Applying for a visa to Australia. How to save money on a trip to Australia

So our journey begins. There are no events planned for the first day. In your free time, you will go to the famous Bondi Beach, lie on the golden sand and catch a wave. Take a walk along Malney Beach to see an incredible sunset.

We will explore the most famous Opera House and the Sydney Tower. We'll be amazed by how fish will swim overhead in the wonderful aquarium. We will climb onto the largest bridge, the Harbor Bridge, from where we will have a beautiful view of the entire city. We will observe whales, bats, possums, ibises and parrots.

In private messages, many practical questions are asked regarding solo travel around Australia. I will answer those that occur most often.

How to get an Australian visa?

On the topic of incredible difficulties in obtaining Australian visa a lot of speculation. In fact, if you correctly collect all the required documents, then there should be no difficulties. However, we played it safe and turned to Double Bay Inbound Travel for help. We got our visa in 24 hours.

What's the easiest way to get to Australia?

Of course, by plane. The flight is long. But, if you are serious about walking around Australia, then it is better to accept this fact right away. Australia won't get any closer. You will have to decide on a flight. Moreover, it exists no less during it.

There are many flight options. We chose Moscow - Singapore - Melbourne and Sydney - Singapore - Moscow. Why? Because this is how our passionately beloved Singapore Airlines flies.

It is better to buy tickets directly from the airline or through some aggregator (I recommend Skyscanner).

How much does it cost to live in Australia?

I will answer using the example of Sydney.

Nutrition. Per person: Breakfast in a cafe: 10-15 AUD (about 6-9 AUD for food and 3-4 AUD for coffee) Lunch in a cafe: 10-12 AUD (Asian cuisine) and 20-25 AUD ( European cuisine) Good dinner: from 40 to 70 AUD (including wine). If you buy food in a supermarket, you will need about 700-1100 AUD per month for a family of two adults.

Cellular communications, internet. Cellular communications and internet are expensive, and internet is also slow. Apparently, the remoteness of the mainland has an effect. Cellular communication – about 30 AUD per person per month. Packages with a fixed cost per month (X minutes, X SMS and X megabytes) are very common. Unlimited Internet - 60 AUD per month.

Most good hotels have WiFi available. As a rule, it will be offered to you as a compliment or in exchange for joining some local “club” (for example, the fan club of this hotel).

Accommodation. Apartment rent varies greatly depending on the area and the newness of the building. On average, renting a 2-room apartment near the center will cost 500-600 AUD per week. Just a week. This is not a reservation, but a specificity of the Australian mentality (housing is charged weekly, not monthly). Gas and electricity are paid additionally. Rent of a two-bedroom house is 650-700 AUD (per week), and water supply costs will be added to the gas and electricity fees.

If you are planning to stay in hotels, then please note that they have a practice of blocking from 100 to 200 AUD as a deposit on your bank card. With frequent changes of hotels and “brakes” in unlocking funds, this can become a noticeable nuisance.

Transport. Transport costs will depend significantly on which mode of transport - car, bus, train or ferry - you will primarily use. The most expensive ticket, which covers all zones of the city and includes all types of transport, costs 246 AUD per month or 2444 AUD per year. This is less than the average cost of gasoline for a car (91 gasoline costs 1.55 - 1.60 AUD per liter).

Australia has very strict customs controls.
Any food, plants, or animals are prohibited from being imported into the country.
Before leaving the plane, check that there are no apples, bananas, sandwiches, flowers, honey, etc. left in your hand luggage.
For violating quarantine, you can be deported from the country within 24 hours.

Money in Australia

In Australia, only Australian dollars are used.
Banknotes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars and metal 1 and 2 dollars, as well as cents.
You can exchange other currencies for Australian dollars at an extortionate rate at the only exchange office at the airport or with great difficulty at the bank.
Moreover, not every bank will perform such an operation.

No, they change money, but only for their clients.
It is clear that a tourist, especially from the CIS, cannot be a client of an Australian bank.
Let's say you found a bank that agreed to exchange North American dollars (bucks) for Australian ones.
The paperwork will take you quite a long time, you will be charged an exchange fee and the exchange rate will be better than at the airport, but worse than, for example, in Bali.
But don't go to Bali to exchange money.

Exit: plastic cards VISA, Master Card

Yes, it is most profitable to take plastic money with you rather than cash.
There are ATMs in Australia in every town or village.
Cash withdrawal limit at a time: AUD 1,000.
With plastic you can pay for a hotel, motel, car rental, tickets for domestic flights, gasoline at gas stations, a hot dog at a diner.

When traveling around Australia, take plastic money with you - debit or credit cards.
When paying for services or at the checkout in a supermarket, you may be asked whether you have a debit or credit card.
In any case, answer that it’s a credit card. Even if you have a Visa Classic or Master Card debit card.
If you say it’s debit, they’ll ask you to enter a PIN code from the terminal. Do you need it?
All this applies to full-fledged Visa Classic and Master Card.
I don’t know about Visa Electron or Maestro. I do not have. Didn't use it. Probably the same thing.

Car rental in Australia

Traveling by car is the best way to see Australia.
Australia is a continent; there is no need to obtain a visa to travel from the far north to the far south or from east to west.
You can also get to the islands of Tasmania, Kangaroo or Phillip by car, crossing with it on a ferry.
Australia is not Europe, the distances there are like in our homeland.

Roads are not always paved and not always in perfect condition.
Driving on the left, right-hand drive cars. Gasoline is not cheap, but not super expensive like in Europe.
The price of a liter of gasoline depends on the state and the location of the gas station.
The most expensive gasoline is in the Center of Australia, in Outback, in the middle of nowhere, where there may be only one pump per district.
The cheapest gasoline is in the state of Queensland (eastern Australia). On average, a liter of regular (analogous to our 93) costs 1.5 A$

Which car to choose depends on the route.
If the route involves driving only on paved roads (asphalt), then there is no point in taking an SUV.
If you are traveling together, there is no point in taking a minivan. Believe me, no one will pay attention to the make of your car.
I choose a car based on savings on gas and rent. Traffic outside the cities, and even in the cities, is calm; driving a car with a manual transmission is comfortable and more economical than driving an automatic transmission.

Do you need comprehensive car insurance? I did not take.
I tried to rent a car without any insurance at all. But without Australian compulsory motor liability insurance they won’t let you rent a car.
The car is rented with mandatory minimum insurance. The price of insurance is included in the rental price.

Which company should I rent a car from?

The first question will be:

Are you booked?

The fact is that Australians book motels on the move by phone, using directories, booklets from gas stations, etc. promotional material.
A very useful reference book in Australia is called Cook's Tours.
If possible, find it immediately upon arrival at the airport or at Comfort Inn motels.
Produced locally. For example, I have Amazing North - in the North of Australia.

If you don't have a motel booked, the clerk looks at his records and suggests a room and price.
You can (should) take the key and go see what it is.
After that, you can bargain (I always and everywhere bargain). You can save at least 10 dollars. In one place they knocked off as much as $50A
You can say that I’m a poor student, that I’m paying cash, that you, Ma’am, look good today despite the high price for the room... Use your imagination.

Check out at motels is strictly at 12. If you check out an hour later, you will have to pay for the extra hour.
After leaving your things at the motel, you can drive around the area, find restaurants or supermarkets in order to make your own breakfast in the morning: everything you need for this will be in the room, except for motels of international systems - they offer to use the motel restaurant.
Please note that most motel receptions are open until 17-00. Especially in the north, in Outback, small towns.
It is possible that you arrive in the dark and see closed receptions in front of your nose.

All you can do is sleep in the car, which is prohibited in Australia and you will be fined for it in the city.
That is, you will have to go to the forests... So take care of your overnight stay in advance.
I did this: I estimated the stopping place on the map, preferably with viewpoints in the area.
Sometimes I arrived at 1 pm, dropped my things and went to look at the surroundings, sometimes 100 km from the already booked accommodation for the night.
This applies to roadside motels.

Nowadays in Australia a network of private mini-motels, ranches or whatever they are called here is rapidly developing Bed&Breakfast.
As a rule, this is a farm, ranch or a plot of private land of tens of acres, on which there are at least 2 houses: one for guests and the other for the master. B&Bs are designed for 1-2 families.
If it is designed for 2 families, then be sure of your comfort: you will not encounter neighbors. For reasonable money (about the same as in motels), you will be offered more exclusive living conditions: in terms of size, in terms of the quality of furniture, linen and plumbing.
Breakfast is also included in the price. ABOUT! These Australian breakfasts...
Although Australians are similar in appearance to the British in many ways, they prefer to cook, serve, and eat like Americans - a lot.

I highly recommend paying attention to this type of placement.
Since there is no reception here: what time you arrived is the time you will be accommodated and will be glad to see you.
There is no shabbyness and no feeling that a million people before you have already slept on this bed and sat on this toilet (I don’t want to say anything - all accommodation in Australia is EXCEPTIONALLY clean, tidy and comfortable).

I’m not talking about Asian eateries in large cities, since cities were not interesting to me and if I stayed there, it was only in good hotels.
Informal atmosphere, communication with the owners. You can wander around the ranch or barbecue (very developed in Australia)

The only inconvenience of this placement is the difficulty of finding it.
When you’re driving along the road at speed and see a B&B sign to the side of it, there’s not always room for maneuver, and even if it’s in a village, you’ll have a hard time looking: there are no signs, like in motels.
This is the only inconvenience. But things are changing, B&Bs are getting bigger.

This same type of overnight accommodation includes an even more exotic type: housing at wineries and housing at pubs.
In southern Australia, Victoria, New Wales, Western Australia... grapes are grown and wine is made.
As a rule, wineries have a restaurant where they cook excellent food and a small hotel for 2-4 families. Well-known wineries organize wine tours with tastings, and since you can get imprisoned for drunk driving, there will be a hotel.

Imagine: after a long journey, stopping at a shady oasis, taking a bottle of cold wine, ordering meat, pates, cheese...
Then take a walk through the picturesque surroundings and relax in normal conditions.
But it's not cheap.

Pub rooms are less comfortable.
I would say that these are mostly shitholes, with creaking floors, antique furniture and nightly crackling noises in the hallway.
Typically a pub has 2-3 rooms on the second floor. Since the days are gone when rogue visitors would shoot at the ceiling, the rooms are safe to stay in.
This accommodation is VERY popular with Australian and English tourists and is booked out weeks in advance.

Another youth and family type of accommodation in Australia is Caravan parks, campsites.
In Australia, traveling in motorhomes, or campers as they are also called, is very popular.
I had the experience of such a journey from Darwin to the center of Australia.
This is the cheapest type of overnight accommodation. Motorhome parking spaces cost $15-$20A, which includes an electrical outlet, water tap for hooking up the camper, and a public shower and toilet.
Everything is very clean and in order.

You can pitch a tent in the parking lot, or you can sleep in the camper if it has air conditioning and is powered by external electricity (that's what the outlet is for).
Caravan parks have units or trailers for those who are tired of spending the night in a car or tent.
The trailer costs from 40 to 60A$. It has a shower/toilet, a fully equipped kitchen and sleeping place(s).

As a rule, caravan parks are located at the entrance/exit of the city, have visible signs and a reception that closes at 17-00.
That is, if you are late, you do not have the right to stand on the site, although entry into the territory is free.
You can stop by, connect, and even go behind someone’s back into a toilet or shower with a laundry machine.
But you will have to leave before 7 am, as the arriving clerk inspects the territory and catches freeloaders, calling the police.

In some places it is impossible to find other accommodation. Especially in national parks in the North and Center.
As a rule, in picturesque places, near bodies of water, in the north of Australia, a caravan park is a real opportunity to have a great time in nature. I can also recommend that independent tourists try this type of accommodation.

Hotels in large cities I will ignore it, I will only note that I wrote above about hotel parking lots.

There is absolutely no need to worry about booking anything in advance: you will find everything on the spot. Especially the motel on the road. And believe me, in Australia hotels are not the main thing. The main thing is the country itself, the people inhabiting it, and nature (flora and fauna).

Food in Australia. Take Away. Restaurants

Australia is a country of immigrants, like the USA. But here the Asian presence and influence is more noticeable. Especially in cities. At the same time, the majority of the white population of Australia is English and Irish, and accordingly, food influences have formed this way: Fish and Chips can be seen in every city, in every restaurant. Eating from cardboard boxes, with your hands is common... basically, like in the time of Charles Dickens.

Sometimes the problem of eating can become very acute. Especially when you find yourself in the time period from 2 to 6 pm, when lunch is over and dinner has not yet arrived. You can wander from restaurant to restaurant for a long time, bumping into closed doors. This is possible even in tourist places. There is only one way out: go to a Take Away eatery or a supermarket. Takeaway is takeaway food.
Sausages in dough are common - hot dogs, and salads in pita bread - like “our” shurma. A lot of bread, not enough of everything else... A kick to the stomach so that it doesn’t growl. In the supermarket you can buy ready-made food: chicken, ham and boiled pork, salads, aspic... In general, like we have in large supermarkets. You can buy prepared foods and cook them at a motel or campsite.

I came across good restaurants and restaurants where they served completely tasteless meat, which had to be peppered and salted and still didn’t have any piquancy after that. How about a steak topped with shrimp and 1000 Island sauce?
In large cities, the problem of eating is solved by a large number of national restaurants, but another one arises: in Australia it is customary to reserve a table in a restaurant in advance. That is, you walk past a beautiful, half-empty restaurant with a view. Come in and they ask you:

Have you ordered? No? Sit and wait at the bar.

But half the hall is empty! No, you’ll have to sit for 15 minutes drinking beer at the bar until the time limit passes in order to cancel someone’s order. There are no problems with food only in very well-promoted tourist places like the Gold Coast or Hervey Bay - there are simply a lot of restaurants and cafes there.

Tipping in Australia

Not accepted.

The change is given in full. If you wish, you can leave something if you really liked it, but you will be welcome even if you put all the change in your pocket.
There are restaurants that do not have a license to sell alcohol. Therefore, you can come to these restaurants with your own booze, bought in a nearby bottle shop, put it on the table and they will serve you by putting the bottle in a bucket of ice and giving you glasses. For free.
There are a lot of Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian restaurants in the cities. In general, Asians cluster in cities, but in the provinces they are rare birds. The province is mainly inhabited by whites and aborigines, so the food is simpler.

The most affordable food in cities is food courts: a common self-service hall with tables and several distribution areas: some sell chicken, others seafood, others vegetarian food, etc. The food is of good quality, but like in any mass service place without outstanding taste of the dishes, plus plastic tables without tablecloths, some crowding... It looks like food courts in Auchan stores. To be honest, I'm not a fan of such establishments. For me, it’s better to buy food at the supermarket and cook it at the motel. On average, people in Australia spend less on food than in Europe and the USA, but more than in Asia.

Alcohol. Beer. Wine

Australia has no problem with alcohol. Neither our own nor imported. There is no point in taking something with you from duty free: Bottle Shops sell hundreds of types of strong spirits and liqueurs at low prices.
Alcohol is sold only in licensed, special stores: Bottle Shop. It looks like a gas station. The entrance, as a rule, is located under an arch, so that minors do not accidentally see their parents loading boxes of beer and vodka into the car. Inside there is a rich assortment: vodka, rum, tequila, cachaca, gin, cognac, brandy, whiskey... liqueurs, wine, muscat, beer, cocktails... Everything is affordable. For example, whiskey is around 15-20A$, a basket of 6 bottles of beer is 10-15A$, wine is 12-20A$... 30% of all shelves are occupied by wine. Australia is a major wine producer. I really liked Australian wine. Australia has a cult of wine, so they drink wine and drink a lot. Typically ordered by the bottle. Serve under a bucket of ice. A wonderful white Chardonnay, chilled in ice, perfectly quenches your thirst.

If you want to enjoy and taste, go to the winery. There are many of them in the south and west of Australia, in Victoria, New Wells, and Queensland. Many wineries have excellent restaurants where you can have a good lunch/dinner by ordering a bottle of the wine you like. Beer is Australia's second favorite drink. Especially among Asians and young people. Beer in Australia is very good. The choice is huge. I can recommend the varieties I liked: Tasmanian Cascade, Queensland XXXX Bitter, good Hahn beer, and the very popular Crown Lager. Each state has its own signature beer, for example in the west: Emu. The store may have 20-30 different types of beer. Our famous Fosters beer is not popular in Australia. I didn't see anyone drinking it. Apparently quoted as Baltic type. Pubs always have excellent draft beer; dark Guinness is widely represented, but there are few fans of it.

National parks. Beaches

Australia has many national parks. There may be a fee to enter the park, for example Uluru in the center or Pinnacles in Western Australia, or free and free, such as Davis Marbles in the center, Badgingarra, Lesueur, Stockyard in the West, Port Campbell in the south, in Victoria. On average, the fee to visit the park is $10A. In some places, the collection of taxes is entrusted to the automatic machine and the consciousness of people, for example Wave Rock in the West. If your conscience allows you to sneak in for free in order to save 10 bucks... well, that's your right.
All more or less attractions in Australia are marked in guidebooks, advertising brochures and accompanied by brown road signs.

It is impossible to embrace the immensity, Australia is very big, but there are places that are a must-see. And this will be the calling card of the state. For example, the Northern Territories are Kakadu and Uluru Park, Victoria - the Great Ocean Road, etc. At the airport, hotels, motels there will definitely be a stand with advertising brochures of the main attractions of the state. Easy to use, don't neglect them.

Beaches in Australia

Swimming in the sea in Australia is a real problem. There is only one place where the continent's coastline is protected from ocean waves - the Great Barrier Reef. Elsewhere, the coastline is shaken by the ocean surf. The water is cold even in the Australian summer - due to the influence of cold Antarctic currents. Plus there is a list of troubles in the form of poisonous sea wasp jellyfish - a seasonal phenomenon when thousands of these jelly-like creatures with long tentacles swim to the shores of eastern and northern Australia and man-eating sharks.

The picture is grim and that's how it is. Australians are forced to sit at this time in paddling pools, protected from open water by buoys with nets hanging on them. Maybe that's why it seemed to me that most Australians can't swim. I didn't mention the surfers. Surfing is a popular culture and sport in Australia. People of all ages constantly sit in the water, wearing wetsuits, waiting for “their” wave.

The majority of vacationers stand in waist-deep water, sometimes squatting to cool off. It’s an interesting contrast: the water is cold below, but at the top it’s so hot, it’s as if someone is blowing on you from a giant hairdryer.

However, Australians love water very much. They swim in pools, lakes, streams and rivers. By the way, in the lakes of the North and Queensland there is another danger - crocodiles. The danger is so serious that before entering the water in an unfamiliar place, we carefully examined the water area of ​​the lake for the presence of reptiles: they could be mistaken for floating snags.
Only the eyes, nose and part of the back of the crest are visible on the surface of the water.
There are very frequent cases when tourists are dragged under water by crocodiles, especially in places overgrown with reeds or backwaters near the sea. Dangerous places are marked with appropriate posters, but if there are no posters, still exercise caution, as crocodiles migrate and if yesterday everything was calm in the reservoir, today it may not be so.

Trouble in Australia

Flies.

Flies are the scourge of Australia. They are especially annoying in the Center and Outback. No, they don't bite. They just get into your eyes, mouth, nose, buzz in your ears, in your hair, make ticking noises, crawling over open areas of the skin. As soon as you leave the air-conditioned room and your skin warms up, dozens of flies swarm around you. Australians are already used to them and just brush them off their faces, but it annoyed the hell out of us, especially when you climb some viewpoint or eat in the open air. A hat with a mosquito net, special fly creams (sold in supermarkets) help against flies, and flies are less likely to land on light things and like dark things. Wear light shirts and pants - you will look like snow maidens.

Before the trip, I read a lot about various poisonous reptiles and spiders. To be honest, I saw a snake only once, on Kangaroo Island, and even then, the snake quickly ran away from me into the bush. However, in many places there are notices about the danger of poisonous snake bites. But I think that if you don’t climb crevices and hollows with your hands, and don’t pick up fallen, rotten tree trunks (that is, those places where snakes usually hide from the heat of the day), then you won’t be in danger of getting bitten by a snake. Snakes are good at picking up ground vibrations from a walking person and wind up before you bump into them.

Mobile communications and Internet

I didn't buy an Australian SIM card. I left my BeeLine and communicated on business via SMS. When I needed to call home or the USA, I used a Day break IP telephony card (there are many different cards in Australia, but this one suited me according to the tariffs for these countries), dialing the toll-free number 800-..., entering the PIN code and the number of the called subscriber from regular payphones. GSM is available almost everywhere, except in complete deserts, I know that calls from mobile to mobile in Australia are very expensive.

The Internet, as well as mobile communications, is very expensive (relative to neighboring Asia). Not everywhere. The hotel may offer to use a telephone socket, that is, communicate via modem. Wi-Fi is rare; Ethernet is only available in expensive hotels in large cities. Australia lags behind the United States in this regard, but they seem to be developing their Internet. In large tourist places there will be public Internet access such as an Internet cafe. In small ones there is emptiness. Modem only. Where to buy a card for communication via a modem - x.z. Please note that connection via a landline telephone in motels is paid.

Safety and health

As I already wrote, there are unpleasant moments in the fauna of Australia. When visiting the beach, pay attention to warning posters. Please note that even a “sea wasp” torn apart by the surf can be dangerous. The consequences of being stung by the tentacles of this jellyfish can be severe burns with subsequent scars and even death (in the sea, throw away your skates because of cardiac arrest) When swimming in lakes and creeks (gorge) of Australia, pay attention not only to the presence/absence of crocodiles, but also that you should not dive or quickly enter the water - there is a very high probability of running into a drowned tree trunk or boulder. Try not to climb the bush in sandals or with bare feet.

However, this is unlikely, since you can only get through the bush with the help of a machete or bulldozer. When swimming in the open ocean, do not swim far from the shore - there are strong currents along the coast of Australia and you can simply be carried away into the open ocean, where a great white shark will bite you.

Australia has a very active Sun and seems to have an ozone hole. I don’t know - I haven’t seen it, but the fact remains: Australia has a high mortality rate from skin cancer. This is not a threat to you who have come for a month, but you can easily get sunburned. You can get sunstroke, so a hat is required (sold locally, cheap, straw). In addition, sunglasses and sunscreen on exposed skin are required. Australia is not the place to sunbathe. There is a lot of sun there, so protect yourself.

I have not noticed any crime or theft in Australia. Therefore, I will limit myself to this statement. But in any case, clicking the fuck is not recommended (this applies to any country).

Cloth. Australian people

The local people dress very simply. Especially in the outback: a washed T-shirt or T-shirt, shorts, boots or flip-flops on your feet, a hat or baseball cap on your head. When packing, proceed from the same. Each motel has a laundromat; you don’t need to pack a lot of clothes. This applies to the Australian summer, but in winter (June-August) the nights and evenings can be cold, sometimes the thermometer drops to 0, especially in the interior of the continent. Therefore, a warm sweater and jacket will not be superfluous. By the way, I didn’t mention pants - Australians prefer shorts even in cold weather: sometimes a grandfather walks in a down jacket and shorts with flip-flops - it looks interesting.

The people liked it. Normal people, without Anglo-Saxon snobbery, speak funny, so if you don’t know the language well, you won’t understand, they are responsive - they will listen to your problem without really understanding what you want from them. When they get drunk they have noisy fun, especially the Irish - they are still those drunks, but they don’t hooligan and don’t pester

Literature

I advise you not to save money and buy Lonely Planet for each state.
For example, I have 4 guidebooks: West, Queensland, Northern Territories and East Coast.
Plus, DK for Australia, but this is a useless guide, very superficial, although there are a lot of photographs in Russian.

Useful links for traveling to Australia

- Momondo air travel designer. If you have a lot of time and little money, it is better to fly through Southeast Asia or China.
– a car is necessary in Australia. There are no trains or buses in Australia. If you are only interested in Sydney, then it is better to go to any Europe - it is more beautiful.
Booking hotels and motels in Australia – being homeless in Australia is bad. In addition, a hotel reservation is needed both for a visa and at passport control in Australia.
. – It’s better to have one, although this is not a mandatory condition of the trip.
No vaccinations are required to visit Australia.

Australia is an amazing country! Who among us would not like to see the legendary Opera House or the Great Barrier Reef with our own eyes? Unfortunately, the prices for holidays are no less shocking. Why is a trip to Australia so expensive, is it possible to visit it without depleting the family budget, and are there cheap tours to Australia? Let's figure it out.

About 4 million tourists from all over the world visit Australia every year, of which 15-20 thousand people are from Russia

When an ordinary Russian hears a price of 150 rubles for one and a half liters of ordinary bottled water, it comes as a surprise. But we should not forget that this is a country with a high standard of living and the salary of an ordinary employee there is incommensurate with Russian salaries, so the prices are corresponding.

The local currency is Australian dollars, 1 AUD currently costs a little more than 50 rubles, over the last year it has grown by 10%, respectively, and the budget of a Russian tourist for “pocket expenses” has increased proportionally.

The main currency is the Australian dollar, in rubles it costs slightly less than the US dollar

Australia is located on the other hemisphere, the flight there takes about 20 hours. This means that a plane ticket will be a significant expense. In addition, you are unlikely to want to limit your travel to staying in one city. Tourists travel between cities using local airlines; this is another “minus” from the trip budget. Obtaining an Australian visa will also be expensive.

Let's get down to specifics and look at what expenses await you, how much do tours to the “kangaroo capital” cost and how to make a trip there cheaper?

Traveling to Australia: on your own or through a travel agency?

Since this country is a very popular destination, the travel agency will definitely offer you several travel options, including quite cheap tours to Australia. Oddly enough, it is often cheaper to use the services of a travel agency than to travel on your own. This happens due to charter flights and agreements between operators and hotels that are ready to provide a partner discount to a travel agency.

Traveling through an agency is convenient because it is prepared on a turn-key basis and you can additionally get many convenient options, such as transfer from the airport. To register, you only need to provide the necessary documents, select the tour you like and voila - you are a traveler!

Another advantage of traveling through a travel agency is that you don’t have to worry if you don’t know the local language and you don’t have to waste time planning your trip yourself. It has already been compiled, movements and sightseeing are planned in advance. Your task is to board the bus at the appointed time and go on an organized excursion; it is very convenient.

Australia has many famous attractions that are a must-see for anyone traveling there. For example, Sydney Harbor Bridge, Kakadu National Park, Port Arthur and Swan Bells.

On the other hand, when organizing through an intermediary, you will be somewhat limited by the tour program. Therefore, if you prefer to spontaneously make decisions about your travel program, you will have to weigh the pros and cons yourself and decide how convenient it is for you to go to Australia: through an agency or on your own.

How to save money on a tour to Australia?

If you can even call yourself a traveler, then you know at least two ways to save money on a tour. Let us remind you: you need to contact the company to arrange a trip either much in advance, or vice versa - when the flight is already around the corner. By purchasing a tour 7-12 months in advance, you can save up to 30% of the cost, the same story with last-minute tours. Therefore, if possible, take care of your vacation in advance or sit on your suitcases, ready to break away.

Another way to get a cheap tour is to constantly monitor discounts and promotions; they are often very attractive, but do not last long.

How to make traveling to Australia cheaper?

Your journey will definitely begin long before departure, with a visa. Is it possible to save money on this?

Independent visa application

It cannot be said that obtaining a visa to Australia is a simple and straightforward procedure. You will be required to provide a lot of documents. Please note that all provided copies of documents must be notarized and translated into English by an accredited translator.

In addition, you must pay a consular fee of 130 AUD, which is about 7,000 rubles. Please note that if your visa is refused, the fee is non-refundable. When submitting documents, you will need to attach medical insurance (about 1000 rubles).

In order to obtain an Australian visa, you will need to collect a decent package of documents, have their copies certified, translated and sent to the visa center

Thus, when planning your budget, you need to take into account the cost of translator and notary services, payment of consular fees, and insurance. In total, about 11,000 rubles will need to be spent on independently obtaining a visa for one person.

Visa through intermediaries

If you decide to contact a specialized company for registration, know that their services will cost at least 5,000 rubles. In this case, if, of course, the company is conscientious and experienced, you can be sure that the consular fee will not be lost due to a minor error in filling out the documents. Also, you do not have to delve into the intricacies of the procedure and scour the Internet in search of detailed instructions for filling out all the necessary forms.

So what is the best way to apply for a visa?

By and large, if you set a goal to travel to Australia on the most budget possible and are willing to sacrifice several hours of personal time to delve into the topic, feel free to choose the option of getting it yourself. Submitting documents is not so difficult, especially considering that from October 1, 2015, this can be done remotely.

How else can you save on a tour to Australia?

Do not forget that the continent you are traveling to is located on the other hemisphere, so summer there falls in our calendar winter months. This means that getting out of our frosts to the sunny continent will cost a considerable amount, because the Australian summer is the height of the tourist season. A worthy alternative would be spring or autumn; it is in the off-season that you can grab a really cheap ticket.

There are many Tourist Information points scattered throughout the country, where you, as a tourist, will be given background information and help if problems arise. You should also take a special free catalog there; it contains a map of the city plus many coupons for discounts in popular tourist places. Using a coupon from this catalog, in some places you can get a discount of up to 50%, which, you see, is quite a lot when it comes to economical travel.

Do not forget that it is not only money that can be saved, but also time and nerves. Before traveling, check the validity period of your international passport in advance, because if it suddenly turns out to be expired, and you find out about it a couple of days before departure, you are guaranteed losses; at best, you will need to urgently issue a new international passport. Read more about what to do if your passport expires

Another small but nice feature: if the cost of the souvenirs you purchased while on a trip is more than 300 AUD, a tax refund of 12% of the cost of the goods is provided. To receive this compensation, please find a TRS office and present your purchase receipts, boarding pass and passport before flying out of Australia.

You can learn briefly about tourism in Australia from the story of the “Recreation and Tourism” program on the RBC TV channel.

Summarizing

Despite the fact that Australia has a reputation as an expensive country, it is quite possible to travel there on a medium budget if you know where to save money. You can go there as part of a tourist group or as a wild person, live in a hotel or put up a tent in a campsite, travel in a rented car or on foot - there are a lot of options and each has its own pros and cons. Choose based on what you want to get: a comfortable exploration of popular tourist spots or a complete immersion in the local flavor. This country is worth visiting!

We wish good luck to all travelers, Australia is waiting for you!