Australia Tourist Attractions

Air Travel To Australia

Getting to Australia is often quite a long haul. It may involve a few stopovers and will inevitably be a long flight. If a 14 hour flight is not appealing to you the best plan is to break up the journey by stopping along the way. Popular options include Hawaii, Fiji, Thailand, Hong Kong, Japan and New Zealand. Breaking up your journey this way also helps break you in to the change in time zones. Be aware that when traveling to Australia you will lose an entire day as you cross the International Date Line.

If you are a student I suggest booking a flight through an agency specializing in student travel such as STA Travel or Travel Cuts. You can do this if you are still studying or if you are a recent graduate. It would be worthwhile checking it out if you have gone to school within the last 6 months as you may still be eligible for a student flight.

If you are not a student the cheapest flights can usually be found at agencies specializing in discount flights such as Flight Centre. If you are leaving from Europe or are planning on making a number of stops along the way it would be beneficial to look into an around the world ticket which enables you to make a pre-determined number of stops.

Quantas is a very reputable airline and will provide you with a comfortable plane ride. Air Pacific, a smaller airline, is also a great option especially if you plan on stopping in Fiji on the way. They give amazing service and I had the best flight I’ve ever had traveling with them.

It is cheapest and most convenient to fly into the major international airports: Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne and Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney. Although if you plan on stopping somewhere on the way such as Thailand or Indonesia, you may have the option of flying into Cairns or Darwin.

Air Travel In Australia

There are a number of ways to get around Australia once you get there. Probably the most popular one is flying since domestic airfares can be very cheap. There are always specials going on. The best airlines to check out are Virgin Blue and Jet Star. You can book flights for both airlines at Flight Centre as well as at the individual sites. It’s a good idea to subscribe for each airline’s email newsletter to keep you updated on upcoming seat sales.

When you book your flight be sure to check on baggage allowances as a lot of the domestic flights have limitations on baggage. If you are traveling with a surf board or bike you may have to pay some kind of fee.

Make sure you get to the airport at least an hour before your flight. The big cities such as Melbourne and Sydney have a number of shuttle buses which take travelers from the city centre to the airport. Most hostels and hotels can help you with transportation to airports by providing their own shuttle services or by hooking you up with a shuttle company. You usually do not have to make a reservation for trips from the airport to your destination, just head to the shuttle/charter bus area which is located at most airports. Ask at the Information counter when you arrive for the best options.

Australia Domestic and Local Airlines:

Virgin Blue
Jet Star
Melbourne shuttle bus: Skybus
Sydney shuttle bus: KST