Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The train rides last for a couple of days (days vary depending on the exact route you take). That shoots
your daily average
way
higher than $50 USD.
Luckily, Rail Australia offers eight discount rail passes good for either three or six months that can be
up to 60 percent off the cost of a single ticket. For example, you can get the Aus Reef and Outback pass
(passes.railaustralia.com.au/pass/aus-reef-and-outback) for six months for about $900 USD, which gives
you access to the Ghan, Indian Pacific, and any other train network. You essentially get all the trains for the
price of one, and you can move in any direction as often as you like. These passes make both epic train jour-
neys—two of the most famous in the world—incredibly affordable and attainable for travelers on a budget
plus you get access to all the other trains too. Win-win! You can find out more about the eight rail passes
offered at passes.railaustralia.com.au.
Buses
The easiest way to see Australia is via Greyhound Australia (greyhound.com.au). Greyhound offers two
passes for travelers:
A kilometer-(distance-)based pass, with which you have up to twelve months to use your pool of kilo-
meters with an option to top up as you go. You can choose from five hundred to twenty-five thousand km.
Prices begin at $107 USD and go all the way up to $2,500 USD for the largest pass.
Don't use this pass. Paying per kilometer is a bad deal. The cheap one, for 500 km, is typically $107
USD for the suggested distance between Brisbane and Hervey Bay. Booking the ticket individually, I found
it for $40 USD on Greyhound's website. The pass is a rip-off.
Instead, use the Mini Traveler passes. These passes provide travel between two popular destinations in
one direction and give you ninety days to finish your route. Greyhound offers a number of set routes, so
unlike with the kilometer-based pass, you can't choose your start and stop destinations—you must start and
end in the cities listed on your pass.
I like this pass because you get more value for your money. On the popular Sydney to Cairns bus route,
a normal bus ticket is about $400 USD for a direct one-way trip. However, the pass for the same route is
typically $350 and lets you hop off and on as much as you would like. Not only is the pass cheaper, but it
allows you to see other destinations on the way. Furthermore, you don't have to buy individual tickets along
the way, which could add up if cheap tickets are not available.
There are also backpacker buses in Australia, like the Oz Experience (ozexperience.com). These buses
cater to backpackers and young travelers. They tend to pick up and drop off in front of hostels (similar to
Busabout, which was discussed in Chapter 15) and are not used by the locals. Prices begin at $500 USD and
go up from there. The price really depends on the number of days you are traveling, your included activities,
and the route you are taking. While these bus companies are typically more expensive than Greyhound, they
often have sales to entice travelers to use their services over the normal Greyhound bus—but frankly, I don't
think these services are worth it. You'll meet just as many travelers on the regular Greyhound as you would
on these special backpacker buses, and unless they are offering a 30-50 percent sale, I don't see much value
in using these companies.
If you get the VIP card, Nomad Mad card, or ISIC card mentioned in Part One, you will be able to get a
discount of 10-15 percent off the price of your tickets from all the bus companies mentioned in this section.
Flying
With such a large country, the quickest way to get around is to fly. However, there is very limited air com-
petition in Australia, so while flying is the quickest, it is also the most expensive form of transportation. In
