Train travel in
A beginner's guide to
Train travel in Australia . . .
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Train travel in |
A beginner's guide toTrain travel in Australia . . . |
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Home Site map Search site Links Railpasses Buy train tickets Buy ferry tickets Book a hotel What's new About me E-mail Guestbook |
Country information |
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Train operators: |
www.railaustralia.com.au for times & fares for all Australian trains Sydney to Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra: www.countrylink.info Sydney-Adelaide-Perth, Adelaide-Alice Springs-Darwin, Melbourne-Adelaide: www.greatsouthernrail.com.au Brisbane-Townsville-Cairns: www.traveltrain.com.au. Kalgoorlie-Perth: www.transwa.wa.gov.au V-Line (Victoria regional trains): www.vline.com.au. Ferry Melbourne-Tasmania: www.spiritoftasmania.com.au |
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Railpasses: |
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Time zones: |
Sydney, Melbourne: GMT+10 (+11 Oct-March). Cairns: GMT+10 all year. Adelaide: GMT+9½ (+10½ Oct-March). Alice Springs: GMT+9½ all year. Perth: GMT+8 (+9 Oct-March). |
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Currency: |
£1 = 1.59 Australian dollars, $1 = 1.02 Aus$. Currency converter |
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Dialling code, flights, hotels: |
Dial code +61. Flights to Australia Hotels in Australia |
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Visas: |
UK citizens need a visa to visit Australia. This can be issued in 'electronic' form, arranged online at www.eta.immi.gov.au or by flight booking agencies such as Trailfinders and Travelbag. |
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Page last updated: |
4 January 2012 |
Australia is a huge country. And the best way to appreciate its vastness is to cross it at ground level by train, in comfort. The famous Indian Pacific links Sydney, Adelaide & Perth in 3 days, crossing the great Nullarbor Plain in the process. Don't miss out on a visit to the 'red centre' of Australia around Alice Springs, and there's no better way to reach Alice Springs or Darwin than by the equally famous Ghan from Adelaide. In the East, comfortable XPT trains link Sydney with Melbourne & Brisbane at affordable prices, and Queensland Railways links Brisbane with Townsville & Cairns.
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The Indian Pacific, the train that crosses Australia...Australia's biggest train journey, in every sense of the word... This is a fabulous train ride right across Australia from Sydney or Adelaide to Perth, giving you a real sense of Australia's vastness which flying simply cannot deliver. With a cosy bed at night in your own room, a restaurant for your meals and a lounge in which to relax during the day, it's a rolling hotel. Now run by a private company called Great Southern Rail (www.greatsouthernrail.com.au), the Indian Pacific links Sydney, Adelaide & Perth once a week all year round, twice a week in peak periods. The Indian Pacific has only existed since the 1970s, when a standard gauge line was finally completed across the continent from Sydney to Perth, some 4,343km or 2,698 miles. Today, both the Indian Pacific and its sister train the Ghan use the original stainless-steel coaches built by the American Budd company for the first Indian Pacific trains when they started running in 1973. Suitably modernised, of course. This train is well worth including in your grand Australian tour! What's it like on board the Indian Pacific? What's the journey like?
* The Wednesday departure from Sydney runs all year round, but the Saturday departure only runs from 3 September to 26 November 2011 and 7 January to 24 March 2012. ** The Sunday departure from Perth runs all year round, but the Wednesday departure only runs from 2 September to 30 November 2011 and 11 January to 28 March 2012. Please double check departure dates at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au. Passengers can take their cars on the Indian Pacific, see www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.
Children under 4 go free. Railsaver = special fare with limited availability, no refunds, limited changes. The Platinum sleeper price is per person for two people sharing. In Platinum class, a solo passenger pays double the price. Note that the Pensioner fares shown on the GSR website are for Australian senior citizens only. Prices will rise slightly for travel from 1 April 2012 onwards. £1 = 1.59 Australian dollars, $1 = 1.02 Aus$. Currency converter. How to buy tickets...You can check fares and buy tickets online at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au. Alternatively, call GSR's UK agent, www.internationalrail.com on 08700 84 14 11. The Pensioner/student fare applies to pensioners, students, children and (according to the GSR website, in reclining seats only) members of recognised backpacker associations (such as the Youth Hostel Association). Return fares are twice the one-way fare, but check railpass prices as these can be cheaper. Gold Class fares include all meals. A small fuel surcharge is now being added (around A$10-30). Rail pass options...There railpasses available for Australia. Just remember that you'll still need to make a reservation on the trains you want to take. You can usually upgrade to a sleeper by paying the difference in fare. Rail Explorer Pass: Unlimited Red Service reclining seat travel on the Indian Pacific, Ghan & Overland for 6 months, for £391 adult, £335 student/backpacker/child aged 4-15. Ausrail pass: 6 months unlimited nationwide Australian train travel on the Indian Pacific between Sydney, Adelaide & Perth, The Ghan between Adelaide, Alice Springs & Darwin, The Overland between Melbourne & Adelaide, CountryLink trains between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Canberra, & most Queensland Railways trains, for £567. Check pass prices & buy from UK-based International Rail UK agency, prices in £, passes sent to any address worldwide. Check pass prices & buy online from TrainTicket.com Priced in euros, passes sent to European, Asian, African addresses. What's a journey on the Indian Pacific like?The 'IP' leaves Sydney Central Station in downtown Sydney in late afternoon and threads its way through Sydney's suburban commuterland. As night falls it climbs up through the scenic Blue Mountains passing through Katoomba, and next morning you'll wake up in arid outback country around Broken Hill. Look out for kangaroo and emu over breakfast in the train's restaurant car! The train arrives in Adelaide in the afternoon, with time for a city tour even if you're not stopping off, and leaves again for Perth in the early evening. The day after leaving Adelaide the Indian Pacific crosses the hot, dusty emptiness of the famous Nullarbor Plain on the longest stretch of straight railway line in the world, 478 km or 297 miles, 'nullarbor' being Latin for 'no trees'. The train stops long enough for you to visit the tiny community of Cook. If you've ever wondered what the Middle of Nowhere looks like, this is it! Once off the Nullarbor you can play 'spot the koala' over dinner as the beautiful evening sun plays over the leafy eucalyptus trees. After dinner that evening the train stops at the gold rush town of Kalgoorlie for 3½ hours, long enough for a walkabout. Next morning after breakfast the train rolls into the pleasant and modern city of Perth, capital of Western Australia. Congratulations, you've just crossed a continent!
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What's it like on board the Indian Pacific and The Ghan?The Indian Pacific & the Ghan use similar equipment. They both have three main classes of accommodation, Gold Service sleeper, Red Service sleeper & Red Service reclining seat. Certain departures now feature a fourth premium class, 'Platinum Service sleeper'. Which should you choose? If you want the 'experience of a lifetime' and can afford it, go Gold Service sleeper for all the comforts, complete with restaurant car meals included. Platinum Service gets you a bigger sleeper with (if you want one) a double bed, but Platinum passengers use the same lounge and restaurant as Gold passengers, and most of your day will be spent there. At the other extreme, if you're on a very tight budget, Red Service seats allow you to experience one of the world's great train journeys for not much more than you'd pay for a flight plus a hotel room or two - but see if you can afford a Red Service sleeper, as travelling such a long distance in a seat isn't as comfortable as having a bed for the night. Gold Service (formerly first class)...Gold Service passengers travel in private sleepers, either 2-berth 'twinettes' for passengers travelling in twos or single-berth 'roomettes' for passengers travelling alone, see the photos below. The price per person is the same. Both roomettes and twinettes come with comfortable freshly made-up beds, towels and a complimentary toiletries pack with soap, shampoo, razor, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc.. The fare includes excellent 3-course meals served in the Queen Adelaide restaurant car, and you can use the Outback Explorer lounge car (sometimes two of them) with bar & armchairs, complimentary tea & coffee always available. The bar in the Outback Explorer lounge serves cocktails, beer & wine, but drinks are extra.
Red service sleeper (formerly Holiday Class)Passengers travel in economy shared 2-berth sleepers. As in Europe, berths in 2-berth compartments are sold individually and passengers travelling alone in Red Service sleepers will share with another passenger of the same sex. The sleeping-car layout is identical to the Gold Service roomette cars, with a corridor snaking along the centre of the car in a series of shallow s-bends, with doors to the various sleeper compartments opening off both sides of it. Each room is the same size as a Gold Service single-berth roomette, a compact 7 feet by 4 feet, but this time there are two armchairs facing each other, plus the washstand in the corner. At night, the lower bed folds down from behind one seat, taking up most of the room, and an upper berth folds out from the wall with just enough space still free bedside it to climb in. Red Service sleeper passengers can use the 'Matilda Cafe' self-service restaurant where they can buy snacks, soft & alcoholic drinks and complete meals, and rent personal DVD players and feature films. Meals and drinks are extra. They can also use the Red Gum lounge free of charge, with complimentary tea and coffee available. If you find the Gold Service prices too expensive, this a much more economical way to see Australia by train with the comfort of a proper bed in a private room at night, and you still get a convivial lounge and restaurant car during the day. Red Service reclining seats (formerly Economy Class)...Passengers travel in comfortable reclining 'dayniter' seats with plenty of legroom and adjustable leg-rests. Bring your own rug and pillow if required. There's a hot shower at the end of the coach, with soap and towels provided for each passenger. Seats passengers can use the Red Service 'Matilda Cafe' self-service restaurant where they can buy snacks, soft & alcoholic drinks and complete meals, and rent personal DVD players and feature films. They can also use the Red Gum lounge for an access fee of around A$10 to A$15 per day, which has complimentary tea and coffee available. Naturally, sleeping in a seat is a bit 'rough' compared to the comforts of a proper bed in a cosy sleeper, especially if you are doing the whole 3-night journey in one go and not stopping off (which would be my first suggestion, to break the journey up). However, you're not stuck in a seat like a bus as during the day you've got the same restaurant car as Red Service sleeper passengers, and of course the scenery is just as good! The Red Service seats option makes this journey affordable for budget travellers when compared to flying plus a hotel room or two. Even in a seat, there's no comparison between the experience of a train journey across Australia and the mundane non-experience of a flight. In other words, you might find journey on the Indian Pacific in a seat enjoyable or you might find it a bit uncomfortable, but either way you'll have loads to write home about, if you fly you won't.
Platinum service sleeperCertain departures of the Ghan and Indian Pacific now feature a new ultra-luxurious (and expensive!) Platinum Service, with a choice of double-bed or twin-bed sleeper compartments with private shower and toilet and extra space even compared to Gold Service. As with Gold Service, meals are included in the fare, served in the Queen Adelaide restaurant, and Platinum passengers may use the Outback Explorer Lounge with bar. You'll have to use the journey planner at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au to see which departures have Platinum Service available.
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The Ghan...
This train is undoubtedly the best way to reach Australia's fabulous 'Red centre' and the iconic 'Uluru' (Ayer's Rock). Australia's second most famous train, the legendary 'Ghan' links Adelaide, Alice Springs & (since 2004) Darwin, once a week all year round, twice a week from April to October. By using the train you get a real feel for the scale of the Australian outback, which you simply don't on a plane. Like the Indian Pacific, the Ghan is now run by Great Southern Rail, and has the same classes of accommodation & facilities: Gold Class sleepers, lounge & restaurant, Red Class sleepers, reclining 'dayniter' seats, lounge & self-service restaurant, see the section above. Most departures of the Ghan now have an additional class of accommodation, the new super-deluxe 'Platinum Class' complete with double (or twin lower) beds. The Ghan gets its name from the (supposedly) Afghan camels and camel drivers who used to carry supplies up to Alice Springs before the railway came. The first railway was narrow gauge, and the old 'Ghan' was notoriously slow, taking 48 hours from Adelaide to Alice. Only in the early 1980s was this new standard-gauge line opened taking a more direct route. The journey time has been cut to an afternoon and a night, and the service doubled to twice weekly for much of the year. Connections are available to/from Sydney and Melbourne using the Indian Pacific or Overland, see the Indian Pacific and Overland sections below. The railway onwards to Darwin was completed in January 2004, and in February that year the Ghan was extended to Darwin once a week, doubled to twice-weekly in 2006. Book early, as there has been huge interest in the service to Darwin and bookings have exceeded even Great Southern Rail's expectations. The Ghan Timetable...
* The Wednesday departure from Adelaide and the Saturday departure from Darwin only operate from 7 April to 30 October 2011. Passengers can take their cars on the Ghan, see www.greatsouthernrail.com.au. What's it like on board The Ghan?
* The Platinum sleeper price is per person for two people sharing. In Platinum class, a solo passenger pays double the price. Children under 4 go free. Railsaver = special fare with limited availability, no refunds, limited changes. Note that the Pensioner fares shown on the GSR website are for Australian senior citizens only. Prices will rise slightly for travel from 1 April 2012 onwards. £1 = 1.59 Australian dollars, $1 = 1.02 Aus$. Currency converter. How to buy tickets...You can check fares and buy tickets online at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au. Alternatively, call GSR's UK agent, www.internationalrail.com on 08700 84 14 11. The Pensioner/student fare applies to pensioners, students, children and (according to the GSR website, in reclining seats only) members of recognised backpacker associations (such as the Youth Hostel Association). Return fares are twice the one-way fare, but check railpass prices as these can be cheaper. Gold Class fares include all meals. A small fuel surcharge is now being added (around A$10-30). Rail pass options...There railpasses available for Australia. Just remember that you'll still need to make a reservation on the trains you want to take. You can usually upgrade to a sleeper by paying the difference in fare. Rail Explorer Pass: Unlimited Red Service reclining seat travel on the Indian Pacific, Ghan & Overland for 6 months, for £391 adult, £335 student/backpacker/child aged 4-15. Ausrail pass: 6 months unlimited nationwide Australian train travel on the Indian Pacific between Sydney, Adelaide & Perth, The Ghan between Adelaide, Alice Springs & Darwin, The Overland between Melbourne & Adelaide, CountryLink trains between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane & Canberra, & most Queensland Railways trains, for £567. Check pass prices & buy from UK-based International Rail UK agency, prices in £, passes sent to any address worldwide. Check pass prices & buy online from TrainTicket.com Priced in euros, passes sent to European, Asian, African addresses. What's it like on board the Ghan? See the accommodation aboveA trip on the Ghan from Adelaide to Alice Springs & Australia's 'Red Centre'...
Alice Springs...The Alice, as it's usually known, still has a frontier feel to it. Originally called Stuart and only officially renamed Alice Springs in 1933, it grew up around a telegraph station on the overland telegraph linking southern Australia with London. The site for the telegraph station was chosen because there was water, a spring which was named after the wife of Charles Todd, superintendent of telegraphs in Adelaide. You can still see the telegraph station, now a museum, at the North end of the town. Next to it (pictured above, at the base of the white rock) is the very birthplace of the town - the original, dried up 'Alice spring'. Telegraph station museum website. Northern Territories official visitor website. Ayer's Rock (Uluru)...You'll want to explore the outback whilst in Alice Springs, including Uluru, the world's largest sandstone monolith. It's some 275 miles southwest of Alice - the outback is a big place! It's a fabulous area with lots to see besides Uluru, including the Olgas (Kata Tjuta) & King's Canyon. You can see Uluru & Kata Tjuta as a 17 hour day trip from Alice (which includes a 5 hour drive each way), but it's far better to book a 2, 3 or 4-day 4-wheel drive camping safari to see more in less of a hurry. Try www.wayoutback.com.au. You're still allowed to climb Uluru, a steep scramble along the tourist track up the least perpendicular part of its sandstone sides - however, aboriginal people request that you don't. The website for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru. |
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The "Overland"...The most civilised and pleasant way to travel between central Melbourne and central Adelaide is aboard the three-times-a-week 'Overlander', no need to use domestic flights. It's the third of the three trains run by www.greatsouthernrail.com.au.
The Overland will not run from Adelaide on 25 December or from Melbourne on 26 December.
£1 = 1.59 Australian dollars, $1 = 1.02 Aus$. Currency converter. Southern Cross is the new name for Melbourne's refurbished Spencer Street station. Railpass information. How to buy tickets...You can check fares and buy tickets for the Overland online at www.greatsouthernrail.com.au. In the UK, you can call GSR's UK agent, www.internationalrail.com on 08700 84 14 11. What's it like on board the Overland?The Overland was refurbished in May 2007, and now has spacious and comfortable 'Red Service' standard class reclining seats with loads of legroom, and deluxe 'Red Premium' first class reclining seats with even more room and at-seat meal service (although meals are not included in the fare). All passengers can access the licensed buffet-bar. See a review of a journey on the Overland on Tripadvisor.
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CountryLink's XPT and XPLORER trains...Comfortable air-conditioned trains link Sydney with Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra, city centre to city centre, with no need to fly! These trains are run by CountryLink, formerly the State Rail Authority of New South Wales, a division of RailCorp. CountryLink runs two comfortable 'XPT' trains every day from Sydney to Melbourne, one by day and the other a time-effective overnight train with sleeping-car. A similar daytime and overnight XPT service links Sydney to Brisbane, although as trains alternate between Brisbane and Casino, a bus connection is needed to Brisbane on one of the two. Equally comfortable 'XPLORER' trains link Sydney with Canberra several times a day.
XPT trains might look familiar. That's because they're based on the UK's InterCity 125, but re-geared to 100mph and with (you'll be pleased to learn...) beefed-up air-conditioning. XPTs have first and economy class reclining seats. First and economy class seating is identical (even the legroom), so there is no advantage whatsoever in paying for first class unless economy is full. XPTs have a buffet car selling food and drink, including wine. XPLORERs (pictured, below right), which have similar seating to XPTs and a buffet-bar. XPT sleeping-cars: The overnight Sydney-Melbourne & Sydney-Brisbane XPT trains have one sleeping-car with 2-berth rooms. A sofa converts to a lower berth and an upper berth folds out from the wall, with mattress and all necessary bedding. There's a hot shower & toilet shared between each pair of adjacent compartments, just outside your compartment door. Book early, as there's only one sleeping-car per train and it gets booked up fast. Unfortunately sleepers cannot be booked online, so you need to book at the station or by phone.
XPT train with 1st & Economy class seats & buffet-bar. Sleeping-car available on overnight train with 2-berth rooms, shower & toilet adjacent. Check times before travel at www.countrylink.info, times can vary. 'Southern Cross' is the new name for Melbourne's refurbished Spencer Street station.
* The 07:15 XPT from Sydney terminates at Casino at 18:44, you must change there for a bus connection to Brisbane. ** The 15:10 departure from Brisbane is by bus to Casino, then by train (departing 19:30) to Sydney. XPT train with 1st & Economy class seats & buffet-bar. Sleeping-car available on overnight train with 2-berth rooms, shower & toilet adjacent. Important: Arrivals & departures in Brisbane are one hour earlier during daylight saving time (October to April). Please double-check times at www.countrylink.info, as times can vary.
Please double-check times at www.countrylink.info, as times can vary.
£1 = 1.59 Australian dollars, $1 = 1.02 Aus$. Currency converter. How to buy tickets: www.countrylink.infoTo check fares & train times and buy tickets online, see www.countrylink.info. Tickets bought online are sent by e-mail. Sleepers cannot be booked online, only by phone or at the station. Alternatively, to book in the UK, contact the UK sales agent, www.internationalrail.com on 08700 84 14 11. Railpasses for Australia are also available, including the Backtracker pass covering CountryLink trains or the Austrail Pass covering CountryLink and other Australian train routes too. |
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Sydney...Sydney is a fantastic city. Take a tour of the opera house (www.sydneyoperahouse.com). Wander through the botanic gardens. Visit the observation deck of the Centrepoint Tower (www.sydneytower.com.au). Take a ferry from Circular Quay to Watson's Bay for fish and chips at Doyle's famous refreshment rooms (www.doyles.com.au, look for 'Doyles on the beach', for Sydney ferry information see www.sydneyferries.info). For general city tourist information see www.sydney.com.au. Why not do the incredible Sydney Harbour Bridge climb (pictured, right)? From Aus$188 (£118), you are briefed and equipped for a walk up the girders of Sydney Harbour Bridge, for some fantastic views across the city, from the Pacific Ocean in the East to the Blue Mountains in the West. The bridge climb tour has been operating since October 1998. Book your climb online here or visit www.bridgeclimb.com for more information. |
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The Blue Mountains...Looking for a scenic day out from Sydney? Hop on a double-deck suburban train from Sydney to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, 109.9km from Sydney - trains run about every hour, journey time 2 hours, fare around Aus$7.80 each way, or Aus$10.80 for an off-peak day return valid any time after 9am Monday-Friday or any time at weekends. Children under 16 half fare, children under 4 free. A short walk from the station brings you to the Three Sisters rock formation, overlooking the breathtaking Jamieson Valley, with lots of great scenic walks. For information & a guide to walks, see www.bluemts.com.au or www.infobluemountains.net.au. For Sydney Suburban train times & fares see www.cityrail.info (select 'Blue Mountains Line in their journey planner', and remember that Sydney Central is listed as just 'Central'. |
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Melbourne...Don't forget to visit the museum in Melbourne's old gaol, www.oldmelbournegaol.com.au. Ned Kelly, Australia's most infamous outlaw, was imprisoned and hanged in Melbourne gaol, and his unique armour is still displayed there (pictured, right). Take a ride on Melbourne's trams (there's even a restaurant in a tram - eat your dinner travelling round the Melbourne streets, book a tramcar meal online here or see www.tramrestaurant.com.au). For general tourist information, see www.visitmelbourne.com. For a day or two out of town, drive the famous Great Ocean Road. You can do this as a day tour by bus from Melbourne, or you could hire a car for a day or two. See www.greatoceanrd.org.au. |
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Adelaide...Named after the wife of King William IV, Adelaide is a much smaller city than Sydney or Melbourne, and much more relaxed. Admirably well laid-out by its founder, Colonel William Light, the city centre is surrounded by parkland. On Montefiore Hill to the north of the centre, you can see 'Light's vision', where Colonel Light stood to map out his plan for the city. For city visit information see www.cityofadelaide.com.au. It's worth hiring a car for a few days to visit some of the wine regions nearby, including the famous Barossa Valley, see www.barossa.com or www.barossa-valley-australia.com.au. |
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Perth...Perth is the capital of Western Australia, a clean, modern city - for visitor information see www.cityofperth.wa.gov.au. Frequent electric trains link Perth with Fremantle, see www.transperth.wa.gov.au for times & fares. In the maritime museum in Fremantle are the remains of the Dutch East India company ship 'Batavia' (pictured, right). The ship was carrying a stone arch for the main gate of the city of Batavia (modern day Jakarta). Needless to say, the arch never arrived... See www.museum.wa.gov.au. |
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Queensland Railways...Queensland Railways (QR) operates excellent passenger trains linking Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns, branded Traveltrain. The trains operate on narrow gauge 3' 6" tracks, which explains why you need to change at Brisbane onto CountryLink's standard gauge (4' 8½") trains to and from Sydney.
The SUNLANDER: First class sleepers (private single or twin berth compartments), economy sleepers (shared 3-berth compartments with upper, middle & lower berths) and economy reclining seats, lounge and restaurant. There's a shower at the end of each sleeping-car corridor. On Thursdays & Sundays from Brisbane, Tuesdays & Saturdays from Cairns & Townsville, this train also has deluxe Queenslander class sleepers, restaurant and lounge. Read this illustrated blog about travelling on the Sunlander. In 2014 the Sunlander will be replaced by a swish new tilt train with deluxe en suite sleepers, flat-bed seats, reclining seats, restaurant and lounge, shaving 5 hours off the journey time, see the Brisbane Times article here. TILT TRAIN: Introduced in April 2003, this is new 100 mph tilting diesel train with business class reclining seats with video entertainment & a buffet-bar. Unfortunately, there are no sleepers, just seats. BRISBANE-ROCKHAMPTON: There are other trains between Brisbane and Rockhampton, including a 100mph tilting daytime train. BRISBANE-LONGREACH: A train called the SPIRIT OF THE OUTBACK runs twice a week Brisbane - Rockhampton - Longreach, with 1st & economy sleepers, economy seats, and restaurant car. See www.traveltrain.com.au for details. CAIRNS-FORSAYTH: A little 1963-vintage stainless-steel railcar works the Savannahlander train from Cairns to Forsayth at 06:30 every Wednesday with an overnight hotel stop in Almaden, arriving in Forsayth on Thursday evening. It returns from Forsayth at 08:30 on Fridays, also with an overnight hotel stop in Almaden, arriving Cairns 18:40 on Saturdays. A 4-day outback rail experience! It runs March until December, no service in late Dec, Jan or Feb or first few days of March. See www.savannahlander.com.au for timetable, fares & booking.
Children 15 years and under pay half the adult fare, children 3 years and under go free. A-Choice fare = fully flexible, refundable. U-Save fare = advance-purchase limited availability, no refunds. How to buy tickets...To check train times and fares and book online, see www.traveltrain.com.au. To book Queensland Railways trains from the UK, visit www.internationalrail.com or call 08700 84 14 11. Railpasses for Australia.
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Transwa's "Prospector"Transwa (formerly known as Westrail) introduced brand-new express diesel trains on the Perth to Kalgoorlie 'Prospector' services in September 2003, running at up to 100mph. Within a few years, track will be upgraded to 125mph (200km/h), making these trains the fastest in Australia.
This route is also served by the Indian Pacific. Transwa also run trains between Perth & Bunbury, see www.transwa.wa.gov.au. Fares & how to buy tickets: Perth-Kalgoorlie costs Aus$ 81.55 each way. Children under 5 free, children 5 to 15 (inclusive) half fare. You can book online at www.transwa.wa.gov.au.
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Alternatively, companies such as Travelbag can arrange independent travel, with flights and trains as required. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Overland travel around Australia by train is an essential part of the experience, so once there, don't cheat and fly, stay on the ground! But a long-haul flight might be unavoidable to reach Australia in the first place. For flights from the UK to Sydney, two airlines stand out:
Or use the Skyscanner search tool to compare flight prices & routes worldwide across 600 airlines...
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For information on how to travel from Europe to Australia without flying, either overland by Trans-Siberian Railway to the Far East then by freighter, or by sea all the way, see the Australia overland page |
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Find a hotel anywhere in Australia...
Tripadvisor hotel reviews...www.tripadvisor.com is a good place to find independent travellers' reviews of the main hotels. It also has the low-down on all the sights & attractions too. Backpacker hostels
in Australia...
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"Australia by Rail" from Trailblazer Guides...Colin Taylor's "Australia by Rail" is well worth buying if you plan to tour Australia by train. Not only will it help you understand the routes, trains, and on-board accommodation, it has city information and best of all a mile-by-mile lineside guide of what to see from the train on the way. Buy online at Amazon.co.uk |
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Get travel insurance, it's essential...
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash (up to a limit) and belongings. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
Get a spare credit card, designed for foreign travel with no currency exchange loading & low or no ATM fees...It costs nothing to take out an extra credit card. If you keep it in a different part of your luggage so you're not left stranded if your wallet gets stolen, this is a form of extra travel insurance in itself. In addition, some credit cards are significantly better for overseas travel than others. Martin Lewis's www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money explains which UK credit cards have the lowest currency exchange commission loadings when you buy something overseas, and the lowest cash withdrawal fees when you use an ATM abroad. Taking this advice can save you quite a lot on each trip compared to using your normal high-street bank credit card! You can save money on ATM charges and exchange rates using a Caxton FX euro currency Visa Card, or indeed the multi-currency 'Global Traveller' Visa Card, find out about these cards & sign up here.
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