I think Austrailia is one of those places that seems to be on everyone’s travel bucket list. I’ve seen many family and friends visit this beautiful country and share their travel adventures for us. There seems to be a lot of things to consider when travelling to and visiting Australia from arranging an Australia visa, travel money, flight plans and where you want to visit. It’s a big place with a long haul flight and it’s unlikely you can see everything you want in just a couple of weeks.
Making Travel plans & arranging Visas
Planning a trip to Australia is not going to be a quick five minute job, unless you’ve got friends or family there it will require a bit of planning. Firstly what kind of holiday or trip are you going to have? If you’re planning a trip which see’s you out there for a long time and then perhaps wanting to earn money then looking for a working holiday visa Australia is going to be ideal. This allows you to work and travel around the country for a maximum of 12 months. It is an ideal visa for student’s looking to take gap years or someone eager to travel and work around a beautiful country.
When travelling as a family an eVisitor visa can work well for tourist trips and will be something to look into for many members of the family. A travel visa can usually be obtained quite simply online but make sure you fill in all of the details correctly so that your visa can be approved way before you travel.
When should you travel to Australia as a family?
I don’t really think there is a best time to travel as there are so many variations of circumstances. Cost is usually a big factor for many families as the time flying and time needed to explore such a large country can make visiting Australia expensive. I think that’s why so many people opt for the working holiday visa because it allows them to earn as they travel. This isn’t usually something you need as a family or for shorter trips.
There are some great blogs on travelling long haul with a baby too which may make your decision easier if you have very young children, like me. You also want to consider the seasons being very different and the fact that it can get pretty hot down under. When you’ve got small children sometimes travelling in cooler months such as Spring or Autumn is a little easier on sensitive skin.
You also want to think about what you want to do and what you’re family are capable of as both sides of the country can offer completely different experiences. Another thing you might want to think about is how much time you can arrange of work so you can make the most of the trip and perhaps visiting this beautiful country before any children start school so that there are no issues or disruptions.
How long should you visit?
Again, visiting Australia is going to be a different experience for many people. I’ve known family and friends to visit for the full 12 months and I’ve also seen others visit for 4 weeks and still have the most amazing time. With a very long haul flight to consider, usually at least 24 hours, then you want to make the journey as memorable as possible as it’s likely to be a once in a lifetime thing for so many people, especially families.
If you’re visiting on your own then you really only have to think about how much time you have spare. Getting the right visa and arranging any work placements before you go might be advisable just so that you have a bit of a plan and then that can really help shape how long you visit for. Funds are again usually a big factor for both families and individuals visiting Australia.
For my family I think we would be looking to visit for around 4 weeks and we would probably want to stay on the east side of Australia. I think the best thing to do is book a week or so in each place you want to visit and make sure your flights accomodate this. There is so much to see in Australia that I know for my family it would be pretty tough to choose just a few things because it’s so big and there’s so much to see. I know it would be a once in a lifetime trip for us all though and I’d want to make it really special.
Things you need for a family holiday to Australia
I think a good thing to do would be to pack fairly light and then find laundry services so that you can travel around the country a little lighter. You obviously need good travel insurance, passports, visas and any medication you need to take. Other than that a good plan and a prepaid credit card and you can have a wonderful trip.
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