adventures, we’ve got all the top tips for budget-friendly travel in Australia. Read on!

1. Plan Your Budget

A properly planned budget can go a long way to keeping costs down and saving money while travelling. Work out a rough budget for your trip and break this down into daily and monthly expenditure. That way, you can quickly identify when you’re overspending and need to cut back. There are lots of great budget apps available to make this quick and simple like Tripcoin or Splitwise if you’re travelling in a group.

2. Weigh Up Transport Options

There are a number of ways to travel around Australia effectively, some more budget-friendly than others. While Australia has budget airlines, such as Jetstar, unless your travel is confined to the major cities, this won’t be the most cost-effective way to get around. The Greyhound bus is an affordable option however, this is mostly limited to travelling the east coast of Australia so it may not offer the flexibility you are looking for.

The most efficient and cost-effective way to travel Australia is by car or campervan. This gives you the perfect amount of freedom, while also enabling you to control your expenses a bit better. There are a number of budget car and campervan rental companies in Australia. Jucy and TravellersAutoBarn are some of the more popular brands however, you should shop around and get a quote from a few different operators, and book in advance for the best value.

3. Earn As You Go

A great way to keep your travel budget full is to work on the road to fund your adventures. Many young people travelling across Australia will take casual jobs picking fruit, in restaurants and cafes, caravan parks, or house and pet-sitting. Facebook groups can be a good way to look for work, or apps/websites such as Aussie House Sitters, Willing Workers on Organic Farms and AgriLabourAustralia can be useful. During peak season, many operators will offer work exchanges, where you can work in exchange for free accommodation.

Depending on your qualifications and skill-set, there may be opportunities to work remotely as a digital nomad as you explore. Caravan parks offer free wifi and many now have dedicated workspaces for digital nomads too. Libraries, cafes and museums are good options as well.

4. Seek Out Free and Low-Cost Activities

Australia is full of free events, festivals, markets and activities for you to enjoy on your travels. There are over 700 stunning National Parks in Australia, most of which are free to enjoy. Take the time to plan your stops and research the local areas you are visiting, as you can discover amazing activities and save a bunch!

5. Don’t Over-Spend on Accommodation

Whether you’re booking in advance or picking campsites as you go, shop around for the best value and seek out low-cost sites. Accommodation is one of the biggest budget killers on an extended trip. Look for campsites that offer special offers, mid-week deals, multi-night discounts etc. and you will make a significant saving. WikiCamps is a great app to search for the best-value campsites on your trip.

Keeping accommodation costs down across the bulk of your travels will leave you room to splurge on the special glamping experience or unique activity that’s on your bucket-list.

6. Travel Off-Peak

School holidays, public holidays and peak tourist seasons (November-March in the southern states and May-October in the north) are the most expensive times to be travelling Australia. If you can plan your trip to avoid being in high-travel areas during these times, you’ll save yourself a buck.

travel on a budget for young people around australia

7. Plan Your Fuel Stops

Fuel will be another big cost on your road trip around Oz. We recommend using Google Maps and apps such as Fuel Map Australia to find the cheapest fuel stops. It’s also important to remember that fuel is more expensive during peak times and public holidays, as well as in remote areas of Australia. Packing light and driving slower is another way to save on fuel costs as is checking your Woolworth’s and Coles receipt for fuel coupons.

8. Final Cost-Saving Measures

The best way to succeed with budget-friendly travel is to be more cost conscious as you go eg. Consider swapping your daily $6 latte out for a $1 equivalent at 7/11, book group activities for cheaper rates, choose a BYO alcohol restaurant when eating out, make use of free BBQs around Australia and look for more affordable camping gear in the likes of Aldi or second-hand on Facebook Marketplace. There are tons of ways to see the beauty of Australia on a budget, you just have to be on the look-out for good deals and become a cost-savvy traveller!

Looking for travel inspiration for your next adventure? Check out our blog!

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