Cheap flights to Australia
Cheap flights to Australia land at a handful of gateways, and which one you pick shapes the whole trip. Sydney and Melbourne carry the most long-haul traffic, Brisbane and Perth split the east and west coasts, and Cairns, Darwin and the Gold Coast suit beach and reef time. Adelaide, Hobart and Canberra are quieter arrivals, while Ayers Rock is the one you fly into for the outback. Most visitors come for two or three weeks, mixing a city stay with a coastal stretch.
Cities with flights
Gateways
Canberra is the capital, so fly there for government business and museum days rather than beaches. Sydney and Melbourne work for first trips: both are big business hubs with the widest choice of connections onward. Brisbane and Perth are the practical doors to the east and west coasts, and Perth is the shorter hop if you are coming from Asia or the Indian Ocean. Cairns and Darwin put you closest to the reef and the tropical north, while the Gold Coast is the beach-and-theme-park base. Hobart and Adelaide are smaller, calmer arrivals, and Ayers Rock is the outback one.
Before you go: Australia
- Currency
- AUD (A$)
- Power sockets
- Type I · 230 V
- Language
- English
- Emergency number
- 000
- Calling code
- +61
- Internet domain
- .au
Country facts: Wikidata
When to go
Australia's seasons run opposite to Europe and North America, so the southern summer, from December into February, is peak. That is when school holidays, Christmas and the tennis and cricket calendars push airfare up, and when coastal towns fill first. If you want quieter planes and cheaper seats, aim for the shoulder months around the Australian autumn and spring, when the south is mild and the north is still warm. The tropical north has a wet season of its own, so check conditions before booking Cairns or Darwin. Winter is the time for the outback and the southern ski fields.