With a total land area of over 7.6 million km², Australia is not only one of the largest countries in the world, but one of the most geographically and ecologically spectacular too.
Home to a truly unique abundance of wildlife and landmarks, Australia is a traveller’s dream. With so much to see, the only question is how best to see it.
Welcome to the ‘Drive or Fly’ Australian Travel Guide.
How it works
We’ve taken some of the most popular and famous travel routes in the country with a simple question in mind. Are you better off driving or flying? This is a hard question to answer as it depends on so much – to make things simple, we’re looking at the two most important factors:costandtime.
Working out cost and times
We have based these examples on the following factors which you should keep in mind when deciding on your own journey.
- Road trips are perfect for groups, so the driving costs below are an estimate for aparty of four. This means the total fuel cost has been split and therefore reduced.
- We’ve used the average fuel cost of$1.50 per litre, and the country’s average fuel consumption of3l per 100km. A more fuel efficient car will make these trips much cheaper.
- For flight costs, we’ve taken the cheapest examples fromGoogle FlightsforJanuary 2020– because who doesn’t love a summer adventure? Flight costs can vary wildly, so cheaper tickets than these will probably be available at different times of year.
Let’s go!
How far is it from Sydney to Melbourne?
Sydney to Melbourne is a very popular trip that is commonly made by both road and plane. You are looking at a manageable distance of around 873km by road (1,746km round trip).
How long does it take to drive from Sydney to Melbourne?
Driving from Sydney to Melbourne and back will take you just over18 hoursin total (9 hours each way), and you can expect an average car to use around $340.50 worth of petrol in total – that’s around$85.00 eachfor four.
How long does it take to fly from Sydney to Melbourne?
Flying is certainly quicker than driving, with a single journey taking just1 hour 35 minutes; a return flight therefore takes3 hours and 10 minutes. This return flight will likely cost you around$163 each.
Our verdict: 50/50
TheHume Highway, which connects Sydney to Melbourne, isn’t the most exciting of driving routes, and spending 18 hours on it might test your patience too far. You may be able to cut your total travel costin half, but the convenience of flying might be worth paying for.
How far is it from Adelaide to Melbourne?
Adelaide is 727km away from Melbourne, and the round trip distance is 1,454km.Another relatively short journey by Aussie standards!
How long does it take to drive from Adelaide to Melbourne?
When driving, you can expect around16 hours and 10 minutesbehind the wheel, and a fuel cost of just over$71 per person.
How long does it take to fly from Adelaide to Melbourne?
Flying there and back will take just1 hour 15 minuteseach way. That’s significantly quicker but you can expect to pay around$152.00 eachfor that comfort.
Our verdict: DRIVE
The drive time might seem long, but a bit a few shared stints behind the wheel will make this straightforward trip much easier. At the cost of a few extra hours, four travellers will be around53% better off; we think that’s well worth the added effort of driving.
How far is it from Sydney to Brisbane?
Sydney to Brisbane by road covers a distance of around 916km (a 1832km round trip). We’re getting into bigger drive territory here, but should you drive or fly?
How long does it take to drive from Sydney to Brisbane?
You can expect a total of20 hours and 40 minutesbehind the wheel if you take this route and back by car with a total fuel cost of $357.00; that’s around$89.25 eachfor four of you.
How long does it take to fly from Sydney to Brisbane?
A plane makes this journey in a fraction of the time: just1 hour 30 minuteseach way. The ticket prices aren’t bad either at around$179.00 per passenger.
Our verdict: DRIVE
Yes, it takes a lot longer to drive from Sydney to Brisbane than to fly, but the Pacific Highway that sticks to the Eastern coast takes you past some truly stunning areas, includingBongil Bongil National Park,Queen’s Lakeand, of course,Gold Coast.
If you have the time and means, Sydney to Brisbane is a ripper of a road trip, with plenty of sights to see. It would be a shame to miss them!
How far is it from Sydney to Perth?
Up for a challenge? Sydney is a mammoth 3,929km away from Perth by road, a journey spanning the entire country, coast to coast.
How long does it take to drive from Sydney to Perth?
This means a round trip by car will take around82 hoursand use around$383.00of petrol per person.
How long does it take to fly from Sydney to Perth?
Flying, on the other hand, will take a much more manageable5 hours each way. The average plane ticket is cheaper too, at around $377.00 per person for a return flight.
Our verdict: 50/50
It stands to reason that this gargantuan drive should only be undertaken if you are very well prepared, have a lot of time to kill, or plan to visit plenty of landmarks on the way. This could be a truly epic road trip, if long drives are your thing. Otherwise, flying is the way to go!
How far is it from Brisbane to Melbourne?
A medium distance journey by Australian standards, Brisbane to Melbourne is around 1,780km by road, or a 3,560km round trip.
How long does it take to drive from Brisbane to Melbourne?
Driving to Melbourne and back from Brisbane will take a hefty37 hoursand consume around $695 of fuel on average. Split four ways, that’s$173.75 per person.
How long does it take to fly from Brisbane to Melbourne?
You can fly from Brisbane to Melbourne in around2 hours 25 minuteseach way and a return ticket may cost around$215 per passenger.
Our verdict: FLY
With nearly 30 hours longer on the road, the driving cost saving of around 20% may not be worthwhile. Unless you plan to stop off and see some sights on the way down south, flying from Brisbane to Melbourne certainly makes sense.
How far isthe distance from Brisbane to Perth?
Another monster of a journey. Brisbane to Perth by road is around 4,310km (that’s a round trip of 8,600km). This coast-to-coast road trip adventure is not for the impatient, nor the faint of heart.
How long does it take to drive from Brisbane to Perth?
You can expect to spend around92 hours(nearly 4 whole days!) behind the wheel as you make your way from East to West and back again. The route is spectacular, but the journey will use around £1,680 of fuel – that’s$420 eachfor 4 people.
How long does it take to fly from Brisbane to Perth?
A plane will obviously complete this trip in a relative heartbeat of only 5 hours 35 minutes each way. A return flight will probably cost around$470.
Our Verdict: 50/50
Under most circ*mstances, this is a no brainer. Flying from Brisbane to Perth is only slightly more expensive than driving, but the trip won’t take 4 days. It all depends on the purpose of your trip. If you just want to get to Perth, you should fly. If you want a true Aussie road trip, this is the mother of all routes.
How far is it from Sydney to Kangaroo Island?
Looking to visit Kangaroo Island from Sydney? For this trip, you will be travelling about 1,550km by road each way for a total round trip of 3,100km.
How long does it take to drive from Sydney to Kangaroo Island?
A Kangaroo Island road trip from Sydney will take you around17 hours 35 minuteseach way. Your fuel is likely to cost a total of $604.00 for the round trip, which equates to$151.00 eachfor a party of four.
How long does it take to fly from Sydney to Kangaroo Island?
Flying looks much easier on the surface of things, with a combined flying time of7 hours 20 minutes. Be aware, you will need tochange planesat Adelaide, which will make it take significantly longer. What’s more, the return flight could cost you around$587.00 per person.
Our Verdict: DRIVE
This isn’t a short drive by any means, but the amount of money you can save by taking to the roads is staggering. Plus, even though the flight is a shorter trip, you will have the added time and effort involved with changing flights at Adelaide. For us, driving from Sydney to Kangaroo Island is the way to go, so long as you’re okay with the distance.
How far is it from Melbourne to Uluru?
The distance from Melbourne to Uluru by road is around 2,313km, which means the round trip is around 4,620km. It’s certainly a long way into the heart of the continent but seeing the magnificent Ayer’s Rock up close is certainly worth the distance.
How long does it take to drive from Melbourne to Uluru?
Taking this lengthy journey by car is likely to take around 25 hours each way for a total drive time of50 hours. The fuel cost of driving from Melbourne to Uluru and back is likely to be around $900.00 ($225.00 eachfor 4 of you).
How long does it take to fly from Melbourne to Uluru?
Flying simplifies matters a lot, with a direct flight taking just 3 hours each way, or6 hours in total. Tickets are likely to cost around$353.84.
Our Verdict: FLY
Does the cost saving of around 36% make the 50 hour round trip by car more appealing? Probably not. There is very little to see when you travel the lone National Highway (A87) 12 hours each way. When travelling to Ayer’s Rock, your destination is the main event, so we recommend flying to Uluru to save a lot of time.
How far is it from Brisbane to the Great Barrier Reef?
There are numerous places from which you can visit the 2,300 km long Great Barrier Reef. For this, we’re looking at Townsville, which is around 1,300km from Brisbane by road.
How long does it take to drive from Brisbane to the Great Barrier Reef?
A round trip to Townsville and the incredible reef will likely take you 15 hours 30 minutes each way, totalling at31 hoursfor both trips. This will cost a party of 4 about$125.00 each.
How long does it take tofly from Brisbane to the Great Barrier Reef?
The direct flight from Brisbane to Townsville will only take 1 hour 55 minutes each way for a3 hour and 50 minutereturn trip. Tickets are likely to cost about$212.00 each.
Our Verdict: DRIVE
Bruce Highway is the perfect road trip route, taking you along the East coast from Brisbane direct to Townsville, via some stunning areas likeFraser Island,Sunshine CoastandDaydream Island. If your car is up to the journey, why not save some money and take the scenic route?
How far is it from Perth to Karijini?
Both flying and driving are great options if you are travelling from Perth to the remarkable Karijini National Park. The drive distance is around 1,350km (or a 2,700km round trip).
How long does it take to drive from Perth to Karijini?
The 14 hour 50 minute drive to Karijini isn’t to be taken lightly; however, choosing to drive with a party can save you a lot of money. The29 hour 40 minuteround trip should cost a group of 4 around$131.50 per person.
How long does it take tofly from Perth to Karijini?
Compare this with flying from Perth to Karijini and you are looking at a flight time of just1 hour 50 minutes each way, but with an estimated ticket price of$496 per person!
Our Verdict: 50/50
This one is really a matter of how much you value time versus money. Driving from Perth to Karijini could be around73% cheaperthan flying; however, flying takes a fraction of the time. Both choices are viable, so we’ll leave this one up to you!
How long is a piece of string? Whether you drive or fly for your Australian journey depends entirely on your own preferences, budget and who you are travelling with. Here are our main tips to help you decide.
- If you have a travelling party who can share the fuel cost, driving will usually be thecheapermethod of travel.
- Driving will nearly alwaystake longerthan flying, so if you just want to get to your destination without fuss, flying is probably your best bet.
- Remember, your flight will include travelling to and from the airport, and you can expect to spend a few hours checking in and boarding.
- There are countless things to stop and see during your Australian journey, so incorporating these into your drive can turn a long drive into a bona fide adventure!
- Travelling by trainis another potential option, which will generally take less time than driving, but longer than flying. Train fares can vary, so be sure to book early to get the best deal.
Enjoy your trip!
