Australia is a tough country to tackle, as it is much too large to zip around on a train from city to city like you could in France or Spain. In physical size, it is comparable to the United States. It’s hard to imagine hitting New York, Chicago, Florida and California in a single trip, especially when you don’t have much time or money. The distance between Sydney and Melbourne is comparable to that of Seattle and San Francisco, while heading out to Perth can become even more of an ordeal. A bus or car trip between cities and towns can take several hours, sometimes even days. Chances are, you won’t want to spend half your trip in Australia sitting in a bus, train or car.

Unless you have several months or even a full year to explore Australia, it’s best to do some extensive planning before booking your plane ticket. Take a look at a map of the country to get an idea of the distances between cities and regions. Also think about which places you would like to see the most and how realistic it would be to travel there. Most backpackers favor the East Coast route from Sydney to Cairns or vice versa. Many do not make it to Melbourne, Darwin and Uluru and even fewer get out to Perth and Broome.

Low-cost airlines much like Southwest and JetBlue in the United States and EasyJet and RyanAir in Europe exist to provide quick and affordable transportation throughout the country and even to international destinations such as New Zealand and Thailand. You can fly between Sydney and Melbourne in a mere hour and a half for a reasonable price. Remember, though, that these are no-frills airlines, so you will not receive any free snacks or drinks during the flight. However, on flights within Australia, passengers are allowed to bring liquids onto the plane, so you can feel free to bring a bottle of water. Check out the websites for JetStar and Virgin Blue to get an idea of its destinations and flight prices. Budget flights can be an amazing timesaver if you just want to visit a few select places around the country in a short period of time.

The Greyhound Bus Line is another good option for those who want to make multiple stops along the East Coast at a leisurely pace. Different options exist for the different routes people take, such as Cairns-Sydney (and reverse), Cairns-Brisbane (and reverse), and Brisbane-Sydney (and reverse). Individual tickets can also be purchased if you want just a one-way or round-trip ticket between two points. Be sure to ask for a youth discount if you are under 26.