camping backpack australia image
Will D
I am toying with the idea of packing up a backpack and moving from the U.S. to Australia. I want to experience a different life with new people and new places. I think this would be during the summer in Australia and I would be exploring the West; is this plan feasible? What do I need? What should I expect?
I will be graduating from high school soon and I don't want to go to college right away.
Also if this "living-off-the-land" thing doesn't work, how expensive are rental properties in Australia; how is their economy and job-less rate?
Thanks
Answer
yes, it is a feasible plan. prepare yourself for some very hot weather though (35+ celcius). the further north you go, the hotter it will become. if you are coming for some time i would recommend exploring the rest of australia as well, not just the west. Western australia is very beautiful, but you would be missing out on some fantastic attractions on the east coast (eg the great barrier reef, sydney, byron bay etc) not to mention other lovely parts of australia such as adelaide and melbourne.
you will probably need a visa, depending on how long you plan to stay. bring plenty of sunscreen, loose, warm-weather clothing, and your sense of humor! be prepared to do a fair bit of traveling around - the towns are quite far apart, especially on the western side.
not quite sure what you mean by 'living off the land'... you will definitely not want to be camping or anything if there is a heatwave! rentals can be found for a reasonable price, however since you wont be here all that long and you are from another country, land-lords may be reluctant to rent to you. backpacker hostels such as the YHA hostels provide cheap share accommodation that could be right for you.
as for the jobless rate etc, we have done much better than a lot of other places around the world, our unemployment rate has actually been going down over the last few months and the economy is recovering from the GEC. Travelers such as yourself often find short-term jobs grape-picking or working in restaurants.
anyway, sorry to make this so long! best of luck with your trip.
EDIT: i would just like to point out that one of the other answers here gives a misleading idea about australia... a 2 bedroom place in the city suburbs of melbourne/adelaide/perth is NOT going to be 5000 a month unless you are right in the CBD or it is very fancy and brand new. A 3 bedroom house in Adelaide would be about 300-400 a week (we do rent by the week). also, eating out here is relatively cheap! you can get a GOOD meal at a nice restaurant for about $60-$70 inc drinks etc. the living standard here is high, but it does not have to be expensive. of course, there is an expensive option as there is everywhere else, but you can get by on a very minimal income and still be comfortable. just thought i would point this out!!
yes, it is a feasible plan. prepare yourself for some very hot weather though (35+ celcius). the further north you go, the hotter it will become. if you are coming for some time i would recommend exploring the rest of australia as well, not just the west. Western australia is very beautiful, but you would be missing out on some fantastic attractions on the east coast (eg the great barrier reef, sydney, byron bay etc) not to mention other lovely parts of australia such as adelaide and melbourne.
you will probably need a visa, depending on how long you plan to stay. bring plenty of sunscreen, loose, warm-weather clothing, and your sense of humor! be prepared to do a fair bit of traveling around - the towns are quite far apart, especially on the western side.
not quite sure what you mean by 'living off the land'... you will definitely not want to be camping or anything if there is a heatwave! rentals can be found for a reasonable price, however since you wont be here all that long and you are from another country, land-lords may be reluctant to rent to you. backpacker hostels such as the YHA hostels provide cheap share accommodation that could be right for you.
as for the jobless rate etc, we have done much better than a lot of other places around the world, our unemployment rate has actually been going down over the last few months and the economy is recovering from the GEC. Travelers such as yourself often find short-term jobs grape-picking or working in restaurants.
anyway, sorry to make this so long! best of luck with your trip.
EDIT: i would just like to point out that one of the other answers here gives a misleading idea about australia... a 2 bedroom place in the city suburbs of melbourne/adelaide/perth is NOT going to be 5000 a month unless you are right in the CBD or it is very fancy and brand new. A 3 bedroom house in Adelaide would be about 300-400 a week (we do rent by the week). also, eating out here is relatively cheap! you can get a GOOD meal at a nice restaurant for about $60-$70 inc drinks etc. the living standard here is high, but it does not have to be expensive. of course, there is an expensive option as there is everywhere else, but you can get by on a very minimal income and still be comfortable. just thought i would point this out!!
What is the best and cheapest way to travel abroad?
Scream you
I want to travel somewhere in Europe next summer. I am going to a CC this fall, so when I want to travel will be after my first year of college. Are there any good programs for a 18/19 yr CC college student to go through? I don't care if I have to work or volunteer, I just want to be able to live somewhere in Europe for the summer. Any suggestions?
Answer
You can visit any or all of the Schengen countries as a tourist for up to 90 days without a visa as a tourist assuming you're from the US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. You could also visit the UK. However, it would be illegal for you to work there without a visa that specifically allows it. There is a working holiday visa available for stays of over 90 days that would allow limited work for young people from Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, but not the US.
Prices will depend on exactly where you start from, where you go, exactly when you visit, how long you stay, the accommodations you use and what you see/do/eat. People who backpack around Europe generally can get by for $100 per day staying in cheap hostels and carefully watching their budget (not including airfare); 3 months would require around $9000. However, if you stay in hotels, it will cost you more. I usually spend 100 to 150 euro a night for a hotel. Prices really depend on exactly where you come from, when you visit, how you get around and what you see/do/eat.
Here are some resources that can help you plan and check options and current prices for your trip (expect prices in the future to rise):
http://www.kayak.com/ - airfares & hotels; the explore function is useful for finding the less expensive places to fly into from your starting point. Tuscany is an entire region, not a town. The most convenient airports to fly into will be Pisa or Florence, but Rome or Bologna are also reasonable options.
http://www.skyscanner.it/ - particularly good for budget flights within Europe, but you can also use everywhere as a destination to do something like the explore option on Kayak. You may not need the airfares, but you can compare to the cost of the trains to get around. this one may be more useful for you. Palermo is a long trip by train, Naples to Palermo is one leg of the trip where you might consider flying.
http://www.seat61.com/ . This includes a huge amount of information on train travel throughout Europe - much more than there is room for in an answer here. The site has links to the various national train websites where you can find schedules and prices for trains. It also includes detailed descriptions of railpasses. This will tell you how to determine whether a railpass is worth the money for your trip (in Italy where I live railpasses are almost never worth the cost), which railpass to get, and how to use the railpass. There's also information on what to avoid in particular places.
Driving can be expensive; fuel prices, tolls and parking all add up, but it can become cost effective for groups. You can check sites like Avis, Europcar, Sixt, etc, for your specific rental cost. Picking up in one country and dropping off in another can be very expensive. You can get driving distances and estimates fuel and toll costs on viamichelin: http://www.viamichelin.com/ .
.
http://www.venere.com/ - hotels/B&Bs - prices for the same hotel can vary hugely depending on the season and what local events are going on.
http://www.hostelbookers.com/ - hostels.
http://www.monasterystays.com/ - monasteries & convents that offer accommodations
You can also look into camping or couch surfing as cheaper alternatives for accommodations.
http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.ht⦠- festivals, exhibitions and events
http://www.backpackeurope.com/ - information & advice
For sightseeing prices: check the websites for entrance fees for the museums & galleries you're interested in. I spend anywhere between nothing and 40 euro a day depending on exactly what I go to see when out exploring. For food, I spend around 25 to 50 euro for a meal, but you can eat for less. When I travel, I like to try the local specialties and the good restaurants. Shopping depends entirely on you.
You can visit any or all of the Schengen countries as a tourist for up to 90 days without a visa as a tourist assuming you're from the US, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand. You could also visit the UK. However, it would be illegal for you to work there without a visa that specifically allows it. There is a working holiday visa available for stays of over 90 days that would allow limited work for young people from Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, but not the US.
Prices will depend on exactly where you start from, where you go, exactly when you visit, how long you stay, the accommodations you use and what you see/do/eat. People who backpack around Europe generally can get by for $100 per day staying in cheap hostels and carefully watching their budget (not including airfare); 3 months would require around $9000. However, if you stay in hotels, it will cost you more. I usually spend 100 to 150 euro a night for a hotel. Prices really depend on exactly where you come from, when you visit, how you get around and what you see/do/eat.
Here are some resources that can help you plan and check options and current prices for your trip (expect prices in the future to rise):
http://www.kayak.com/ - airfares & hotels; the explore function is useful for finding the less expensive places to fly into from your starting point. Tuscany is an entire region, not a town. The most convenient airports to fly into will be Pisa or Florence, but Rome or Bologna are also reasonable options.
http://www.skyscanner.it/ - particularly good for budget flights within Europe, but you can also use everywhere as a destination to do something like the explore option on Kayak. You may not need the airfares, but you can compare to the cost of the trains to get around. this one may be more useful for you. Palermo is a long trip by train, Naples to Palermo is one leg of the trip where you might consider flying.
http://www.seat61.com/ . This includes a huge amount of information on train travel throughout Europe - much more than there is room for in an answer here. The site has links to the various national train websites where you can find schedules and prices for trains. It also includes detailed descriptions of railpasses. This will tell you how to determine whether a railpass is worth the money for your trip (in Italy where I live railpasses are almost never worth the cost), which railpass to get, and how to use the railpass. There's also information on what to avoid in particular places.
Driving can be expensive; fuel prices, tolls and parking all add up, but it can become cost effective for groups. You can check sites like Avis, Europcar, Sixt, etc, for your specific rental cost. Picking up in one country and dropping off in another can be very expensive. You can get driving distances and estimates fuel and toll costs on viamichelin: http://www.viamichelin.com/ .
.
http://www.venere.com/ - hotels/B&Bs - prices for the same hotel can vary hugely depending on the season and what local events are going on.
http://www.hostelbookers.com/ - hostels.
http://www.monasterystays.com/ - monasteries & convents that offer accommodations
You can also look into camping or couch surfing as cheaper alternatives for accommodations.
http://www.whatsonwhen.com/sisp/index.ht⦠- festivals, exhibitions and events
http://www.backpackeurope.com/ - information & advice
For sightseeing prices: check the websites for entrance fees for the museums & galleries you're interested in. I spend anywhere between nothing and 40 euro a day depending on exactly what I go to see when out exploring. For food, I spend around 25 to 50 euro for a meal, but you can eat for less. When I travel, I like to try the local specialties and the good restaurants. Shopping depends entirely on you.
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Title Post: How to plan for trip to Australia?
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Thanks For Coming To My Blog
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