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As one of the most developed countries worldwide, and with breathtaking beaches, verdant natural parks, and vibrant cities, Australia is one of the most popular places to head for long term travellers. Some people are understandably concerned about how much money they might spend or if they could run out of money along the way. Here are some practical tips for long term travel which can be applied no matter where you head to, but I’ll focus on Australia.
10 practical tips for long-term travel in Australia
1. Set your budget
It is not necessarily true that Australia is an expensive place to visit. It all depends on how you travel, where you stay, what you eat and what you plan on doing when you’re here. If Australia is on your bucket list and you plan to visit soon, you need to know several handy tips before you go, starting with setting a budget.
Setting a budget is one of the things that you should do before your trip. Set a budget, and stick to it, otherwise, your money will disappear as quickly as the beer that’s right in front of you. So, make sure that you come up with a reasonable budget for your upcoming trip.
2. Manage your money wisely
Once you’ve set your budget, the next thing that you need to do is figuring out how you can manage your money wisely. It also helps that you ask yourself a couple of questions before your trip. How are you going to manage your money wisely? Do you have a back-up plan? Will you be exchanging currencies before your trip, or will you take chances as you go? How will you pay your bills while you’re away from your trip? How do you accomplish that?
3. Organize your passport and visa
Organizing all your essential documents beforehand is a lot easier than trying to find everything you need at the airport. It can be costly and incredibly stressful on your part if you have to rush everything at the very last minute.
All your important documents should also have a digital copy and keep it somewhere accessible online. You should also carry a photocopy of your most important documents and keep them in places other than your document wallet.
That way, if you’ll lose something, you’re able to access it and download documents so that you can easily organize a replacement.
4. Get insured
Another thing that you need to keep in mind when traveling is that you need to keep yourself covered if something unexpected happens.
If ever something happens to you, you could easily file a claim. It doesn’t matter whether you’re visiting a doctor’s office for a simple cold or if you’ve had an accident while you’re on the road. You might also need to get critical illness insurance. This could come in handy if something unprecedented happens, and it requires you to fly back home.
Getting yourself insured from any eventuality gives you peace of mind as you travel to Australia and beyond. That’s because it covers you from any health concern.
5. Refrain from overplanning
While it can help to have a detailed itinerary when traveling to Australia, one of the secrets to a successful trip is to avoid overplanning. It would be best to keep your options open as you never know who you might meet that might make you want to change your plans.
You will never know what excellent opportunities will come your way or present themselves. You will be more flexible with your travel plans and open to possibilities if you don’t plan everything. Instead just have an idea of the places you absolutely don’t want to miss out on.
6. Know the seasons
Before your trip, or before creating an itinerary, you also need to note the seasons you’ll be traveling in.
A great tip is to fly during Australia’s shoulder season. Usually, it is the Spring and Fall that falls under this season. It is a lot cheaper to travel here at these times than the summer peak season, usually between December to February, as they are more costly.
Moreover, some places can get incredibly cold, especially during the winter season. Meanwhile, other locations can be scorching and humid during the summer season. It’s a massive country and the weather varies greatly depending on where you’ll be and when.
7. Pack wisely
Although this one’s probably the most obvious tip on this list, this shouldn’t be shrugged off.
It helps that you buy a lightweight backpack that fits into the right weight and size. Don’t stock up on basic toiletries like shampoo, soap, and more. More often than not, you’ll easily find them in the local shops. Doing so allows you to avoid carrying a lot of weight and making sure that you stock only the essentials.
You might also want to bring with you packing cubes, which allow you to easily organize your things. That way, there’s no need to drag everything out from your suitcase or backpack when you want to get something.
8. Save money on accommodation
If you’re planning to travel long-term, then one of the most significant expenses on your trip is your accommodation. Staying in hostels is one of the cheapest ways to stay somewhere safe where you’ll always meet other travellers. If you plan on staying somewhere for more than one night ask if there are any accommodation deals. Many hostels offer weekly rates, or even deals such as pay for 3 nights and get the 4th for free. You could even purchase an accommodation pass before you arrive so you know you have a certain number of nights of prepaid accommodation,
If you have a work visa it’s also worth asking the hostel staff if they have any jobs available. Sometimes they’re looking for someone to do some cleaning for a few days, other times you might be able to work for a month which will help you save a bit of money.
9. Hit the grocery store
Eating out and experiencing new food and delicious dishes is part of the entire travel experience. But after a few weeks, you’ll be finding yourself craving for something home-cooked. And cooking your own food will save you a lot of money in the long term as well. So, don’t be afraid to head down to the local supermarket, stock up, and cook something nice for yourself!
10. Travel by bus or train
You’ll always get to save if you choose to travel by bus or train, instead of flying. So, research the places which you can avoid flying to, and take a much cheaper alternative.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, the travel tips listed above will help you in your upcoming travels. Always remember that you should never let your expenses hinder you from achieving a fantastic travel experience.
Traveling to a beautiful country such as Australia is, without a doubt, worth every penny.
Author: Andi Croft is a freelance writer whose main interests are topics related to business, technology, and travel. This is brought about by her passion for going around the world, meeting people from all walks of life, and bringing along with her the latest tech to enhance her adventures.
