So you’ve booked your flights, you’ve got your visa all sorted and you’re super stoked to be visiting Australia for the first time!

You could just land and wing it from there, but trust me when I say that after a long haul flight covering more than a handful of time zones you’ll be in no mood to lug your backpack around whatever city you land in trying to find a place to stay.

So take my advice and prepare a little!

There are a few things that you can sort before you land that will make your arrival heaps smoother and stress free. You want to start your Australian adventure on the right foot and enjoy the first days of your trip.

Airport Pickup

The first thing you’re going to need to deal with when you arrive in Oz is the airport, or more specifically how the hell you’re going to leave it!
Some destinations, such as Cairns and Melbourne, have great shuttle bus options that are the cheapest and easiest way to get into the city. Many can drop you at some central accommodation.

Check out the following sites for some more info:

Cairns – Cairns Airport Shuttle Brisbane – Con-X-ion

Byron Bay – Byron Easy Bus Sydney – Airport Connect Melbourne – Sky Bus

Sydney, on the other hand, has a great train service that runs direct from the airport into the centre of the city and it’s super easy and convenient, especially if you’re staying at Wakeup or Sydney Central YHA, which are right opposite!

There’s no need to book in advance and it’ll set you back around $17AUD one way.

Accommodation

Let’s face it: you’re going to be pretty overwhelmed, tired and not functioning at top speed when you land, so you’ll be wanting have a bed lined up pretty fast!

With that in mind it pays to pre-book your accommodation before you land. You’ll get the best rates and hopefully it’ll mean getting your hostel of choice.

But don’t just book one night (unless you have solid plans to bounce the next day).

Book two or more.

There’s no worse feeling than getting woken up on your first full day in Australia at 10am by hostel staff telling your sad jet lagged self it’s time to check out!

We can book a huge range of hostels all across Australia so chat to our travel experts to find the right fit for you – whether that’s partying at Nomads or enjoying a more chilled vibe at YHA.

Travel Passes

If you’re landing in Australia I’m going to assume that you already kind of know where you want to head, or you’re reading this blog to help you figure that out. In which case, good times!

If you figure out your plan of attack before landing you can also get your travel options sorted before you land too, which knocks one thing to worry about off the list and gives you more time to enjoy the Aussie sunshine!

Those opting for the likes of Greyhound Australia, Oz Experience or Stray Australia can book your pass open-dated way before arriving.

If you’re hiring a car or campervan via the likes of Jucy, Travellers Autobarn or Britz, securing your dates before you arrive will mean you get your car/van of choice.

Pre-booking usually saves you a heap of dollar too!

Check out our range of Australia travel passes here