Travel and transport
Please note information supplied on this page is for the benefit of Fulbright Scholars travelling to Australia, to assist with travel preparations and also to support Scholars in their transition to life in Australia. Please note: the information has been extracted from recent Fulbright Scholar Final Reports and is not necessarily the views or recommendations of the Fulbright Commission.
| Excess baggage charges are quite expensive |
| Petrol or Fuel (Gas) is variant per state |
| Sydney public transportation was great: easy, safe and affordable. The bus system has a pretty steep learning curve, but once you’ve got it figured out, that’s definitely the way to go. To travel around the country, just FLY. It’s not that much more expensive, and distances that don’t look so far on a map can take days to cover by bus or train! Definitely compare plane ticket prices across airlines, because sometimes the price difference can be pretty amazing (check Virgin Blue, JetStar and Quantas). Also, security screening is not nearly as time consuming in Australian airports, so when they say arrive half an hour early, that’s really all the time you need to allow! 2004 Postgraduate Scholar |
| We absolutely loved QANTAS. The level of service they provide in coach is equivalent to what domestic U.S. airlines offer in business class. Even when I flew QANTAS domestically, I was amazed at how pleasant the experience was. I even took pictures of the food; otherwise, nobody in the U.S. would believe me. 2006 Distinguished Chair |
| I got along fine without buying a car (Brisbane transportation network of rail, citycat, ferry and busses is better than any American city and very convenient though somewhat expensive). I hired a rental car when necessary for local travel. Car rental insurance is expensive, but some independent companies offer this inclusive. Local public transportation networks are excellent, but expensive. Student discounts cut cost in half, but in some states you must qualify for local university student status (not international student) to qualify for discount... Female PGS, 2006 |
| Melbourne’s public transport is varied and good. I prefer the tram (which is a bit slower) to the bus b/c I get less motion sickness when reading on a fixed track. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| I took public transport, which is very clean, reliable and safe in Darwin (especially compared to bus services back home!) It is also fairly cheap, particularly if you get an international student ID card. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| For international travel, I booked through StudentUniverse.com. They have great deals for people with an “.edu” address. But make sure you can get to your final destination, so that your bags will be checked through. Try to keep the same airline if possible so that if you miss a connection, there are no issues with getting you on a later flight. DO NOT agree to paper tickets. If you end up needing to change dates, they hit you with huge fees and you can’t fix anything up online; you have to send them into an office, which was at the other end of the country for me. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| Transportation- buses are pretty reasonable around Darwin, but service stops really early depending on the day and completely stops on some public holidays (which there are many more of in Australia!) |
| Also, Qantas have a special from the US called the “Aussie Airpass” which a special deal on Round-trip flights from LA that include 3 domestic flights within Australia. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| Transportation is fairly good in Melbourne. The tram system can be a bit confusing at first, but is generally good for getting into and out of the suburbs. However, there is a major lack of public transportation to go laterally between suburbs without going first into the CBD hub. Many people have their own cars, although traffic can be a nightmare, as in any major city. However, during rush hour, the trains and trams are PACKED beyond capacity as well.... Good advice to future Scholars would be to utilize “Sunday Savers” where it is just $2.50 for a daily-unlimited ticket for all zones. This is a great way to do some local traveling for a low price! 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| UQ (University of Queensland, Brisbane) has a complimentary airport pick up for arriving international students, which I found useful…. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| If you are absolutely certain that you will depart Australia within one year, consider purchasing a round trip ticket with flexible dates, this may be less expensive than purchasing two one way tickets in an attempt to allow yourself flexibility. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| STA travel is a pretty solid place to go through, but you can also just search for the cheapest prices on the internet. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| If you want to travel somewhere domestically and can get a few scholars or other together, renting a used car is a low cost and convenient alternative to hiring tour groups everywhere. The U.S. license is accepted everywhere(no need for an international license). If you’re under 25, the big companies like Budget have major surcharges, but hunt around for smaller companies, and you’ll find one that has no problem with people aged 21+ driving. Stay on the left side, though. 2005 Postgraduate Scholar |
| If you plan on flying domestically a lot, sign up for frequent flyer points… - Australian popular airlines = Jetstar, qantas, virgin blue.. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |
| Scholars should be prepared for fairly high excess baggage charges in Australia, although in my experience enforcement of baggage limits is unpredictable. Air travel within Australia is more expensive than the US but it does go on sale from time to time. Queensland Rail (TravelTrain) operates long-distance train service within Queensland which is very economical, reasonably fast and has several levels of comfort. I would particularly recommend the TiltTrain. For long or overnight trips on other trains, a sleeper car is a great option and not very expensive... 2005 Postgraduate Scholar |
| A student card is a must for public transport, as it cuts the price in half. Transport in most areas is good and safe, though many routes stop around 6pm. Train and economy airlines are good long-distance options. Greyhound is very slow and filled with dodgy characters and should only be used for shorter trips or in times of true desperation... 2005 Postgraduate Scholar |
| I used on-line resources (Expedia and STA travel) to make travel arrangements which worked well. It may be helpful to tell them the names of the major carriers in Australia (some of which don’t turn up on the usual travel search engines). As for intercity travel, Sydney’s toll free number and website are the best resources: http://www.131500.info/realtime/default.asp. 2005 Postgraduate Scholar |
| I would suggest that students coming to Victoria immediately look into purchasing a Concession Card, which requires a valid student card. I found acquiring one from my university (Monash) particularly difficult. 2005 Postgraduate Scholar |
| Most people in Perth own a car, but I live near the university, the city and public transport, so I did not find it necessary. Also, I purchased a bike and chose to cycle most places, which made it even easier for me. And I made friends with people who had cars, which is always a plus.. 2005 Postgraduate Scholar |
| I had no problems at all arranging my transportation. I would simply forward scholars to key, low-cost travel sites, including:www.expedia.com and www.orbitz.com and IIE sponsored sites, such as STA Travel. 2005 Postgraduate Scholar |
| TravelPasses are essential (Sydney)- - either “Travel 10” or Weekly. They allow one to take unlimited rides on the busses, ferries and, if applicable, trains. 2005 Postgraduate Scholar |
| Hiring a car is best done online, since the rates were consistently better on Internet offers, as opposed to prices quoted on the telephone. 2005 Senior Scholar |
| In Adelaide airport transportation is best done by car as there is only one bus route that goes to the airport. I did not have a car in Adelaide and used the buses and occasionally taxis and rides from friends. A car would have made a big difference but registration is expensive. The bus tickets are sold at convenience stores and it’s best to get a “multi-trip” ticket; these work for trains, buses, and trams. The Metro website is very useful. 2006 Postgraduate Scholar |