First of all, Australia is amazing! I’d recommend everyone to go there. But let’s face it, it is quite expensive to travel around Australia if you are not on a Working Holiday visa. Not only will the flights be in the 4 digit numbers, but there is so much you will want to do there that is not necessarily for free either. Don’t let that keep you from going, here are 5 awesome ways to save some money while traveling Australia’s East Coast.

 

Travel During Off-season

The main season to travel Australia is in summer time (October until March). If you are only using a travel visa that is valid for three months, make sure to plan your flights accordingly. It is true that during winter it is not as warm in Victoria and New South, but you’ll be fine with just a hoodie throughout the day. Hostels are much cheaper off-season and so are many means of transportation and other activities > the less demand there is the better the prices are.

 

Don’t eat out!

Buy your food at Woolworth and cook it yourself in a hostel kitchen or have a Barbie outside. Australia has many public BBQ areas that are free to use. Another advantage is that you can socialize while doing so. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try local food, quite the contrary: check out what the grocery stores have to offer and cook it together with others. Another secret: Woolworth discounts a lot of their food towards the end of the day, so be sure to check on chicken, salad and pastry offers later in the day to get up to half price off. This is not only cheaper but also more sustainable as the supermarkets would otherwise throw out the food by the end of the day.

 

Transportation

The best way to explore the East Coast is by car. If you are a solo traveller and not so keen to drive on your own, carpooling is the way to go. Just place a note at your hostel or write a post on one of the Australian backpacker groups on facebook. A lot of people hitchhike as well, which I would not necessarily recommend for safety reasons, especially when traveling solo.

If you prefer having a safe and more environmentally friendly method of transportation that takes you all the way up or down the East coast, the coaches are the way to go. Now, you’ll come across many different companies. They all offer different passes according to how long you want to use the bus, which is nice if you only stay for 3 months. Traveling from Sydney up to Cairns or vice versa is cheaper than including Melbourne. I’d recommend carpooling, or the less time-consuming opportunity: take a plane (Jetstar or Tiger Air are the cheapest options).

 

Premier Bus

Instead of going up the coast with the well-known greyhound bus, go with Premier. They may not have free wifi or USB plugs, but are way cheaper and stop at the most important places at convenient times. The bus stations are usually the same ones as for the Greyhound and many hostels offer a free shuttle service with your booking.

 

Hostelworld

Our go-to website for finding hostels was Hostelworld.com which is also available as an app. It is super easy to use and you can compare prices and read visitor reviews so you know what to expect. This also helps you to figure out if the hostels offer shuttle services and you can reserve a booking for a small fee. Those prices often change as well, so it is advisable to check the app more often, especially for availability.

 

Book Me

This was my favorite website when traveling Australia and the one that probably saved us the most money! Bookme.co.au was our go-to page when it came to doing fun touristy activities along the East coast. Surfing lessons for $13, SUP for $20, Fraser Island and Whitsundays combo for $500 or a fun day trip to Cape Tribulation for $60, you name it! Make sure to check in advance because some prices are limited to certain days and times. You can pay by credit card and only need the confirmation code on your phone.

Just some quick advice, do not fall for all the travel agencies that you’ll find in every town along the coast like Peter Pan or Happy Travels. They will tell you that they have the best and cheapest offers but in the end, they will still cost double what you would pay on Book Me or directly through the company. It is always worth doing your research online.

Let me know if you have any awesome money saving tips and I’d be happy to add onto these ☺

 

Disclaimer: the above-mentioned companies did not sponsor me to write about them I just recommend them from my own experience.