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.
Train route map
Interactive map: Click a route for information
Useful country information
Sydney - Adelaide - Perth
 The Indian Pacific: Sydney, Adelaide, Perth. |
Across Australia on the Indian Pacific
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 Journey Beyond Rail (journeybeyondrail.com.au, known as Great Southern Rail until 2019), the Indian Pacific links Sydney, Adelaide & Perth once a week all year round. 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?
Check times & departure dates at journeybeyondrail.com.au. Passengers can take their cars between Adelaide & Perth on the Indian Pacific, see journeybeyondrail.com.au. The station in Adelaide is Adelaide Parklands, formerly known as Adelaide Keswick.
These are the cheapest fares, book over 6 months in advance. Higher fares apply in peak periods.
Children under 4 go free, under 16s reduced rate. Return fares are twice the one-way fare.
Gold & Platinum fares include all meals and soft drinks, beer & wine.
Note that the Pensioner fares shown on the GSR website are for Australian senior citizens only.
£1 = Aus$1.90, US$1 = Aus$1.49. Currency converter.
How to buy tickets
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You can check fares & book a journey on the Indian Pacific online at journeybeyondrail.com.au.
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Or you can use the contact & booking form of reliable Australian-based 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 NSW TrainLink from Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane.
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To buy Australian train tickets in the UK by phone, call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday.
Railpass options
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The Rail Explorer Pass was discontinued in August 2015. You need to buy regular tickets to use the IP or Ghan.
Vacations & tours by rail
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Railbookers are train travel specialists with offices in the UK, Australia & United States. They offer customisable tour packages around Australia with travel on some or all of Australia's great trains, with train tickets, stopovers, hotels, transfers and (if necessary) flights sorted for you.
UK call 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk/destinations/australia.
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
www.railbookers.com/destinations/australia.
Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
www.railbookers.ca/destinations/australia.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526,
www.railbookers.com.au/destinations/australia.
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 used to stop at the gold rush town of Kalgoorlie for 3½ hours, long enough for a walkabout, but is passes through at 3am in its latest timetable. Next day the train rolls into the pleasant and modern city of Perth, capital of Western Australia. Congratulations, you've just crossed a continent!
What's it like on the Indian Pacific & Ghan?
The Indian Pacific & the Ghan use similar equipment. They both have two classes of accommodation, Gold Service sleepers & Platinum Service sleepers. Both classes offer proper beds in private rooms with meals included in the restaurant car. Platinum Service gets you a bigger room with (if you want one) a double bed, with an exclusive Platinum Service restaurant car with small lounge area. Unfortunately, Red Service sleepers were discontinued in 2015 and Red Service reclining seats the year after, there is now no budget option. What was originally a mode of transport with aspirations to cruise service at the top end is now an all-cruise train with prices to match.
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. There's a restaurant car and a lounge car.
Queen Adelaide restaurant
The fare includes excellent 3-course meals served in the Queen Adelaide restaurant car. Beer and standard wines are complimentary in Gold service. Photos courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
Outback Explorer lounge car
During the day Gold Service passengers can use the Outback Explorer lounge (sometimes two of them) with bar & armchairs, complimentary tea & coffee always available. The bar in the Outback Explorer lounge serves cocktails, beer & wine. Since 2013, beer and standard wines are complimentary in Gold service. Photos courtesy of Oliver Mann & DiscoverByRail.com
Twinette sleepers
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. Your twinette comes with comfortable freshly made-up beds, towels and a complimentary toiletries pack with soap, shampoo, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste. The photos 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 & Oliver Mann.
Roomettes
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, 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. Roomettes come with a comfortable freshly made-up beds, towels and a complimentary toiletries pack with soap, shampoo, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste.
Platinum Service
The Ghan and Indian Pacific now feature an 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 a Platinum Service restaurant car, which has a lounge area at one end.
 The Ghan, Adelaide to Alice Springs & Darwin. Courtesy of James Chuang |
The Ghan, to Australia's red centre
The lenendary Ghan 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 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 Journeys Beyond Rail (formerly Great Southern Rail), and has the same classes of accommodation & facilities: Gold class sleepers, lounge & 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 the operator's own expectations.
The Ghan Timetable
IMPORTANT: The Ghan does not run from mid-Dec to mid-Jan.
Off-train excursions happen at the longer stops.
Passengers can take their cars between Adelaide & Darwin on the Ghan, see journeybeyondrail.com.au. What's it like on board The Ghan?
The cheapest fares require you to book over 6 months in advance.
Children under 4 go free, under 16s reduced rate. Return fares are twice the one-way fare.
See journeybeyondrail.com.au for full details of fares.
Apex 6m+ = discounted advance purchase fare, bought at least 6 months in advance.
Gold & Platinum fares include all meals and (from April 2013), soft drinks, beer & wine. Meals are extra in Red Service.
Note that the Pensioner fares shown on the GSR website are for Australian senior citizens only.
£1 = Aus$1.90, US$1 = Aus$1.49. Currency converter.
How to buy tickets
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You can check fares & book a journey on the Indian Pacific online at journeybeyondrail.com.au.
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Or you can use the contact & booking form of Australian-based 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 NSW TrainLink from Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane.
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To buy Australian train tickets by phone in the UK, call International Rail on 0844 248 248 3, lines open 09:00-17:00 Monday-Friday.
Railpass options
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The Rail Explorer Pass was discontinued in August 2015. You need to buy regular tickets to use the Indian Pacific or Ghan.
Vacations & tours by rail
-
Railbookers are train travel specialists with offices in the UK, Australia & United States. They offer customisable tour packages around Australia with travel on some or all of Australia's great trains, with train tickets, stopovers, hotels, transfers and (if necessary) flights sorted for you.
UK call 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk/destinations/australia.
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
www.railbookers.com/destinations/australia. Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
www.railbookers.ca/destinations/australia.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526,
www.railbookers.com.au/destinations/australia.
What's it like on board the Ghan?
The train has similar classes, sleepers, lounges and restaurants as the Indian Pacific, see the accommodation guide above.
A trip on the Ghan from Adelaide to Australia's Red Centre
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 no longer allowed to climb Uluru as from October 2019 - it used to be a steep scramble along the tourist track up the least perpendicular part of its sandstone sides. The website for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru.
The most civilised and pleasant way to travel between central Melbourne and central Adelaide is aboard the twice-a-week Overland, no need to use domestic flights. It's the third of the 3 trains run by journeybeyondrail.com.au.
No service on 25 or 26 December.
£1 = Aus$1.90, US$1 = Aus$1.49. Currency converter.
The cheaper fare = advance purchase, limited availability. The most expensive fare = full-flex rate.
Check fares at journeybeyondrail.com.au.
Southern Cross is the new name for Melbourne's refurbished Spencer Street station.
How to buy tickets
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Option 1, buy tickets at journeybeyondrail.com.au
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Option 2, buy tickets at 12go.com.
12go is a reliable agency, the process is easy, overseas phone credit cards & phone numbers no problem. Your ticket will be confirmed within 24h and sent by email.
What's it like on the Overland?
The Overland 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 breakfast, lunch & afternoon tea included in the fare along with tea, coffee & soft drinks. All passengers can access the licensed buffet-bar. See a review of a journey on the Overland on Tripadvisor.
Sydney to Melbourne, Canberra & Brisbane
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 NSW TrainLink, formerly CountryLink, formerly the State Rail Authority of New South Wales. NSW TrainLink 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 & online booking at transportnsw.info/regional.
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XPT sleeping-car |
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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. |
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Xplorer train from Sydney to Canberra. The seating is similar to that on XPTs. 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 transportnsw.info/regional, times can vary. Southern Cross is the new name for Melbourne's refurbished Spencer Street station.
* The 07:09 XPT from Sydney terminates at Casino, change there for a bus connection to Brisbane.
** The 13:30 departure from Brisbane is by bus to Casino, then train with sleeping-car (departing 19:30) to Sydney.
*** Arrives 04:53 in winter, 03:53 in summer. The ridiculous early arrival in Brisbane is due to local politicos forcing the XPT out of peak arrival times in preference to mere local trains.
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).
Always times at transportnsw.info/regional, as times can vary slightly.
Always check times at transportnsw.info/regional, as times can vary slightly between weekdays & weekends.
£1 = Aus$1.90, US$1 = Aus$1.49. Currency converter.
How to buy tickets
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Option 1, buy tickets at transportnsw.info/regional.
Tickets bought online are sent by e-mail.
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Option 2, buy tickets at 12go.com.
12go.com is a reliable booking agency, the process is easy, overseas phone numbers accepted. Your ticket will be confirmed within 24h and sent by email.
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Sleepers cannot be booked online, so for sleeper berths either call NSW TrainLink on +61 2 3814 0210 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.
On board an XPT train
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 and the 1st class seats recline to 40 degrees rather than 28. But that's the only difference, elbow room and the seats themselves are exactly the same. So there is little point in paying for first class unless economy is full - or you want that extra recline on the overnight run. XPTs have a buffet car selling food and drink, including wine. XPLORERs 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 compartments. 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 NSW TrainLink on +61 2 4907 7501.
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 NSW TrainLink's standard gauge (4' 8½") trains to and from Sydney. For more info & online tickets see www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au.
The SPIRIT OF QUEENSLAND is a new 100mph tilt train with Railbed Class flat-bed seats, Premium Economy Class seats and a lounge car. Introduced in October 2013, this is a brand-new 100mph tilting train, see the photos below. For more info see www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au.
The old Sunlander was discontinued in December 2014, replaced by the Spirit of Queensland 100mph tilt train.
BRISBANE-ROCKHAMPTON: There are additional 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-tainless-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. B-Quick = another advance-purchase fare.
How to buy tickets
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Option 1, buy at www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au
You can check train times & fares and book online at www.queenslandrailtravel.com.au. This can book economy and railbed class.
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Option 2, buy tickets at 12go.com.
12go.com is a reliable booking agency, the process is easy, overseas credit cards no problem. 12go can book economy seats but may not be able to book railbed class. Your ticket will be confirmed within 24h and sent by email.
Vacations & tours by rail
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Railbookers are train travel specialists with offices in the UK, Australia & United States. They offer customisable tour packages around Australia with travel on some or all of Australia's great trains, with train tickets, stopovers, hotels, transfers and (if necessary) flights sorted for you.
UK call 0207 864 4600,
www.railbookers.co.uk/destinations/australia.
US call free 1-888-829-4775,
www.railbookers.com/destinations/australia. Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
www.railbookers.ca/destinations/australia.
Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526,
www.railbookers.com.au/destinations/australia.
The Spirit of Queensland tilt train
The train has two classes, Railbed class & Premium Economy class. All seats have power sockets and airline-style seat-back TV entertainment systems. All passengers can use the lounge-cafe car, in Railbed class meals are served at your seat.
The Spirit of the Outback
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.
Transwa also run trains between Perth & Bunbury (but replaced by a bus from November 2023 until 2025 for line rebuilding), 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.
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Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb |
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Blue Mountains, Katoomba |
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Ned Kelly's armour |
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Jacob's Creek. |
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Fremantle Maritime Museum |
Things to see & do
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.sydneytowereye.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 transportnsw.info/travel-info/ways-to-get-around/ferry). For general city tourist information see www.sydney.com.
Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb
Why not do the incredible Sydney Harbour Bridge climb? From A$344, 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.
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 transportnsw.info/routes/train.
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 was originally displayed there.
Take a ride on Melbourne's trams. For general tourist information, see www.visitmelbourne.com.
Great Ocean Road
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.
Barossa Valley wine region
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.
Fremantle
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. 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.
Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday for just AU$ 10
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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, just AU$ 10 gets you a 1-day tour on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays run by V/Line, the regional train & bus operator, using comfortable trains from Melbourne's Southern Cross station, as follows:
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You take the daily 09:10 V/Line train from Melbourne's main Southern Cross railway station to Geelong, arriving 10:07. The train is comfortable and air-conditioned. Economy seats only, no reservation required.
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At Geelong, the train connects with a daily air-conditioned V/Line coach leaving from outside Geelong railway station at 10:20 and running via Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay arriving 12:53. No reservation required.
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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.
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At Warrnambool, the bus connects with the 17:36 V/Line train back to Melbourne Southern Cross, arriving Melbourne at 21:15. 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 it cost?
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Since 2023, a return ticket from Melbourne to Warrnambool, out via the Great Ocean Road sightseeing bus and back on the direct train now costs an amazingly cheap Aus$ 10 (£5 or US$6), after an election pledge to cap transport fares across Victoria (it used to cost around Aus$87, about £50 or US$62). Children 0-3 (inclusive) go free, children aged 4 to 16 go at the concession rate, Aus$5.
How to buy tickets
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You can easily book this trip online at www.vline.com.au. Simply click Plan trip/buy tickets and use the journey planner to book a return ticket from Melbourne Southern Cross to Warrnambool Station, making sure it's on a Monday, Wednesday or Friday. Make sure you select the 09:10 departure from Melbourne to Warrnambool by train+coach+coach via Geelong & Apollo Bay on the outward leg, and the 17:36 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. If you have any issues booking this, call V/Line on +61 3 9662 2505.
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For general tourist information about the Great Ocean Road, see www.visitgreatoceanroad.org.au.
Guidebooks
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
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.hostelworld.com
www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld 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
1) Check flight prices at Opodo, www.opodo.com
2) Use Skyscanner to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...
3) 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
Travel to Australia without flying
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.
Travel insurance & other tips
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Always take out travel insurance
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 and belongings, up to a sensible limit. 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 with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.