From the recession comes good news at last. I have been wanting to go down under for a long time and now it seems it will be much more affordable. Thanks for the good news and making my day.

Posted By Tom B. on September 17, 2009, 12:52 PM

This IS great news. Want to know what else is so great about traveling to Australia? Aussies are particularly generous in opening up their homes to travelers. Browse any hospitality exchange network (including Casa Casa) and you'll find a disproportionate number of Aussies represented. And that's a great thing - it makes traveling there not only more affordable, but more fun and personal.

Posted By Lauren on September 18, 2009, 12:35 AM

Another budget-minded way of taking advantage of these low airfares to Australia is to stay in a timeshare. Redweek.com has quite a few exchanges available through-out the country. We exchanged our timeshare last year and were able to have a fabulous vacation in Bogangor, which is on what the Australians call the Gold Coast (fantastic surfing!). I wish we'd been able to take advantage of the great airfares that they have now, so I wanted to give you all the timeshare exchange tip - do it now!

Posted By Kathleen on September 18, 2009, 8:50 AM

Oz must be one of the most fascinating continents in the world - great that more people will be able to afford to go there. I lived there for a few years and the memories of The Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock, Melbourne, Sydney and the Nullabor plain are still as fresh 20 years on. Watching kangaroos leaping across a vast expanse of nothingness under a huge sky is a 'mind-video' I replay often. Kathleen's right -- do it now!

Posted By Zoe Courtier on September 19, 2009, 12:59 PM

I was there 3 months ago and it was awesome. We hit Sydney, Bondi, and the Blue Mountains. The people were hospitable, friendly, and just amazing. You'll love the cuisine especially the gelato. The beer is great, the partying was great. Its pretty much the best place on earth!!

Posted By Black Brad on September 19, 2009, 3:46 PM

Initially, recession hit every one but now we can see its positive side as well. It is really good time for traveling as dollar value is down & traveler can best use of his money. Anyways, can any one suggest which are best places to visit in Australia?

Posted By Cheap Flights Blog on September 21, 2009, 6:25 AM

I last visited the beautiful Queensland area of Australia the week after 9/11 and found that the US dollar at that time would buy about TWO Australian dollars. What a bargain! It was one of my favorite countries to visit. But there is so much more to see, I can hardly wait to get back.

Posted By Lewis Edge on September 21, 2009, 2:50 PM

I have lived in Sydney in 97 and agree its a great place. I want to go visit Aus again and visit the great barrier reef among other things.
Also planning to visit NZ while there, heard its very beautiful.

But I think this article was written long ago. The Aussie $ was almost 1:1 the US $ last year but then collapsed by around 40%. Since March or so its been gaining and now stands at around 90 cents ( 1 US $ now equals around 1:15 Aussie dollars)
So while Australia is a great tourist place I do not believe the currency is at its low right now.
Sure it might appreciate more as their economy is a commodity/metals/natural resources based one .

Also one best thing is that being in the southern hemisphere their summer is during our winter, so December /Jan is the best time to get away from the winter here and visit Australia.

Posted By Sandeep on September 21, 2009, 2:52 PM

I can't believe that they are printing this. It is very misleading. While the US dollar may be "11 % stronger" it is NOT strong!!! We were there about a year ago and everything seemed VERY expensive. More expensive than the US, that's for sure. A six-pack of VB beer (which is NOT a micro-brew) went for around $12 in the store! We routinely paid $14 for a decent plate of fish and chips. Well, now the US dollar is 10% stronger but you can hardly say that Australia will never be so cheap in our lifetimes when a few years ago it was 50 cents US to $1 AUS.

Posted By expensiveaustralia on September 21, 2009, 3:13 PM

Sorry to hear you felt that Australia was too expensive.

Sadly, the likelihood of jet fuel getting cheaper or the dollar getting stronger in the future is, well, not high.

One thing to keep in mind: These discount airfares only became available recently, and the airfare is often the largest part of the budget for most travelers.

--Sean
Blog editor

Posted By Blog Editor on September 21, 2009, 3:16 PM

My wife and I really want to visit Australia soon.
Can anyone advise us on where to stay, even if off
the beaten-path and what to see that might be away from the touristy places ?? Suggestions will be
appreciated. Thanks>
Larry.

Posted By Larry Gurnett on September 21, 2009, 3:57 PM

To the blog editor: You can only speculate as to jet fuel costs and the strength of the dollar. Your statement is truly misleading regarding this much and I suggest that you avoid doing this if you want people to believe what you say.

Posted By Ann Dietrich on September 21, 2009, 4:27 PM

If anyone needs help with planning an Australia trip head to www.Australia.com. They have over 100 top travel agents across the US to book your trip and they always find the best prices.

Posted By Aussie Dave on September 21, 2009, 4:31 PM

We are planning on taking a cruise between Austraila and New Zealand next year. That way we can see both while we're down under. The only problem is that the cruises end at Sydney and we would like to see that coast and the Great Barrier Reef. What is the best and most economical way to see that area?

Posted By Deb 2 on September 21, 2009, 6:01 PM

Cheaper now than ever? Are you cwazy? The Australian dollar has been gaining in value against the USD for the last year. In November it only cost $0.64 for one AUD; now it is $0.86. That's quite an increase! Airfares are cheaper, so there's your trade off.

Posted By Linda on September 21, 2009, 6:18 PM

How ironic to see this post! My boyfriend and I are going to Australia for 12 days around Thanksgiving. We found very cheap flights, there was even one on Delta that was $650 per person, but we waited to long and missed it. So we're flying Air New Zealand for $888 each. We've found great hotel deals thus far, and are excited about exchanging our money and not losing a ton, like we would if we were going to Europe!

Posted By Ann on September 22, 2009, 4:46 PM

Hi Ann,
Sounds like you’re going to have a terrific trip!
And we’re impressed by your deal-savvy.
Thanks for sharing!
Best,
Sean
Blog editor

Posted By Blog Editor on September 22, 2009, 4:52 PM

Sean....Don't let the haters hate. Once again I was there 3 months ago. Although the exchange isn't the best as in other countries, you can still get a deal. Our flight on Qantas was $700. We rented a great apartment for 10 days in the trendy neighborhood of Surry Hills that was cheaper than getting a hotel. We were able to find discount tickets to the Blue Mountains. What you really got to do people is stop hanging out in the touristy spots and start hanging with the locals. You will find all the cheap and affordable places to shop and eat!!

Posted By Black Brad on September 23, 2009, 3:25 PM

if you decide to take advantage of the great low fares, try to work Tasmania into your itinerary -- Hobart is a great place to visit, Cradle Mountain area is beautiful and the whole island is just lovely.

Posted By Jen on September 24, 2009, 11:01 AM

To BlackBrad -- How did you find the apartment to rent?

Thanks!

Posted By localtraveler on September 24, 2009, 2:53 PM

To localtraveler - try these links. http://www.servicedapartmentsonline.com.au/ http://www.sinclairs.com.au/ and http://www.waldorf-apartments-hotel-sydney.com.au/ We used sinclairs city pensione location but all the links will give you a plethora of places to choose from. Safe Travels!

Posted By Black Brad on September 25, 2009, 9:51 PM

Go and have a great time. There are deals at the moment for next spring. The dollar goes up and down like a yo yo, so don't worry too much. Europe is much more expensive but the culture is different. If you want a more laid back holiday then Australia will suit your budget and give you a good time, but I'm a biased expat Aussie!

Posted By chris on September 26, 2009, 11:03 PM

Hi from an Aussie. This is the best place in the world to visit. Accomodation and food is cheap. Places to visit. Great Barrier Reef. You can stay on some of the islands. Specials available at Airlie Beach. Gold Coast is great. Melbourne and Sydney. Public transport cheap and great. Ulura and my great town Perth only useful to visit if you have time.
Use the internet to find specials. Self catering is good saves money.

Posted By Rebecca on October 1, 2009, 6:02 AM

I've been to Australia 3 times and have seen most of the east coast from The Great Barrier Reef to Melbourne. One of the trips was a tour called Mud Maps Tours.I don't know if they are still in business, but if you want to see the REAL Australia this was it! Accomodations were not fancy, but more than comfortable. The tour guide and the itinerary were the real "Down Under" experience. From billy tea and biscuits cooked over an open fire with kangaroos feeding in the bush nearby to watching him catch an echidna and hold it up by its hind legs to show us "You can't sex an echidna." was all and more than I had hoped for.

Posted By Louella Giddings on October 1, 2009, 11:33 AM

We took a lot of domestic flight while in Australia and flew with Quantas, Virgin and Jet Star. Prices were relatively low and flying standard good

Posted By globetrotter on December 20, 2009, 4:32 AM