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Australia: Self Drive Holiday


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Me and the gf have been thinking about going on a self drive holiday in Australia. We have absolutely no idea on what we are in for. Has any bros/sis here done this? Can any advice on what to expect, how and what to prepare, what to look out for, where is must go, etc? Must we like plan and book where to go and stay like way in advance? Will they be flexible should be get lost or something? Any tips and experiences on how to plan for a self drive holiday with be deeply appreciated. Thanks! [drivingcar]^_^

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Me and the gf have been thinking about going on a self drive holiday in Australia. We have absolutely no idea on what we are in for. Has any bros/sis here done this? Can any advice on what to expect, how and what to prepare, what to look out for, where is must go, etc? Must we like plan and book where to go and stay like way in advance? Will they be flexible should be get lost or something? Any tips and experiences on how to plan for a self drive holiday with be deeply appreciated. Thanks! [drivingcar]^_^

 

Driving holiday is rather common in Australia. It's easy since the road system is similar to ours. The Internet is a wondeful resource for your holiday planning. Plan well and u will enjoy them. U can visit Lonely Planet forum for some ideas. With today's GPS, u can get to anywhere even the most remote areas. I depended on my old and trusty Nuvi 660 for several driving trips in Europe and never get lost. Plan Plan Plan.

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I have been to self driving trip to OZ before (but I am not the one driving as I do not have a licence then). Its easy to drive as they drive on the same side as in SUnny Sinagapore & all road signs are in English of course. Try to avoid driving at night, especially costal & mountaion roads, as most roads are not lited. But now is a good time, as its summer in Australia & days are slight longer.

 

Its a good idea tp have a Navigator too, the electronic device, not your CO. Long trips are tiring, so be sure to take break every 1.5-2 hours of driving (if not for you, then for your car), especially in the Summer heat.

 

Have a nice trip.

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I have done it in Australia, New Zealand, USA and of course Malaysia, after that no more cattle tours. Just make sure you rent from a reputable company and buy sufficient insurance coverage.

 

Don't speed in Australia, speed traps are common.

 

Plan your trip and book hotels on line to save monies, don't be greedy and try to cover too many POI within a short period of time, you stress yourself and it defeats the purpose of a slow and leisurely self drive holidays.

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Lots of planning and research and energy required for self-drive cum free and easy type of tour. Not for lazy travellers.

 

Yeap, I usually need 2 to 3 months when I plan self drive in Europe. After working out my itinary, I will consult Lonely Planet forum for advice. Usually, the recommendations are v good as they tend to recommend less touristy sites. In fact, the planning stage is as interesting as the actual trip itself.

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Self drive to "unknown" territory needs a lot of preparation. Searching, maps, GPS, money, credit card, strength etc.

 

It will be very fun but basic knowledge of the vehicle condition still a must. Enjoy.

 

 

Me and the gf have been thinking about going on a self drive holiday in Australia. We have absolutely no idea on what we are in for. Has any bros/sis here done this? Can any advice on what to expect, how and what to prepare, what to look out for, where is must go, etc? Must we like plan and book where to go and stay like way in advance? Will they be flexible should be get lost or something? Any tips and experiences on how to plan for a self drive holiday with be deeply appreciated. Thanks! [drivingcar]^_^

 

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Yeap, I usually need 2 to 3 months when I plan self drive in Europe. After working out my itinary, I will consult Lonely Planet forum for advice. Usually, the recommendations are v good as they tend to recommend less touristy sites. In fact, the planning stage is as interesting as the actual trip itself.

 

Wow! I thought I was the only one who took that amount of time. Good on you.

 

Have to agree with you on the forums. I usually mix tips on the forums as well as the usual touristy locations onto the itinerary.

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Like some of the forumers said, 2 to 3 months of planning seems perfect. Gather infos, hotels, route and all necessary items like maps and GPS. I drove from Sg to Golden triangle, no doubt it's just furthest part of Thailand, but I need to cross two borders. I took almost 2 months for preparation, and the trip was a breeze!

 

 

I wouldn't call it a self drive holiday but me and the missus want to fly to Perth and then drive to Margaret River, stay in a self catering place and enjoy the area and its surrounds for 14 days.

Anyone any advice?

 

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Australia, USA, NZ must definitely self drive!

 

Very easy one lah. Plan everything yourself especially make sure u know where certain routes have no petrol stops (ie no petrol for next few hundred km). Also make sure u know the tow-truck service hotline in these countries.

 

Just pick a good car rental company, pay a bit more $ to have no excess fees.

If u travel often to western countries, u might want to consider being an AA member so that u can use your AA membership to get free towing services (but nowadays most rental car companies have some similar arrangements).

 

Tripadvisor.com + some internet searches + Lonely planet/Frommer's guidebooks are good enough to plan any trip in the world.

 

Also don't be stupid sometimes, if there's nothing u want to see and there's a 300-400km distance to cover on that route, just take a domestic flight lah! [laugh]

Edited by Lala81
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post-90165-1325500242_thumb.jpg

 

 

I drove across the entire Australian continent in three weeks last year. 15,000km in total. Any questions you want to ask me? :D

 

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I drove across the entire Australian continent in three weeks last year. 15,000km in total. Any questions you want to ask me? :D

 

How to rent a car from who, and I assume its possible to return to another branch of the same company in another part of Oz?

What sights are a must see there?

How much does petrol cost there?

Only planning for a trip of about 1.5 weeks, what kinda budget must we set aside for accomodation + car + misc stuff. Basically total probable spend.

We do not need to do any license conversion or similar to drive there right?

 

These are what I can come up with for now. Will ask some more when the questions occur to me. Thanks! [flowerface]

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How to rent a car from who, and I assume its possible to return to another branch of the same company in another part of Oz?

What sights are a must see there?

How much does petrol cost there?

Only planning for a trip of about 1.5 weeks, what kinda budget must we set aside for accomodation + car + misc stuff. Basically total probable spend.

We do not need to do any license conversion or similar to drive there right?

 

These are what I can come up with for now. Will ask some more when the questions occur to me. Thanks! [flowerface]

From Hertz or some other major rent car companies, they have many branches all over the countries, in main cities. You are also better to have an international drving permit.

 

You can check over the internet how much petrol cost. Not sure about Oz, but not all petrol stations are open 24/7, & not all petrol stations have high Octane gas (98) in Europe. Do not wait until the needle goes red before thinking of pumping. The next petrol station cam be very very far away.

 

I give you a tip. Go to China town People Plaza or whatever it is call, & collect leftlets for tour to Oz. Normally the attraction will be listed & in chronicle sequences. You do not have to follow strictly to their plans, but you can make judgements base to the route & where & when you need to stop to sleep over.

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Me and the gf have been thinking about going on a self drive holiday in Australia. We have absolutely no idea on what we are in for. Has any bros/sis here done this? Can any advice on what to expect, how and what to prepare, what to look out for, where is must go, etc? Must we like plan and book where to go and stay like way in advance? Will they be flexible should be get lost or something? Any tips and experiences on how to plan for a self drive holiday with be deeply appreciated. Thanks! [drivingcar]^_^

 

 

have done that many times.

from bachelor days with girlfren to married with kids in tow.

 

OZ is a friendly easy place for a driving holiday.

booking hotels or motel beforehand will give your holiday more structure and also save you some money.

however, you will be forced to leave a place to go to the next one even if you like to stay longer.

 

if you have time and money in your hands, i would recommend going with just a list of places of interest and planning your route according to the distance between them. no need to book any hotel but just in case, be ready to rough it out in the car. a nice comfy suv or a standard xr6 would do just fine.

 

take the great ocean route for a dreamy romantic holiday. bring along some nice cds and enjoy the coastal drive. travel at a leisurelypace and be ready not to rush from deatination to destination.

 

get a GPS, it will reduce headaches and frustrations along the way.

at least you will always know where you are even if you take the wrong turn.

 

most of all, take time to breathe in fresh air and admire what mother nature has for you.

do not expect the pace of life like in Singapore

chat with the locals as you wish.

do not be too uptight with your spending but be ready to pack your own turkey breast sandwich.

 

have fun

[wave]

 

 

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From Hertz or some other major rent car companies, they have many branches all over the countries, in main cities. You are also better to have an international drving permit.

 

You can check over the internet how much petrol cost. Not sure about Oz, but not all petrol stations are open 24/7, & not all petrol stations have high Octane gas (98) in Europe. Do not wait until the needle goes red before thinking of pumping. The next petrol station cam be very very far away.

 

I give you a tip. Go to China town People Plaza or whatever it is call, & collect leftlets for tour to Oz. Normally the attraction will be listed & in chronicle sequences. You do not have to follow strictly to their plans, but you can make judgements base to the route & where & when you need to stop to sleep over.

 

Yes, will go peep at tour itinerary brochures at tour agencies. Thanks.

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