Travelling by train in Australia...

Australia is a huge country.  And the best way to appreciate its vastness is to cross it at ground level by train, in comfort.  The famous Indian Pacific links Sydney, Adelaide & Perth in 3 days, crossing the great Nullarbor Plain in the process.  Don't miss out on a visit to the 'red centre' of Australia around Alice Springs, and there's no better way to reach Alice Springs or Darwin than by the equally famous Ghan from Adelaide.  In the East, comfortable XPT trains link Sydney with Melbourne & Brisbane at affordable prices, and Queensland Railways links Brisbane with Townsville & Cairns.  On this page you'll find train times, fares, how to buy tickets, and advice on what the train & the journey are like for all the main Australian train routes.

Useful country information

Sydney - Adelaide - Perth

The Indian Pacific:  One of the World's greatest train journeys, linking Sydney, Adelaide & Perth...

The Indian Pacific, the train across Australia...

Australia's biggest train journey, in every sense of the word...  This is a fabulous train ride right across Australia from Sydney or Adelaide to Perth, giving you a real sense of Australia's vastness which flying simply cannot deliver.  With a cosy bed at night in your own room, a restaurant for your meals and a lounge in which to relax during the day, it's a rolling hotel.  Now run by a private company called Great Southern Rail (www.greatsouthernrail.com.au), the Indian Pacific links Sydney, Adelaide & Perth once a week all year round, twice a week in  peak periods.  The Indian Pacific has only existed since the 1970s, when a standard gauge line was finally completed across the continent from Sydney to Perth, some 4,343km or 2,698 miles.  Today, both the Indian Pacific and its sister train the Ghan use the original stainless-steel coaches built by the American Budd company for the first Indian Pacific trains when they started running in 1973.  Suitably modernised, of course.  This train is well worth including in your grand Australian tour!  What's it like on board the Indian Pacific?    What's the journey like?

*  Wednesday departures from Sydney run all year round, but Saturday departures only run from September to October 2013.

**  Sunday departures from Perth run all year round, but Wednesday departures only run September to October 2013.

Please double check departure dates at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.   Passengers can take their cars on the Indian Pacific, see www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.

Children under 4 go free.  Return fares are twice the one-way fare, but check railpass prices as these can be cheaper. 

A small fuel surcharge is now being added (around A$10-30).

Railsaver = special fare with limited availability, no refunds, limited changes.

The Platinum sleeper price is per person for two people sharing, in Platinum a solo passenger pays double the price.

Gold & Platinum fares include all meals, meals are extra in Red Service.

Note that the Pensioner fares shown on the GSR website are for Australian senior citizens only.

Advance purchase fares:  If you book over 6 months in advance, there's a 10% discount on Platinum & 25% discount Gold tickets

£1 = Aus$1.59,  US$1 = Aus$1.02.  Currency converter.

How to buy tickets...

You can check fares & book a journey on the Indian Pacific online at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.  Alternatively, use the contact & booking form of reliable train ticketing specialist www.internationalrail.com.au who can arrange Indian Pacific tickets for you, wherever you live in the world. You'll normally get a quote within 24 hours.  International Rail can also sort tickets for other Australian train services, such as CountryLink from Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane.

Rail pass options...

There are railpasses for Australia, if you want to make multiple journeys around the continent.  Just remember that you'll still need to make a reservation on the trains you want to take.  The passes cover a Red class seat, you can upgrade to a Gold Service sleeper by paying the difference in fare.

Rail Explorer Pass:  Unlimited Red Service reclining seat travel on the Indian Pacific, Ghan & Overland for 6 months, for £391 adult, £335 student/backpacker/child aged 4-15.

Ausrail pass:  6 months unlimited nationwide Australian train travel on the Indian Pacific between Sydney, Adelaide & Perth, The Ghan between Adelaide, Alice Springs & Darwin, The Overland between Melbourne & Adelaide, CountryLink trains between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Canberra, & most Queensland Railways trains, for £567.

Check pass prices & buy from UK-based International Rail UK agency, prices in £, passes sent to any address worldwide.

Check pass prices & buy online from TrainTicket.com Priced in euros, passes sent to European, Asian or African addresses.

Check pass prices & buy from Australia-based International Rail Australian agency, prices in Aus$, passes sent to any address worldwide.

What's a journey on the Indian Pacific like?

The 'IP' leaves Sydney Central Station in downtown Sydney in late afternoon and threads its way through Sydney's suburban commuterland.  As night falls it climbs up through the scenic Blue Mountains passing through Katoomba, and next morning you'll wake up in arid outback country around Broken Hill.  Look out for kangaroo and emu over breakfast in the train's restaurant car!  The train arrives in Adelaide in the afternoon, with time for a city tour even if you're not stopping off, and leaves again for Perth in the early evening.  The day after leaving Adelaide the Indian Pacific crosses the hot, dusty emptiness of the famous Nullarbor Plain on the longest stretch of straight railway line in the world, 478 km or 297 miles, 'nullarbor' being Latin for 'no trees'.  The train stops long enough for you to visit the tiny community of Cook.  If you've ever wondered what the Middle of Nowhere looks like, this is it!  Once off the Nullarbor you can play 'spot the koala' over dinner as the beautiful evening sun plays over the leafy eucalyptus trees.  After dinner that evening the train stops at the gold rush town of Kalgoorlie for 3½ hours, long enough for a walkabout.  Next morning after breakfast the train rolls into the pleasant and modern city of Perth, capital of Western Australia.  Congratulations, you've just crossed a continent!

Lunch on the Nullarbor Plain.  The Indian Pacific labours across the famous Nullarbor Plain, on the world's longest dead straight section of railway, 478 km or 297 miles.  If you've ever wondered what The Middle of Nowhere looks like, this is it.  It's very dry in this vastness, of course, better have another beer...		Get Sick at Cook!  Eastbound & westbound Indian Pacifics pass each other at Cook, a tiny community on the Nullarbor Plain where you can get out & stretch your legs. The humour is also pretty dry out here:  Unfortunately, not enough people got sick so the hospital closed...

Koala spotting at dinner, just off the Nullarbor Plain and heading for Kalgoorlie.  The warm early-evening light on the eucalypt trees is magical...		An evening in Kalgoorlie.  The Indian Pacific stops at Kalgoorlie long enough for a wander.  This is Paddy Hannan who founded Kalgoorlie when he found gold in 1893.

What's it like on board the Indian Pacific and The Ghan?

The Indian Pacific & the Ghan use similar equipment.  They both have two main classes of accommodation, Gold Service sleepers & Red Service reclining seats.  Certain departures now feature a fourth premium class, Platinum Service sleepers.  Which should you choose?  If you want the 'experience of a lifetime' and can afford it, go Gold Service sleeper for all the comforts, complete with restaurant car meals included.  Platinum Service gets you a bigger sleeper with (if you want one) a double bed, but Platinum passengers use the same lounge and restaurant as Gold passengers, and most of your day will be spent there.  At the other extreme, if you're on a very tight budget, Red Service seats allow you to experience one of the world's great train journeys for not much more than you'd pay for a flight plus a hotel room or two.  Unfortunately, Red Service sleepers, the economy sleeper option, were discontinued in 2013.

Gold Service (formerly first class)...

Gold Service passengers travel in private sleepers, either 2-berth 'twinettes' for passengers travelling in twos or single-berth 'roomettes' for passengers travelling alone, see the photos below.  The price per person is the same.  Both roomettes and twinettes come with comfortable freshly made-up beds, towels and a complimentary toiletries pack with soap, shampoo, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc..  The fare includes excellent 3-course meals served in the Queen Adelaide restaurant car, and you can use the Outback Explorer lounge car (sometimes two of them) with bar & armchairs, complimentary tea & coffee always available.  The bar in the Outback Explorer lounge serves cocktails, beer & wine, but drinks are extra.

Gold Service Queen Adelaide restaurant.  Meals are included in the fare.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang		Gold Service Outback Explorer Lounge for Gold & Platinum Service guests.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang

Twinette sleeper:  If there's two of you, you'll get a relatively spacious 2-berth sleeper called a Twinette. The twinette sleeping-cars have a conventional layout with a corridor along one side of the car, with compartments opening off it.  Each twinette compartment has an upper & lower bed which fold away to reveal a sofa for daytime use.  Twinettes have a tiny private bathroom with hot shower, toilet & washbasin.  Soap, shampoo, towels are all provided. The photos to the right pretty accurately show the size of the room, with the compact shower & toilet opening off the wall to the left of shot. Photos courtesy of James Chuang
		Gold Service twinette, day mode...		Gold Service twinette, night-time.

Gold Service roomette, daytime.  Taken from doorway.		Gold Service roomette, night mode.  The bed folds out from behind the seat, taking up almost the whole room...		The drop-down sink in single-berth roomette.
Roomette:  If you're travelling alone in Gold Service, you'll get a cosy private roomette.  Roomette sleeping-cars have a corridor snaking through the centre of the car in a series of gentle 's' curves with doors to the roomettes opening off both sides of it (the curves in the corridor maximise the space in each roomette, by making it wider at the head end).  Each roomette is only about 7 feet long by 4 feet wide, just big enough for a comfy armchair, a table, and a drop-down sink in one corner, though the drop-down flush toilet originally fitted underneath each sink is now boarded up out of use.  At night, the bed folds down from behind the seat and takes up most of the room.  There's an excellent hot shower & toilets at the end of the corridor.

Red service sleeper (formerly Holiday Class)

UPDATE 2013:  Red Service sleeper has been discontinued on all departures from 1 April onwards, along with the Red Service lounge car, so that Gold Sleeper capacity can be boosted.  This leaves a Red Service reclining seat, Gold or Platinum sleepers as the only options.

Red Service reclining seats (formerly Economy Class)...

Passengers travel in comfortable reclining 'dayniter' seats with plenty of legroom and adjustable leg-rests.  Bring your own rug and pillow if required.  There's a hot shower at the end of the coach, with soap and towels provided for each passenger.  Seats passengers can use the Red Service 'Matilda Cafe' self-service cafe-restaurant where they can buy snacks, soft & alcoholic drinks and complete meals, and rent personal DVD players and feature films.  Unfortunately there is now no Red Service lounge car, this was discontinued in April 2013.  Naturally, sleeping in a seat is a bit 'rough' compared to the comforts of a proper bed in a cosy sleeper, especially if you are doing the whole 3-night journey in one go and not stopping off (which would be my first suggestion, to break the journey up), but a Red Service seat is far cheaper than a Gold or Platinum sleeper, you're not stuck in a seat like a bus as you've got space to move, a shower, there's the cafe-restaurant car and of course the scenery is just as good as travelling in a sleeper.  The Red Service seats option makes this journey affordable for budget travellers when compared to flying plus a hotel room or two.  Even in a seat, there's no comparison between the experience of a train journey across Australia and the mundane non-experience of a flight.  In other words, you might find journey on the Indian Pacific in a seat enjoyable or you might find it a bit uncomfortable, but either way you'll have loads to write home about, if you fly you won't.

The Indian Pacific's stainless steel coaches catch the late afternoon sun at Adelaide before setting off on an epic journey across Australia to Perth...		Red Service dayniter reclining seats on the Indian Pacific & Ghan.  Seats passengers can use the Matilda Cafe & (for A$15 per day) the Red Gum Lounge. Photo James Chuang.

The Red Gum lounge has now been discontinued as of April 2013, leavinmg seats and restaurant as the only cars in Red Service.  Courtesy Guy Broughton.		Red Service Matilda Café, serving snacks, meals and drinks to Red sleeper and Red seat passengers.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang

Platinum service sleeper

Certain departures of the Ghan and Indian Pacific now feature a new ultra-luxurious (and expensive!) Platinum Service, with a choice of double-bed or twin-bed sleeper compartments with private shower and toilet and extra space even compared to Gold Service.  As with Gold Service, meals are included in the fare, served in the Queen Adelaide restaurant, and Platinum passengers may use the Outback Explorer Lounge with bar.  You'll have to use the journey planner at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au to see which departures have Platinum Service available.

Platinum twin sleeper, in daytime mode.		Platinum twin sleeper, in night mode.		Platinum double bed sleeper, in daytime mode.  Photos courtesy of James Chuang

Sponsored Links...

Take the Ghan to Australia's red centre...

The Ghan:  One of Australia's great train journeys, Adelaide to Alice Springs & Darwin.  Courtesy of James Chuang

This train is undoubtedly the best way to reach Australia's fabulous 'Red centre' and the iconic 'Uluru' (Ayer's Rock).  Australia's second most famous train, the legendary Ghan links Adelaide, Alice Springs & (since 2004) Darwin, once a week all year round, twice a week from April to October.  By using the train you get a real feel for the scale of the Australian outback, which you simply don't on a plane.  Like the Indian Pacific, the Ghan is now run by Great Southern Rail, and has the same classes of accommodation & facilities:  Gold Class sleepers, lounge & restaurant, Red Class reclining 'dayniter' seats & self-service cafe-restaurant, see the section above.  Most departures of the Ghan now have an additional class of accommodation, the new super-deluxe Platinum Class complete with double (or twin lower) beds.

The Ghan gets its name from the (supposedly) Afghan camels and camel drivers who used to carry supplies up to Alice Springs before the railway came.  The first railway was narrow gauge, and the old Ghan was notoriously slow, taking 48 hours from Adelaide to Alice.  Only in the early 1980s was this new standard-gauge line opened taking a more direct route.  The journey time has been cut to an afternoon and a night, and the service doubled to twice weekly for much of the year.  Connections are available to/from Sydney and Melbourne using the Indian Pacific or Overland, see the Indian Pacific and Overland sections below.  The railway onwards to Darwin was completed in January 2004, and in February that year the Ghan was extended to Darwin once a week, doubled to twice-weekly in 2006.  Book early, as there has been huge interest in the service to Darwin and bookings have exceeded even Great Southern Rail's expectations.

The Ghan Timetable...

* IMPORTANT:  The Wednesday departure from Adelaide and the Saturday departure from Darwin only operate from June to August 2013.  Furthermore, the Ghan will only run once per fortnight in December 2013 and January 2014.

Passengers can take their cars on the Ghan, see www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.      What's it like on board The Ghan?

* The Platinum sleeper price is per person for two people sharing.  In Platinum class, a solo passenger pays double the price.

Children under 4 go free.  Return fares are twice the one-way fare, but check railpass prices as these can be cheaper. 

A small fuel surcharge is now being added (around A$10-30).

Apex 6m+ = discounted advance purchase fare, bought at least 6 months in advance.

Railsaver = special fare with limited availability, no refunds, limited changes.

Gold & Platinum fares include all meals.  Red Service fares don't.

Note that the Pensioner fares shown on the GSR website are for Australian senior citizens only.

£1 = Aus$1.59,  US$1 = Aus$1.02.  Currency converter.

How to buy tickets...

You can check fares & book a journey on the Indian Pacific online at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.  Alternatively, use the contact & booking form of reliable train ticketing specialist www.internationalrail.com.au who can arrange tickets for the Ghan for you wherever you live in the world. You'll normally get a quote within 24 hours.  International Rail can also sort tickets for other Australian train services, such as CountryLink from Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane.

Rail pass options...

There are railpasses for Australia, if you want to make multiple journeys around the continent.  Just remember that you'll still need to make a reservation on the trains you want to take.  The passes cover a Red class seat, you can upgrade to a Gold Service sleeper by paying the difference in fare.

Rail Explorer Pass:  Unlimited Red Service reclining seat travel on the Indian Pacific, Ghan & Overland for 6 months, for £391 adult, £335 student/backpacker/child aged 4-15.

Ausrail pass:  6 months unlimited nationwide Australian train travel on the Indian Pacific between Sydney, Adelaide & Perth, The Ghan between Adelaide, Alice Springs & Darwin, The Overland between Melbourne & Adelaide, CountryLink trains between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Canberra, & most Queensland Railways trains, for £567.

Check pass prices & buy from UK-based International Rail UK agency, prices in £, passes sent to any address worldwide.

Check pass prices & buy online from TrainTicket.com Priced in euros, passes sent to European, Asian or African addresses.

Check pass prices & buy from Australia-based International Rail Australian agency, prices in Aus$, passes sent to any address worldwide.

What's it like on board the Ghan?  See the accommodation above...

A trip on the Ghan from Adelaide to Alice Springs & Australia's 'Red Centre'...

Boarding the Ghan at Adelaide, bound for Alice Springs and Darwin.  Courtesy of James Chuang		Heavitree Gap, where both road and railway enter Alice Springs from the south...

The original 'Alice Spring' at Alice Springs Telegraph station, see the Telegraph station museum website.		Ayer's Rock (Uluru), 275 miles southwest of Alice, see www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru

Alice Springs...

The Alice, as it's usually known, still has a frontier feel to it.  Originally called Stuart and only officially renamed Alice Springs in 1933, it grew up around a telegraph station on the overland telegraph linking southern Australia with London.  The site for the telegraph station was chosen because there was water, a spring  which was named after the wife of Charles Todd, superintendent of telegraphs in Adelaide.  You can still see the telegraph station, now a museum, at the North end of the town.  Next to it (pictured above, at the base of the white rock) is the very birthplace of the town - the original, dried up 'Alice spring'.  Telegraph station museum website.  Northern Territories official visitor website.

Ayer's Rock (Uluru)...

You'll want to explore the outback whilst in Alice Springs, including Uluru, the world's largest sandstone monolith.  It's some 275 miles southwest of Alice - the outback is a big place!  It's a fabulous area with lots to see besides Uluru, including the Olgas (Kata Tjuta) & King's Canyon.  You can see Uluru & Kata Tjuta as a 17 hour day trip from Alice (which includes a 5 hour drive each way), but it's far better to book a 2, 3 or 4-day 4-wheel drive camping safari to see more in less of a hurry.  Try www.wayoutback.com.au.  You're still allowed to climb Uluru, a steep scramble along the tourist track up the least perpendicular part of its sandstone sides - however, aboriginal people request that you don't.  The website for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru.

	The Overland:  The 'Emu' logo on the stainless steel cars of the Overland train from Melbourne to Adelaide. Courtesy of James Chuang

The Overland...

The most civilised and pleasant way to travel between central Melbourne and central Adelaide is aboard the three-times-a-week Overlander, no need to use domestic flights.  It's the third of the three trains run by www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.

The Overland will not run from Adelaide on 25 December or from Melbourne on 26 December.

* Government cuts:  The Thursday departure from Melbourne and Wednesday departure from Adelaide will not run from 7 August 2013 to 27 March 2014.

£1 = 1.59 Australian dollars,  $1 = 1.02 Aus$.  Currency converter.

Railsaver = advance purchase, limited availability.

Southern Cross is the new name for Melbourne's refurbished Spencer Street station.  Railpass information.

How to buy tickets...

You can check fares and buy tickets for the Overland online at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.  Alternatively, reliable Melbourne-based agency www.internationalrail.com.au can arrange Overland tickets for you, wherever you live in the world.  If you use their contact & booking form you'll normally get a quote within 24 hours.  International Rail can also sort tickets for other Australian train services, such as CountryLink from Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane.

What's it like on board the Overland?

The Overland was refurbished in May 2007, and now has spacious and comfortable 'Red Service' standard class reclining seats with loads of legroom, and deluxe 'Red Premium' first class reclining seats with even more room and at-seat meal service (although meals are not included in the fare).  All passengers can access the licensed buffet-bar.  See a review of a journey on the Overland on Tripadvisor.

Red Premium (first class) seating on the Overland.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang		Red service seating. This & cafe photo courtesy of James Chuang		The Overland cafe car. Far more civilised than flying or a nightmare bus journey.

CountryLink's XPT and XPLORER trains...

Comfortable air-conditioned trains link Sydney with Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, city centre to city centre, with no need to fly!  These trains are run by CountryLink, formerly the State Rail Authority of New South Wales, a division of RailCorp.  CountryLink runs two comfortable XPT trains every day from Sydney to Melbourne, one by day and the other a time-effective overnight train with sleeping-car.  A similar daytime and overnight XPT service links Sydney to Brisbane, although as trains alternate between Brisbane and Casino, a bus connection is needed to Brisbane on one of the two.  Equally comfortable XPLORER trains link Sydney with Canberra several times a day.  More info at  www.countrylink.info.

CountryLink XPT trains. Photo courtesy of Rail Australia...		Economy class seating on a CountryLink XPT train.		Spot the difference...  First class seats on an XPT are almost identical to economy.

XPT trains might look familiar.  That's because they're based on the UK's InterCity 125, but re-geared to 100mph and with (you'll be pleased to learn...) beefed-up air-conditioning.  XPTs have first and economy class reclining seats.  First and economy class seating is virtually identical - if you look really closely and get your tape measure out, you'll find there's 2" more legroom in first, but that's the only difference, elbow room and the seats themselves are exactly the same.  So there is hardly any point in paying for first class unless economy is full.  XPTs have a buffet car selling food and drink, including wine.  XPLORERs (pictured, below right), which have similar seating to XPTs and a buffet-bar.

XPT sleeping-cars:  The overnight Sydney-Melbourne & Sydney-Brisbane XPT trains have one sleeping-car with 2-berth rooms.  A sofa converts to a lower berth and an upper berth folds out from the wall, with mattress and all necessary bedding.  There's a hot shower & toilet shared between each pair of adjacent compartments, just outside your compartment door.  Book early, as there's only one sleeping-car per train and it gets booked up fast.  Unfortunately sleepers cannot be booked online, so you need to book at the station or by phone - from outside Australia call CountryLink on +61 2 4907 7501.

	CountryLink XPT Photo courtesy of James Chuang
	XPT sleeper:  This is a 2-berth sleeper on the overnight train from Sydney to Melbourne or from Sydney to Brisbane.  There's a toilet & hot shower between each pair of compartments.  Photo courtesy of Rail Australia...
	A CountryLink Xplorer train from Sydney to Canberra.  Courtesy of Rail Australia...

XPT train with 1st & Economy class seats & buffet-bar.  Sleeping-car available on overnight train with 2-berth rooms, shower & toilet adjacent.

Check times before travel at www.countrylink.info, times can vary.  'Southern Cross' is the new name for Melbourne's refurbished Spencer Street station.

*  The 07:15 XPT from Sydney terminates at Casino at 18:44, you must change there for a bus connection to Brisbane.

**  The 15:10 departure from Brisbane is by bus to Casino, then by train (departing 19:30) to Sydney.

XPT train with 1st & Economy class seats & buffet-bar.  Sleeping-car available on overnight train with 2-berth rooms, shower & toilet adjacent.

Important:  Arrivals & departures in Brisbane are one hour earlier during daylight saving time (October to April).

Please double-check times at www.countrylink.info, as times can vary.

Please double-check times at www.countrylink.info, as times can vary.

£1 = 1.59 Australian dollars,  $1 = 1.02 Aus$.  Currency converter.

How to buy tickets:  www.countrylink.info

You can check fares & train times and buy tickets online at www.countrylink.info.  Tickets bought online are sent by e-mail. 

However, sleepers cannot be booked online, so if you want a sleeper either call CountryLink on +61 2 4907 7501, or use the contact & booking form of Melbourne-based agency www.internationalrail.com.au who can arrange sleeper tickets for you wherever you live in the world - you'll normally get a reply with a quote within 24 hours.

Railpasses for Australia are also available, including the Backtracker pass covering CountryLink trains or the Austrail Pass covering CountryLink and other Australian train routes too.

Great Ocean Road 1-day tour by train+bus:  Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday...

	The 12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road...

The Great Ocean Road along the coast from Melbourne is one of the great scenic drives of Australia.  You can hire a car and drive it, or there are various 1-day bus tours from Melbourne.  But rather than endure a bus for the whole day, there's a 1-day tour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays run by V/Line, the regional train and bus operator, using comfortable trains from Melbourne's Southern Cross station, as follows...

• You take the daily 09:00 V/Line train from Melbourne's main Southern Cross railway station to Geelong, arriving 09:56.  The train is comfortable and air-conditioned.  Economy seats only, no reservation required.

• At Geelong, the train connects with a daily air-conditioned V/Line coach leaving from outside Geelong railway station at 10:15 and running via Anglesea and Lorene to Apollo Bay arriving 12:48.  No reservation required.

• At Apollo Bay, you switch buses and join a V/Line Great Ocean Road air-conditioned sightseeing coach.  This runs on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays leaving Apollo Bay at 13:25 and running all along the Great Ocean Road via the Twelve Apostles (30 minute stop), Loch-Ard Gorge (15 minute stop), London Bridge (10 minute stop) and Bay of Islands (10 min stop) to Warrnambool railway station, arriving 16:55.  No reservation is required for this bus.

• At Warrnambool, the bus connects with the 17:18 V/Line train back to Melbourne Southern Cross, arriving Melbourne at 20:45.  This comfortable air-conditioned train has first class as well as economy seats, refreshments are available on board.  However, on this train a seat reservation is required.

How much does this day trip cost?  How to buy tickets?

• A return ticket from Melbourne to Warrnambool, out via the Great Ocean Road sightseeing bus and back on the direct train costs Aus$64, about £40 or US$64.  If you select first class for the train back from Warrnambool to Melbourne, the fare becomes Aus$70, just $6 more, a bargain!  Children 0-3 (inclusive) go free, children aged 4 to 16 go for Aus$31.90 ($37.90 with first class on the train back).

• You can easily book this trip online at www.vline.com.au.  Simply click 'Buy tickets' and use the journey planner to book a return ticket from Melbourne Southern Cross to Warrnambool, making sure it's on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday.  Make sure you select the 09:00 departure from Melbourne to Warrnambool by train+coach+coach via Geelong & Apollo Bay on the outward leg, and the 17:18 direct train from Warrnambool to Melbourne on the return leg.  You pay by Visa or MasterCard and collect your tickets at any V/Line sales outlet, including at Melbourne Southern Cross station.

• For general tourist information about the Great Ocean Road, see See www.greatoceanrd.org.au.

Sydney... Sydney is a fantastic city.  Take a tour of the opera house (www.sydneyoperahouse.com).  Wander through the botanic gardens.  Visit the observation deck of the Centrepoint Tower (www.sydneytower.com.au).  Take a ferry from Circular Quay to Watson's Bay for fish and chips at Doyle's famous refreshment rooms (www.doyles.com.au, look for 'Doyles on the beach', for Sydney ferry information see www.sydneyferries.info).  For general city tourist information see www.sydney.com. Why not do the incredible Sydney Harbour Bridge climb (pictured, right)? From Aus$188 (£118), you are briefed and equipped for a walk up the girders of Sydney Harbour Bridge, for some fantastic views across the city, from the Pacific Ocean in the East to the Blue Mountains in the West.  The bridge climb tour has been operating since October 1998.  Book your climb online here or visit www.bridgeclimb.com for more information. Buy a ticket for the Sydney Open Top Bus Tour - hop on, hop off.

The Blue Mountains... Looking for a scenic day out from Sydney?  Hop on a double-deck suburban train from Sydney to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, 109.9km from Sydney - trains run about every hour, journey time 2 hours, fare around Aus$7.80 each way, or Aus$10.80 for an off-peak day return valid any time after 9am Monday-Friday or any time at weekends.  Children under 16 half fare, children under 4 free.  A short walk from the station brings you to the Three Sisters rock formation, overlooking the breathtaking Jamieson Valley, with lots of great scenic walks.  For information & a guide to walks, see www.bluemts.com.au or www.infobluemountains.net.au. For Sydney Suburban train times & fares see www.cityrail.info (select 'Blue Mountains Line in their journey planner', and remember that Sydney Central is listed as just 'Central'.

Melbourne... Don't forget to visit the museum in Melbourne's old gaol, www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au.  Ned Kelly, Australia's most infamous outlaw, was imprisoned and hanged in Melbourne gaol, and his unique armour is still displayed there (pictured, right). Take a ride on Melbourne's trams (there's even a restaurant in a tram - eat your dinner travelling round the Melbourne streets, book a tramcar meal online here or see www.tramrestaurant.com.au).  For general tourist information, see www.visitmelbourne.com. For a day or two out of town, drive the famous Great Ocean Road.  You can do this as a train+bus day tour from Melbourne, or you could hire a car for a day or two.  See www.greatoceanrd.org.au.

Adelaide... Named after the wife of King William IV, Adelaide is a much smaller city than Sydney or Melbourne, and much more relaxed.  Admirably well laid-out by its founder, Colonel William Light, the city centre is surrounded by parkland.  On Montefiore Hill to the north of the centre, you can see 'Light's vision', where Colonel Light stood to map out his plan for the city.  For city visit information see www.cityofadelaide.com.au. It's worth hiring a car for a few days to visit some of the wine regions nearby, including the famous Barossa Valley, see www.barossa.com or www.barossa-valley-australia.com.au.

Perth... Perth is the capital of Western Australia, a clean, modern city - for visitor information see www.cityofperth.wa.gov.au.  Frequent electric trains link Perth with Fremantle, see www.transperth.wa.gov.au for times & fares.  In the maritime museum in Fremantle are the remains of the Dutch East India company ship Batavia (pictured, right).  The ship was carrying a stone arch for the main gate of the city of Batavia (modern day Jakarta).  Needless to say, the arch never arrived...  See www.museum.wa.gov.au. Buy a ticket for the Perth Open Top Bus Tour - hop on, hop off

Queensland Railways...

Queensland Railways (QR) operates excellent passenger trains linking Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns, branded Traveltrain.  The trains operate on narrow gauge 3' 6" tracks, which explains why you need to change at Brisbane onto CountryLink's standard gauge (4' 8½") trains to and from Sydney.  For more info, visit www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au.

The SUNLANDER:  First class sleepers (private single or twin berth compartments), economy sleepers (shared 3-berth compartments with upper, middle & lower berths) and economy reclining seats, lounge and restaurant.  There's a shower at the end of each sleeping-car corridor.  On Thursdays & Sundays from Brisbane, Tuesdays & Saturdays from Cairns & Townsville, this train also has deluxe Queenslander class sleepers, restaurant and lounge.  Read this illustrated blog about travelling on the Sunlander.  In 2014 the Sunlander will be replaced by a swish new tilt train with deluxe en suite sleepers, flat-bed seats, reclining seats, restaurant and lounge, shaving 5 hours off the journey time, see the Brisbane Times article here.

TILT TRAIN:  Introduced in April 2003, this is new 100 mph tilting diesel train with business class reclining seats with video entertainment & a buffet-bar.  Unfortunately, there are no sleepers, just seats.

BRISBANE-ROCKHAMPTON:  There are other trains between Brisbane and Rockhampton, including a 100mph tilting daytime train.

BRISBANE-LONGREACH:  A train called the SPIRIT OF THE OUTBACK runs twice a week Brisbane - Rockhampton - Longreach, with 1st & economy sleepers, economy seats, and restaurant car.  1st class fares now include meals.  See www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au for details.

CAIRNS-FORSAYTH:  A little 1963-vintage stainless-steel railcar works the Savannahlander train from Cairns to Forsayth at 06:30 every Wednesday with an overnight hotel stop in Almaden, arriving in Forsayth on Thursday evening.  It returns from Forsayth at 08:30 on Fridays, also with an overnight hotel stop in Almaden, arriving Cairns 18:40 on Saturdays.  A 4-day outback rail experience!  It runs March until December, no service in late Dec, Jan or Feb or first few days of March.  See www.savannahlander.com.au for timetable, fares & booking.

Children 15 years and under pay half the adult fare, children 3 years and under go free.

A-Choice fare = fully flexible, refundable.  U-Save fare = advance-purchase limited availability, no refunds.

How to buy tickets...

You can check train times & fares and book online at www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au.  Alternatively, use the contact & booking form of Melbourne-based agency www.internationalrail.com.au who can arrange Queensland rail tickets for you wherever you live in the world - you'll normally get a reply with a quote within 24 hours.  Railpasses for Australia.

100 mph Tilt Train from Brisbane to Cairns at Townsville.  Photo courtesy of James Chuang		Spacious business class seats on the tilt train to Cairns. Photo courtesy of James Chuang
On the tilt train, individual TV screens at every seat not only show entertainment, you can see the view forward from a camera on the front of the train, with a speed readout and details of the next stop.

The Sunlander:  Lounge & restaurant on the Sunlander, Brisbane to Townsville & Cairns. Courtesy James Chuang. Read this illustrated blog about travelling on the Sunlander, with photos of first class and economy sleepers

The Spirit of the Outback:  Club car & exterior of the Spirit of The Outback from Rockhampton to Longreach.  Although narrow gauge (3' 6") it's very comfortable!  1st class fares now include meals.  Courtesy of Peter Young.

Transwa's Prospector...

Transwa (formerly known as Westrail) introduced new express diesel trains on the Perth to Kalgoorlie Prospector services in September 2003, running at up to 100mph.  Within a few years, track will be upgraded to 125mph (200km/h), making these trains the fastest in Australia.  For more info, visit www.transwa.wa.gov.au.

This route is also served by the Indian Pacific.  Transwa also run trains between Perth & Bunbury, see www.transwa.wa.gov.au.

Fares & how to buy tickets:  Perth-Kalgoorlie costs Aus$ 81.55 each way.  Children under 5 free, children 5 to 15 (inclusive) half fare.  You can book online at www.transwa.wa.gov.au.

Above:  The Perth to Kalgoorlie Prospector train, a really classy way to get from Perth to Kalgoorlie... Photos courtesy of James Chuang

Guidebooks

Lonely Planet or Rough Guides...

A guidebook is a fraction of what you're spending on your whole trip.  With a decent guidebook you'll see so much more and know far more about what you're looking at.  For the serious independent traveller I recommend either the Lonely Planet or the Rough Guide.  I personally prefer the layout of the Lonely Planets, but others prefer the Rough Guides.  Both books provide a similarly excellent level of practical detail and useful background.  You won't regret buying one!

Buy at Amazon.co.uk (UK) or Amazon.com (US)...

Alternatively, you can download just the chapters you need in .PDF format from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a chapter.

Australia by Rail from Trailblazer Guides...

Colin Taylor's "Australia by Rail" is well worth buying if you plan to tour Australia by train.  Not only will it help you understand the routes, trains, and on-board accommodation, it has city information and best of all a mile-by-mile lineside guide of what to see from the train on the way.  Buy online at Amazon.co.uk

Hotels & accommodation in Australia

Tripadvisor hotel reviews...

www.tripadvisor.com is a good place to find independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels.  It also has the low-down on all the sights & attractions too.

Backpacker hostels in Australia...

www.hostelbookers.com:  If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelbookers offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in many places in Australia, at rock-bottom prices.

Flights to Australia

Finding the cheapest flight...

Overland travel around Australia  by train is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground!  But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Australia in the first place.  For flights from the UK to Sydney, two airlines stand out:

• Virgin Atlantic Airlines, www.virginatlantic.com, who fly direct from the UK to Australia, a good choice for both price & service.

• Singapore Airlines, www.singaporeair.com, consistently voted one of the world's best (and I wouldn't disagree, as airlines go...).

Use the Skyscanner search tool to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...

Lounge passes...

Make the airport experience a little more bearable with a VIP lounge pass, it's not as expensive as you think!  See www.loungepass.com.

For information on how to travel from Europe to Australia without flying, either overland by Trans-Siberian Railway to the Far East then by freighter, or by sea all the way,

see the Australia overland page

Holidays by train in Australia

UK companies such as Great Rail Journeys offer fully inclusive 5-star escorted tours around Australia, using the Indian Pacific, the Ghan & CountryLink.  Check the holiday details online, then call 01904 527 120 to book or use their online booking form.  Seat61 gets some commission to help support the site if you book your holiday through this link and phone number.

Alternatively, companies such as Travelbag can arrange independent travel, with flights and trains as required.

Travel insurance & health card

Get travel insurance, it's essential...

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings.  An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself).  Here are some suggested insurers.  Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.

In the UK, try Columbus Direct or use Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many different insurers.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65 (no age limit), see www.JustTravelCover.com.

        If you're resident in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try Columbus Direct's other websites.

    If you're resident in the USA or Canada, try Travel Guard USA.

Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...

It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card.  If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself.  In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others.  Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad.  Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card!

You can avoid ATM charges and expensive exchange rates with a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or their multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, see www.caxtonfx.com for info.

Get an international SIM card...

Mobile phones can cost a fortune to use abroad, and if you're not careful you can return home to find some huge bills waiting for you.  I've known people run up a £1,000 bill in data charges just by leaving their iPhone connected during a simple trip to Europe.  However, if you buy a global SIM card for your mobile phone from a company such as www.Go-Sim.com you can slash the cost by up to 85% and limit any damage to the amount you have pre-paid.  It cuts call costs in 175 countries worldwide, and you can receive incoming calls and texts for free in 75 countries.  It's pay-as-you-go, so no nasty bills when you get home.  It also works for laptop or PDA data access.  A Go-Sim account and any credit on it doesn't expire if it's not between trips, unlike some others, so a Go-Sim phone number becomes your 'global phone number' for life.