If you are planning a trip to the heart of Australia, you’ve come to the right place! We are going to tell you everything you need to know for this 2500 km long journey. By the time you finish reading this article, you will have a better idea about which form of travel suits you best.

Flights

There are two things you need to be aware of. First, only Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia (best connections to New Zealand as well) fly to Alice Springs. Second, there are no flights to Alice Springs in Canberra. In other words, you will have to go to the Sydney Airport if you want to get there by plane. The average one-way adult ticket costs about 240$ and the flight lasts around three hours.

Airport tips

If you opt for travel by air, you should know that the Alice Springs airport is 15 km south of Alice Springs. To put it simply, you can’t see the town from the airport. The airport is very small and has two sets of toilets. We will tell you one secret: instead of going to the first lot of toilets, go through the security area and turn left. There you will find the toilets that the locals always use, and they never have a queue in front of them (you’re welcome).

You can book a shuttle drive at the airport’s shuttle desk (at the front of the airport near the baggage carousel area) that will transport you directly to Alice Springs. If you are a backpacker, many backpacker hostels offer free shuttle drives from the airport. There are also plenty of private car hires and taxis. But if you want to hire a car, it will be much cheaper to hire it in town rather than at the airport.

Driving

This is probably the best way to get to Alice Springs. You will have an a great time and see amazing scenery, such as Stuart Highway , Port Augusta, Uluru, Coober Pedy, etc. In other words, you are going to live and experience the full size and beauty of Australia (and it will be cheaper than flying).

But driving also has its downsides. The travel itself is going to be a bit more exhausting because you will need to add 3 extra days of travel time, and the fuel costs are going to be big. Along the Stuart Highway fuel costs from $1.80 – $2.30 per liter.

Train

If you are an Aussie you probably already know about the legendary Ghan train service. With the train, you will experience the pleasure of meeting new and different people, and enjoy the cheerful service and comfort of the train itself.

Bus

There are many different options for buses, but if you are in a group, you should check charter bus rental in Canberra. Just imagine you and your family and friends traveling alone in a spacious and fully equipped bus, relaxing and enjoying the view. Grab some playing cards, beer and food and you will experience the best possible road trip.

If there are only a couple of you, or you are travelling alone, there is actually a regular Greyhound bus that goes up and down the Stuart Highway directly to Alice Springs. Consider getting a kilometer pass since they last for a year and you can hop on and off the bus whenever you want until you run out of kilometers.

Rental Car

This is definitely the cheapest option for those that just need to get to Alice Springs, or get out of Alice Springs. Basically, you rent a car at one location and your rental finishes at your final destination. In other words, you don’t have to worry about returning your car to the original rental office. The cost can be as cheap as 1$ per day hire plus fuel. The downside is that sometimes the rental company can give you a really short time limit between the two locations so you won’t have time to look around. They book very fast and if you are travelling alone, you have a lot of driving to do in a very short period of time.

That would be it for Alice Springs tips. We would love to hear about your Alice Springs experience, so feel free to share it with us in the comment section. You can never get too much information and advice.