Getting Around Australia

Here's the thing nobody tells you until you're standing in an airport looking at a map: Australia is the size of mainland Europe or the continental United States. Sydney to Perth is further than London to Moscow. Get your head around the scale early and you'll plan a trip that doesn't blow the whole budget on getting from A to B.

First, the distances

The numbers genuinely shock people:

• Sydney to Melbourne - around 880 km (about a 1.5-hour flight, or 9-10 hours' drive).
• Sydney to Cairns - roughly 2,400 km up the east coast.
• Sydney to Perth - about 4,000 km. Driving it takes four to five days.
• Melbourne to Darwin - over 3,700 km straight up the guts.

Don't try to "see Australia" in one loop. Most backpackers pick a region - usually the east coast - and do it properly, rather than burning weeks and dollars crossing empty distances.

Greyhound and backpacker buses

For the classic east-coast run, buses are the backpacker staple. Greyhound is the main long-haul operator, and the smart way to use it is a hop-on hop-off pass rather than point-to-point tickets. You buy a pass covering a route (say Sydney to Cairns), then jump off at Byron Bay, Surfers, Noosa, Airlie Beach and so on for as long as you like, hopping back on when you're ready.

Pros: cheap, sociable, you meet everyone, no driving. Cons: slow, and you're tied to the route. Buses are best for the densely-touristed east coast where there's a stop every few hours.

Trains

Australia is not a train country - intercity rail is limited and slower than driving. But two things are worth knowing:

• Commuter networks in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth are excellent and cheap for getting around the cities (grab the local smartcard - Opal, Myki, etc.).
• Iconic long-distance trains like the Indian Pacific (Sydney-Perth) and The Ghan (Adelaide-Darwin) are bucket-list experiences but priced as tourist journeys, not budget transport.

For everyday backpacking, trains are for cities, not for crossing the country.

Budget domestic flights

For covering big distances, flying is often cheaper and always faster than the bus. Jetstar is the main budget carrier, with Virgin Australia and Qantas also competing. Booked a few weeks out, a Sydney-Melbourne or Brisbane-Cairns fare can be cheaper than the equivalent bus ticket - and saves you days.

Budget-flight tips:

• Book early; prices climb fast near departure.
• The headline fare excludes checked bags - add luggage when booking, it's far cheaper than at the airport.
• Fly with hand luggage only if you can. Backpacks under 7 kg fly free.
• Be flexible on dates and use fare-comparison apps to spot the cheap days.

Flying makes the most sense for the big jumps: getting to Perth, hopping to Tasmania, or skipping a dull driving stretch.

Car or van: the freedom option

Buying a vehicle is the rite of passage for serious backpackers, and for good reason. A car or van means total freedom, access to remote farm work and free campsites, and - if you buy and sell well - transport that ends up nearly free.

A station wagon you can sleep in costs less upfront. A proper campervan costs more but is a rolling bedroom and kitchen. The east-coast backpacker market is huge, so you can usually buy from a departing traveller and sell to an arriving one.

Things to weigh up:

• Registration ("rego") and which state it's registered in - rules vary.
• Roadworthy certificate when transferring ownership.
• Insurance - at minimum compulsory third party (often included in rego), ideally more.
• Mechanical check before buying - a cheap inspection can save thousands.

Renting instead of buying

If you only want a van for a few weeks - the classic east-coast road trip - renting is often the smarter move. No rego hassle, no resale stress, and roadside support if something breaks. JUCY Rentals is a popular backpacker pick for campervan and car hire, with relocation deals where you can sometimes move a vehicle between cities for a few dollars a day.

So which should you choose?

• Solo, sociable, east coast only? Greyhound hop-on hop-off pass.
• Tight on time, big distances? Jetstar and budget flights.
• Months to spare, want freedom and farm work? Buy a car or van.
• Two-to-four-week road trip? Rent a campervan.

Most backpackers end up mixing them: fly into a hub, bus the coast, then buy a van for a regional work stint. Map your route around where the work and the weather are, accept that you can't see it all, and the travelling becomes the best part of the whole year.