From the airport to the city centre Australia
Although the 24-hour journey can be daunting for some, it's relatively easy to get to Australia from Europe. Perth, Darwin, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne all have international airports. The main airports are Perth Airport (in the west), Kingsford Smith Airport in Sydney and Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. To cover the 15,000 kilometers separating France and Australia, you have several options.
From Paris , several airlines offer flights with at least one stopover. These include Air France, British Airways, Emirates, Qantas, Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines. Most airlines have stopovers in Middle Eastern countries (Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi) or Asia (Bangkok, New Delhi, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur), and you won't need to apply for a visa or complete any administrative formalities in transit. Flights with a stopover in China are often among the cheapest, but since the Covid-19 pandemic, the country has become more formal, so we recommend that you check the administrative formalities before your flight. Qantas also offers direct flights from Perth to Europe: London and Rome are served daily, and from mid-July 2024 the direct Paris - Perth route (16h30 flight time) will open, with 3 or 4 flights a week depending on the period.
A return flight from Paris to Sydney costs between €1,200 and €1,500. Note that price variations depend on the airline used and, above all, on the booking lead time. To get the best rates, it's essential to book well in advance.
Once you've set foot on terra firma, there are a number of options for getting to the city: shuttles, buses, cabs and VTCs (such as Uber) offer fast, efficient transfers. Some cities even have a SkyBus network, like Melbourne or Brisbane. Look out for these big red buses that will take you to the Central Business District (CBD) for around twenty dollars, bookable online. They run between airports and special city stops.
Domestic flights: Australia's best-known airline is Qantas (short for Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services). Founded in 1920, this company, with its red-and-white kangaroo painted on all its aircraft, flies over the country and connects the major cities. Low-cost carriers Jetstar and Virgin Australia also offer several flights throughout the country. Australia's remote location and long distances have made it one of the world's most popular destinations for air travel. If you don't have enough time, flying may be the best solution. Out-of-country tickets on domestic routes are generally cheaper than local tickets: if possible, book your flights in advance if you're not yet in Australia.
Air cab: you'll also find many private air cab companies, or charter flights, serving large and small towns as well as rural areas.
Arrival by train Australia
Trains are not the preferred means of transport for Australians: they are often as expensive as planes and as fast as buses. There are no high-speed trains. The perfect example is the Sydney-Melbourne line, which has yet to be upgraded to high-speed, despite almost annual political discussions on the subject. The journey therefore takes 11 hours, for a distance comparable to Paris-Marseille. As you can see from the list below, trains do exist, and are often absolutely extraordinary experiences. There's something mythical about crossing these vast emptinesses, in a country that boasts some 40,000 km of track, including two of the longest lines in the world. Visit www.australiatrains.com and www.journeybeyondrail.com.au for more information.
Indian Pacific. Australia has the railroad with the longest straight section in the world: over 478 kilometers of straight track, with no bends, and an endless horizon. This is the Indian Pacific, a train that runs from Perth to Sydney, east to west.
The Ghan, from Adelaide to Darwin, takes its name from the Afghan camel drivers and takes you through Alice Springs, the red heart of the desert.
The Overland, from Melbourne to Adelaide, allows you to discover the landscapes of the south-east in just one day.
Tilt Train. From Brisbane to Cairns, climb aboard the Tilt Train and discover the landscapes of Australia's iconic east coast.
Great Southern rail. Finally, to complete the great diagonal from Brisbane to Adelaide via Canberra, you'll need to embark for 3 full days aboard the Great Southern rail.
Arrival by boat Australia
Boats are rarely used for long-distance travel, except to Tasmania. From Melbourne (Geelong to be precise, 70 km from Melbourne), many passengers board Spirit of Tasmania ferries(www.spiritoftasmania.com.au). The journey between Geelong and Devonport, in northern Tasmania, takes between 9h and 11h.
Public transport Australia
Bus. How do you get from one city to another in Australia? Once you're aware of the distances involved, it's important to know how to get around efficiently... and for a country 14 times the size of France, you'd better think twice! To get from one major city to another, Australians are accustomed to taking the plane: fast, economical and efficient, with numerous flights. In fact, the Sydney-Melbourne route is one of the busiest in the world! However, for the traveller, the options widen if you decide to take your time and be a little more adventurous. Good news: wherever you want to go in Australia, you can find a bus! Comfortable, inexpensive and regular, buses allow you to travel day and night. Most bus companies - Greyhound Australia (www.greyhound.com.au) and Premier Motor Service (PMS) (www.premierms.com.au) - offer packages with an unlimited number of stops at very attractive rates. Greyhound, for example, offers a 30-day East Coast package from Melbourne to Cairns for AU$449. All long-distance buses are air-conditioned and equipped with TV, drinking water and toilets. The drivers comment on the sights to be seen in the various regions crossed. Before arriving in a city, they always explain how public transport works and where to find accommodation. During the long crossings of the near-deserted Outback, breaks in the road houses allow you to relax your legs and get something to eat.
Public transport in town. Major cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth have well-developed train networks that efficiently serve every part of the city. These trains are the equivalent of our European subways, with the difference that they are not underground: a plus when it comes to admiring the city! Each city has its own preferred means of transport: take a ferry in Sydney to sail across the bay, or a streetcar in Melbourne, the last city to use this 19th-century means of transport! Climb aboard streetcar N° 35 to discover Melbourne. It offers a free tour of the CBD.
Bike, scooters & co Australia
Major cities such as Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane offer self-service bicycles and scooters. Scooters are very popular in Australia, and two companies, Lime and Neuron, offer easy rental. You'll need to download the apps, check the map of bikes and scooters near you, and reserve one before picking it up. On the bike front, Share a Bike offers self-service bike rental stations in major cities across the country. To use them, all you need is a credit card.
With a driver Australia
In every major city, including Sydney, Canberra, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Cairns, you can easily find cabs that can provide transfers or, more rarely, offer day tours. Most cabs and VTC drivers can be found outside airports, train stations and major metro stations. Beware of a very local peculiarity: when you're the only passenger, you usually sit next to the driver. Australians generally enjoy a bit of conversation: conviviality and camaraderie are the watchwords, as always! Of course, the deeper you go into the bush and off the beaten track, the fewer drivers you'll encounter, but the cab network is still very much in evidence throughout the country, particularly on the east coast. In the heart of the Outback, drivers are obviously rarer: the desert doesn't attract many cabs!
As far as VTC applications are concerned, you should know that there's more than just Uber in Australia, with other applications offering cheaper rides: DiDi and Ola are good alternatives.
By car Australia
The vastness of the country has led to the creation of a transport network out of all proportion to its population. Melbourne and Sydney, which appear close to each other, are in fact 950 km apart by train and 730 km apart by air. The east coast (Sydney) is 4,025 km from the west coast (Perth), i.e. 65 hours by train (3 days and 3 nights without interruption) or 4 to 5 hours by plane. The financing of these projects has proved very onerous for the country, and transport lines only form a dense network in the south-eastern part of Australia (the major cities of Sydney and Melbourne). Only one major road circumnavigates the entire continent, Highway No. 1. Long-haul travellers or people on work experience contracts will certainly want to consider buying or renting a car, van or converted truck. This is an excellent option for discovering the country at your own pace, exploring corners off the beaten track and reconciling accommodation and transport: you'll save more than one night in a hotel room! But before you embark on your road trip, there are a few conditions you'll need to meet before you can drive in Australia. You'll need to pay close attention to driving conditions and rules, as Australian legislation differs from ours.
By rental car. A rental car is an excellent choice for organizing your own road trip: prefer a converted vehicle if the number of people allows. But if you're here for several weeks or even months, then your four-wheeled vehicle will be ideal for exploring the most remote corners of the country. Most rental companies require the driver to be at least 21 years old, with one to two years' experience. Across the country, several companies offer different ranges of vehicles to suit your needs. You'll find campervans, cars, 4x4s, motorhomes... and most rental agencies offer different pick-up and drop-off locations: so you can pick up your vehicle in Melbourne and drop it off in Cairns. Rental vehicles are available at all airports, train stations and bus terminals. Hertz, Avis, Budget and Thrifty are represented in most cities, but there are also local companies with often lower rates. Rental companies often arrange to deliver the car to your hotel. They also provide maps and local guides.
As far asformalities are concerned, remember to apply for your international driving license several months before you leave; the procedure is simple and free, but very time-consuming. A quicker procedure is to request an official translation of your national license. You should always carry your national license and the translation with you or in your vehicle.
Be careful on the road: the Highway Code is not the same as in Europe, and you should familiarize yourself with the parking signs, which have nothing in common with those in other countries. Australians drive on the left. Be extremely careful at intersections, where people will naturally look left first. You should also be aware that 70% of vehicles are automatics. In town, the speed limit is 50 km/h and on the freeway 110 km/h maximum (sometimes 130 km/h on some Northern Territory roads). There are two useful signs: "No Through Road" and "Turn left anytime with care", which means you can turn left with care at an intersection when the light is red. Don't forget to wear your seatbelt - it's compulsory! When it comes to drink-driving, Australian law doesn't do you any favors: the fine can quickly run into thousands of dollars if you're over the legal blood-alcohol limit. A blood-alcohol level of 0.05% is the maximum legal limit (equivalent to 0.5 g per liter of blood in France). In some states (most), it is an offence to have an open can of beer in the passenger compartment. Finally, if you're venturing inland, make sure you never run out of fuel - the further you get from the cities, the fewer service stations you'll find. Our advice: when in doubt, refuel as soon as you pass near a station.
It's a good idea to have a satellite phone or backup satellite transmitter (often possible to rent with 4x4s), or at worst a Telstra NextG phone. Make sure you have, at the very least, a full tank or tanks (never go below half their capacity), detailed road maps, a spare wheel and water supplies. Finally, when night falls on bush roads and in the Outback, it's best not to drive: animals are often out and about, and accidents are common. If you come across a marsupial (most often a kangaroo), mothers may die but hide their young still alive in their pockets: Australians have this reflex to check and retrieve the young. These are then rescued and fed for several weeks. Adopt the same reflex to preserve wildlife. As you go further inland, the number of cars becomes scarcer: when you pass another driver, be sure to adopt the Outback highway code and wave to make sure everything's all right: a systematic gesture of kindness in the midst of the desert's hostility.
Parking. Parking in cities can be a real headache for those unfamiliar with the Australian system. Parking enforcement officers are very fast, well-mobiled and may even be out of uniform. The most common prohibitions are indicated by : S crossed out = no stopping; C = clearance = leave free at all times or according to the hours and days indicated below. The letter P preceded by a number indicates the authorized parking time: 4P = 4 hours, 1/4P = 15 minutes. Note that many cities now have virtual parking meters for use with a downloadable mobile app.
Fuels: The fuels available at the pumps are: unleaded 91 or 95, unleaded E10 (with ethanol) and diesel. Most stations accept international payment cards. Fuel is sold by the liter.
Australia's road network. The vastness of the country is a serious handicap when it comes to building and maintaining the road network. Until recently, many of the roads were little more than tracks, difficult to use after heavy rains. Apart from a few major interstate arteries, the network is only becoming dense in the south-eastern part of the country, particularly in the state of Victoria and around the major capital cities. You'll regularly come across small roadside signs with a letter and a number. The letter indicates the nearest destination town and the number the remaining distance in kilometers (P 45 = Perth 45, if you're heading that way). The road that circumnavigates Australia, Highway 1, only has several lanes near major cities. In the North and Outback, the tarmac road narrows to a single lane in the middle of a wide gravel road. To pass cars, you have to get off with the outside wheels on the shoulder provided for this purpose.
Tolls. In Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, there are toll roads, toll tunnels and/or toll bridges in the city. The control systems, which are entirely electronic, do not accept direct payment. There are no toll barriers: your license plate is simply photographed by a camera. You are then debited for the amount due directly from your bank account (which requires registration), or via your rental agency, which will automatically take a charge, in addition to the possible payment of the fine - as you will be warned well after the possible settlement deadline if your rental company is not a partner. It's best to avoid toll roads (by using the appropriate GPS function) or to pay in advance for registration in the system for a limited period (minimum 24 hours). The most common operators to contact are: Roam Express in Sydney, CityLink and Eastlink in Melbourne, and Go Via in Brisbane.
With your own vehicle. What could be better than buying a van or car to get the most out of your trip? Backpackers on WHV often buy a campervan on arrival and sell them on departure. On a local scale, the campervan is what gives Australian surfers easier access to the best surf spots. In Australia, a van or other converted vehicle with a sleeping berth in the back of the vehicle will save you a lot of money on hotels and restaurants! There are specialized sites for buying vehicles(www.gumtree.com.au, www.travelwheels.com.au). In town, there's a good turnover of vehicles between backpackers, especially between April and July when supply is at its highest. It's hard to set a fixed price, but you should be aware that campervans generally cost between AU$4,000 and AU$8,000, and cars between AU$800 and AU$5,000. Before you buy, set yourself certain conditions so that you don't have to spend more later. Check mileage, tire wear, headlights, battery and spare tire. The formalities can be a real headache, so check that the rego (the equivalent of the vehicle registration document) and the technical inspection (the Safety Certificate) are up to date.
Rent a two-wheeler: getting around Australia on a motorcycle is easy and gives you an infinite sense of freedom, provided you take the season into account. Whether inland or on the coast, the roads are beautiful and inviting. However, the network of paved roads is more developed in the south-east and south-west.
Accessibility Australia
With its modern, well-equipped infrastructure, Australia has elevators, ramps and wheelchair spaces in airports, public transport, metro stations and trains. And if you're traveling around the country, especially in a campervan, you'll have easy access to the public toilets and showers available to visitors. In the tourist areas along the coast, and even at gas stations and Road Houses on Outback roads, you'll always find such facilities. Sanitary facilities are generally very clean, well-maintained and free of charge.
