‘Australia is an amazing country with so much to do and see, but the size of the country makes it a little difficult to get around sometimes…’

If you want to hit all of the great sites that often means having to fly from place to place which is pretty expensive. You’ll also miss out on a lot of great stuff when you’re in the air. When you fly from city to city, you get to see all of the tourist hotspots but you often miss out on getting an authentic locals experience. The best way to find that is to drive.

It’ll take longer but it’s also cheaper and you’ve got far more opportunities for exploration along the way. The only problem is, if you don’t get it right, a Road Trip across Australia could easily turn into a disaster, especially if you’re traveling with the whole family. To make sure that doesn’t happen, follow these simple rules.

Get The Right Vehicle

The most important thing you need when you’re on a family Road Trip is space. If the kids are cramped in the back of a car they’ll be fighting in no time and your dream trip will quickly turn into a nightmare. It’s far better to hire a car that seats 7 to 8 people so everybody has plenty of room. It’s also important to remember entertainment otherwise everybody will quickly get bored and start moaning. Try to find a car with some portable DVD players in or something so they won’t get restless on long trips.

Carry A Map

Paper maps are few and far between these days but it’s a good idea to take one with you and learn to read it. You’re probably thinking that there’s no point taking a map because you can use GPS on your phone or a satnav. The problem is if your battery dies or your satnav breaks for any reason, you’re left in the middle of nowhere with no way of navigating. Get yourself a paper map as a backup in emergency situations.

Don’t Plan Too Much

When you’re planning your trip, you’ll have a list of places that you want to visit while you’re there. It’s fine to schedule those places on your trip but you shouldn’t plan every single day. When you’re driving from place to place, there are so many great hidden gems to discover that you won’t find in any guidebooks. You should work out how long it’s going to take you to drive and then add a few extra days so you can stay in any of the great places you find along the way and visit any attractions that you might come across.

Check Safety Information

Australia has a lot of dangerous wildlife and the climate can be pretty extreme so it’s important that you check any relevant safety information for an area before you go there. If you aren’t aware of the dangers, you could end up getting seriously injured.

A great road trip is one of the best ways to see Australia, just make sure that you follow these simple rules to make it go smoothly.

Have fun!

Suz xx

PS – This is a collaborative post with contributions from other travel bloggers