Best Backpacking & Budget Travel Guide for Australia

Known as a major global travel destination, Australia is on the “must visit” list of globetrotters around the world. From camping to road trips, diving to wildlife excursions- there is something for everyone in this country. While Australia can give innumerable reasons to visit this beautiful country, planning a foreign trip is not as simple as it seems.

But with some planning and the right guidance, you can hit the right chords. To help people like you plan and prepare for a budget-friendly trip to Australia, we’ve curated an epic guide that is sure to steer your preparation in the right direction. So let’s head straight to the tips shared below.

1. Give Enough Time Researching and Preparing a Personalised Itinerary

A mistake you would not want to make while preparing for your Australia trip is copying someone’s itinerary. Not everyone has the same expectations while travelling abroad or visiting a particular foreign country, so copying someone’s itinerary can only lead to disappointment.

A great way to avoid it is by listing down your purpose of visit and charting a personalised travel itinerary based on your interests and likings. You can take the help of travel resources put up by seasoned travel bloggers or vloggers, but always customise it to best align the itinerary with your travel goals.

2. Apply for the Visa on Time

Another important thing you would not want to miss out on or delay is applying for the tourist visa on time. The entire process to get an Australia visa for Indians takes time, hence it is best to plan in advance than leave to the last moment. If all your submitted documents, filed application form, and past travel records are satisfactory, you can expect to receive visa approval quite early.

But it is not always the case. To be safer, apply for the visa at least two months before your travel date. Visit the official visa website to get detailed information on the duration, process, documents, and other essential details to get the visa approved on the first go.

3. Keep a Strict Check on Budget

It is easy to get intimidated and overspend by looking at and booking things you don’t really need or booking fancy hotels that could have easily been avoided. The best way to not overspend is by creating a list of activities that fall well within your budget. Luckily, Australia offers terrific activities at different price levels, so we often end up overspending.

You can also look for Airbnb accommodations instead of plush hotels, explore more local commute options instead of always booking a cab while travelling, and eat at small cafes or restaurants instead of high-end ones. The more you plan your activities depending on your budget, the better.

4. Save while Exploring the Country

Saving during your Australia trip is not that difficult if you follow our money-saving hacks. A significant chunk of money goes into booking accommodation and flight tickets. If you can reduce them by making advance bookings or looking for available offers online, you’ll be left with quite a good amount of money that could be utilised in other parts of the journey.

Besides booking flight tickets at least three months in advance and looking for value staying options on Airbnb, you can also look for travel passes to cut down on your commute expenses while exploring the country. Booking activity tickets and landmark passes online will also leave you with savings, as most online bookings offer some level of discount. You can also look for coupons to claim discounts on online bookings for landmark visits, activities, excursions, and more.

5. Be Aware of the COVID Rules During Your Period of Travel

While Australia has opened doors for international travellers, it is cautious regarding the people it lets enter its borders due to COVID-19. The COVID rules have changed several times for foreign tourists to prevent the spread of COVID variations, so it is essential to check the prevailing rules for ease of travel during your time of travel. If you’re fully vaccinated, you have less to worry about.

However, the more precaution you take, the better. Since COVID spreads fast, you should secure yourself by buying international travel insurance. Good travel insurance will cover you against medical emergencies in Australia and financial damage arising from a missed flight, change in travel date, baggage theft, and more.

6. Travel Light by Packing the Essentials

If you want less worry on your shoulders while travelling abroad, carry less luggage. Packing the essentials is a great way to keep any extra burden in check. It is also a pretty excellent way to avoid any excess baggage charges at the airport.

Moreover, keeping your luggage light while travelling to Australia gives you enough space to buy new things from the country and fly it back home. If you plan to buy some clothes, accessories, souvenirs, or other items from Australia, you should not ignore this tip at any cost.

7. Take Help from Travel Communities to Get Answers to Your Problems

It is natural to be surrounded by doubts and queries when travelling to a foreign country. Whether you need help with finalising a comfortable accommodation or need a list of activities that you should not miss during your first Australia trip, everything can be sorted with the help of travel communities present online.

Be it Facebook groups, subreddits, or forums related to international travel; you can find them all online and seek some unbiased guidance. These travel communities have helped millions of travellers, so you can reach out to them without much worry. The more you network and ask questions, the more helpful suggestions you’ll get.

8. Make Advance Online Bookings to Save Time & Money

Everyone hates standing in long lines to get entry tickets for a famous landmark or activity centre. What if you could save that time and get a discount on the same tickets or passes? It is possible when you make bookings online. Thanks to the growing tourism, several travel websites have risen that offer travellers the ease to prebook tickets to popular landmarks in popular global destinations.

And do you know the best part? They even get you the best deal and offer great discounts on your bookings, especially on your first booking. If you can find coupons to make the deal more affordable, you can enjoy more discounted deals. Several tourists use such travel websites to save both money and time, so should you.

9. Always Keep Some Extra Cash for Emergencies

No matter how much you plan, some extra expenses can always sprung up during unexpected times. When you’re travelling to Australia for the first time, it is natural to get attracted to a lot of things, like their clothing, accessories, etc., and you might also want to buy those.

If you haven’t factored in such unexpected expenses while preparing your travel budget, you might end up with an unpleasant travel experience. Once you’ve finalised your budget, always keep some portion saved for unexpected expenses and try to keep that amount in cash.

10. Try to Explore the Country with a Local Tour Guide

Limited time and limited budget are often the two most common problems faced by many travellers. If you don’t want these to come in the way of a joyful travel experience, always try to find a good, local tour guide to show you around. No one knows a place better than a local, and you might end up discovering some hidden gems with them which would otherwise have been impossible.

A local tour guide also knows the best places that can be budget-friendly and intriguing to explore, so booking their services is always a win-win situation for all. You can search for local tour guides on reliable travel websites. Taking help from online travel communities can also be a great option to get references.

Planning and arranging for a foreign trip can be mentally exhausting for many, but not anymore. We’ve curated the best travel guide and listed above the points many travelers wish they knew before arranging for their first foreign trip. You just have to follow all the points shared above to create the best travel experience of your lifetime.