Taranjit
Thinking about making the trek all the way to the land down under? Here are 6 things you should keep in mind when planning a trip to Australia. I hope our mistakes can help prevent you from making the same ones and make your travel a lot less stressful than ours was.
1. Be Prepared for the Long Flight
This is probably a given, but it very true. Depending on where you are traveling from, the number of hours it will take you to get to Australia can vary. We were traveling from the east coast of the U.S., and it took us about 20+ hours to get there and 18+ hours to get back home. I guess the wind was in our favor on the way home. Or is it a placebo type effect, and you just think you got home faster because on the way to your vacation, you are super excited and can’t wait to get there? Placebo or not, hearing your captain tell you that you are going to get to your destination faster than planned is always great news. Not having to be stuck on an airplane for as long as expected helps make the flight even better.
Keeping this in mind, bring some items of entertainment along with you. Buy some puzzle books or magazines to keep in your personal bag. Preload your phone or tablet with music, movies, and TV shows to make the long journey bearable. And get a good quality travel pillow. No plane is comfortable enough. Not even the best ones. Unless you are fortunate enough to fly in first class, then it might be comfortable. But, I cannot agree or disagree to that fact since I have never flown first class. In economy seating, you want to make sure you can be as comfortable as possible during the entire flight.
2. Visa
Before you can go to a foreign country, make sure to check if you need a visa to enter. I will save you the trouble of looking this up. You need a visa to go to Australia. If you are a U.S. citizen, then you qualify for the electronic visa. What does that mean? You can apply for the visa online and get status approval within 2 days. 2 days! That means no having to go to the embassy and get your passport stamped. Isn’t that awesome?
You save time and can do it from the comfort of your home. And almost immediately, you can know if it has been approved.
With an electronic visa, what happens is that instead of your passport getting stamped, your visa gets electronically sent to Australia. Upon arrival, they scan your passport and they can pull up information about whether you have a valid visa or not. Easy peezy!
3. Check Layover Times Between Connections
I cannot stress this point enough. Don’t let what happened to us happen to you. But to hear the entire story about our disastrous flight and cusoms experience and what to expect, read about it in an upcoming post.
If you have a stop in Australia before your final destination, then be prepared to go through customs at your fist stop in the country. As soon as you enter a country, even if it is not your final destination, you will have to go through customs at that location. And depending on the country, customs could be quick (like in Australia) or very slow (eh-hem. U.S.).
Trust me 2 hours of layover time is not enough to de-board the plane, clear customs, grab your bags, drop your bags off for your next flight, and get on your next flight. Don’t believe me? Check out my horrible experience of missing almost every flight on the way to Australia and on the way home.
Wonder what to expect at customs both in Australia and in the U.S.? Stay tuned for an upcoming blog post on the topic.
4. Get sim card there
You could try and ask your phone company to activate an international plane so that your phone works in Australia, but that would be very expensive. Unless, money is not a problem for you, then go for it. That is completely up to you. However, if you cannot afford such an expensive plan, then get a sim card in Australia. It is way cheaper!
Most airports have cell phone shops in them. Just stop by one and get a sim card. Bringing an unlocked phone is probably your best bet if you want to buy a sim card in Australia.
5. Dry air
Be prepared to be in a constant state of thirst. Because Australia is practically one big desert, the water just evaporates from inside you. Your mouth is always dry. So, remember to stay hydrated, and always keep a bottle of water with you. Unless you come from a place that is similar, and you are used to it.
6. Best time of year to go
We went in April, when it is spring in the U.S. and fall in Australia. This was a perfect time to go because the city is not as busy as it is during our summer months. That means you can see more in less time. No having to be stuck in crowds of tourists. A plus! Especially for us when we were short on time. I have heard going during our winter months, when it is there summer, is not as busy either. But, if you think about going during our summer months, then remember it will be their winter.
Quick tip: When native tells you their fall is cold, and you live on the east coast. It is not your version of cold. You probably won’t need that many extra layers. Maybe a few long sleeve shirts or a light jacket will help you make it through their “cold” fall weather. Honestly, it was in the 60s our entire trip. That is nice for us east coasters!
Conclusion
Now that you have the knowledge of what to consider before going to Australia, you can start planning your trip. You have all the tools you need to book your flights and make the appropriate arrangements. Once your flight situation has been handled, then you can start planning what you want to see or do. If you are looking for ideas on what to see or do around the Melbourne area, then check out Visit Melbourne, Australia: 1-day Itinerary.
And like always, keep laughing, loving, learning, and living life to the fullest!
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