Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Budget Hotels
Budget hotels usually cost around $80 USD for a double room, private bathroom, TV, and breakfast. Budget
hotels are nice and comfortable, but in Australia, I think you get more value from a hostel private room be-
cause of all the added amenities you end up paying for at a hotel. I generally avoid these budget hotels unless
traveling with friends or a girlfriend. If you don't like hostels, I would use the rental apartments discussed
next because they are a bit cheaper and you get all the privacy you want and the nice amenities of a home at
a much better price.
Apartment Rentals
You can find apartment rentals in Australia. Apartment rentals have really taken off in Australia over the last
two years, and you can find a lot of options, especially on the east coast. Airbnb lists over 5,500 listings in
the greater Sydney area alone! Shared apartments typically start at $60 USD per night for a single room and
$80 USD for an apartment. I would use these services over renting a hotel because they are usually cheaper,
and you also have access to a kitchen, allowing you to cook and keep your food costs down. In Australia,
the best apartment-finding website is Airbnb (airbnb.com).
Camping
Camping is the most popular way to save money in Australia, as it is a country with many car parks and
campgrounds. Australians love the countryside, and you're never more than a couple of hours from a camp.
Campsites cost between $10 USD and $20 USD per night for a spot that can be for either a car or a tent. At a
minimum, they have toilet facilities and electricity. On the upper end, they can have pools, kitchen facilities,
wi-fi, and cabins for rent.
Laurence Norah (findingtheuniverse.com) spent a year camping around Australia and never once had a
problem locating an affordable place. As he states, “Campsites are easy to find, everywhere you go. They
range from expensive to free. The closer you are to cities or popular destinations, such as most of the east
coast, the harder it gets to find cheap sites. Good options are national parks, where there may be a nominal
fee, or rest stops, which are free and legal to camp in, unless indicated otherwise.”
Camps Australia (campsaustraliawide.com) produces a book that lists all the free and nearly free camp-
sites around Australia (3,700-plus at last count). The topic costs $89 USD. It's comprehensive and a good
resource, but if you don't want to pay that price, hostel and hotel booking sites list campgrounds, just not as
many as are included in the topic.
Hospitality Exchanges
Hospitality exchanges are another cheap option, which is used in abundance here. I used Couchsurfing while
I was in Broome, Australia, a small town on Australia's west coast. I had a great experience, and since the
Australian election was occurring at the time, I learned a lot about Australian politics. You will find hosts
wherever you go in Australia, and I've never had a problem finding a host here. In addition to Couchsurfing,
Global Freeloaders is very big in Australia and your next best bet if Couchsurfing doesn't work out.
Servas and Hospitality Club also have a large number of members in Australia. With so many members
of all websites in this country, you will rarely have trouble finding a host, even last minute.
House-sitting is a fast and growing option in this country. There are plenty of available options, espe-
cially on the east coast. According to traveler Nora Dunn, “Because Australia is geographically so far from
most of the rest of the world, many Australians choose to take extended leaves of absence from work and
go away for up to months at a time. This means they like to have somebody to keep an eye on things at
