Access information about several areas connected to overseas travel. These include other transport options, visas, embassies and missions, health and health insurance, backpacking, travel books & magazines, travel advisories, travel reviews by everyday people, … .

There is brief information about accommodation, technology access, even taxation matters and homesickness and how to cope with it.

A selection of major travel agents in Australia is provided. This does not attempt to cover every travel agent, nor is any specific recommendation given.

For additional information regarding Airlines use this link. It covers national and international carriers.

Other Information

Accommodation

• All Hotels
  Links to about 60 000 world hotels.
• International Hotel Search
• Hostelling International
  World hostels.
• The Hotel Guide
  Swiss site. Search and book at 60 000+ world hotels.
• World Executive
  Hotels, reservations, hotel sites, city guides on every continent. 3 000 hotels world wide.
• wotif.com
  ‘Great Rates for hotels, motels, apartments, resorts, bed & breakfasts in over 35 countries’.

Airline Information

• Check the Airlines page.
• Airline Information
  Opens at Deciphering your Airline Ticket but has links to airlines, aircraft, Air Travel Services, more.
• FareCompare
  ‘Let FareCompare.com monitor airline ticket prices so you’ll be first in line to pick up the best deal on your quest for a cheap flight’.

Other Transport Information

Driving Information

• Going Overseas ?
  Advice on driving overseas. Australian Drivers Training Association.
• National DriveSafe
  ‘Covering 50 countries in Europe, Middle East and Africa, as well as the United States and Canada, Drive Safe is designed by National Car Rental to help you enjoy your car hire experience’. General driving advice, selectable for individual countries.

Rail Information

• European Rail Passes
  Rail Travel Information - European Rail Guide. Accessing and using the European Rail network.
• Travel Notes
  Using rail on all continents. Links to general and specific train travel e.g. Royal Orient Express to Cityrail, New South Wales.

Backpacker’s Information

• Backpackers Essentials
  Online version of the magazine, back issues, lots of advice.
• Backpackers Ultimate Guide - Europe
  Transport, destinations, hostels, work. By country.
  Brilliant !
• TNT
  Magazine to help the modern backpacker find the information to survive and enjoy their travels. Mostly about London.

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General Information

• Airport Guides
  Select by country and airport to get a range of information. You can also try World Airport Guides which start with major areas then go direct to a listing of airports in that area.
• Been There [Travel]
  UK based [Guardian Newspaper]. People’s views on the places they have been. Mainly Europe, though other parts of the world have been covered.
• Bridge Pacific
  Plan your itinerary, send it to travel agents, see which offer is best.
• Disabled Travel [also Mature Travellers]
  Tips, tours, tales, accessible cruise lines, links, travel agents who can help.
• FlyerTalk
  ‘FlyerTalk is an interactive community that provides up-to-date information on travel-related loyalty reward programs’.
• Google Earth
  ‘Google Earth combines the power of Google Search with satellite imagery, maps, terrain and 3D buildings to put the world’s geographic information at your fingertips’.
• Gridskipper
  The Urban Travel Guide. Find all the ins and outs for major cities around the world - not just the everyday, but the unusual and just plain different.

Homesick ?

Try these sites for help.

• Australians Abroad
• Homesick
• Southern Cross Group

• IgoUgo
  has a section where people report on their experience during overseas travel. If you want first hand information this may be worth visiting. but remember, everyone is different.
• OANDA - Travellers Channel
  Information for the Leisure & Business traveller, Traveller Tools, Cheatsheets. Access a foreign exchange converter.
• The Man in Seat 61 …
  ‘The Man in Seat Sixty-One will tell you how to travel overland comfortably & affordably where you might think that air was now the only option’. Covers the world, but with a heavy bias to the UK and Europe.
  Well presented !
• TripAdvisor
  ‘5,000,000+ traveller reviews & opinions of hotels, vacations & more’.
• Weather Underground
  Find what the weather is predicted to be wherever you are planning to go. Features on a significant other weather related information.

Government Information

Customs, Passports, Safety, Visas.

• Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  Information about working overseas.
• Australian Missions
  Embassies, Consulates, Missions.
• Customs Information
  Sales tax, customs duties, regulations if you buy from overseas or carry materials back with you.
• Embassy World
  Information about embassies from all countries.
• Australian Passports
  Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. Covers every aspect. Includes information on ePassports.
• Smart Traveller
  Visas, passports, where, and where not to travel, what precautions to take through the Travel Advisories Index.
• Visa Information
  Covers all countries.

Other Visa Information

• British Passport & Visa Information
• Canada
• ESTA
  Electronic System for Travel Authorization. ‘International travelers who are seeking to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program are now subject to enhanced security requirements. All eligible travelers who wish to travel under the Visa Waiver Program must apply for authorization using the following process’. If you do not, you could be refused entry on arrival.
• Other Countries Consulates in Australia.

Health & Insurance

• CDC - Travellers’ Health
  Specific topics about travellers’ health, information for travelling : with children, with those having special needs, etc.. Centre for Disease Control in the US.
• Travel Doctor
  Fee-based, but reasonable value in what you can access about disease management, health alerts [some Free], links to useful sites [Free], more. Worth considering.

Travel Insurance

• 1 Cover Travel Insurance Australia
• Columbus Direct [online completion]
• iTrek Travel Insurance
  ‘Travel insurance for the adventurous !’
• NRMA Travel Insurance
  Covers people from NSW, ACT and Tasmania. For Queensland travellers go to this NRMA site, for South Australian travellers go to this SGIC site and for Western Australian travellers go to this SGIO site.
• Online Travel Insurance
• Southern Cross Travel Insurance
  Good rates, multiple plans. ‘For listed, controlled pre-existing conditions you do not need to apply for cover, obtain a medical assessment or pay any additional premium for these conditions’.
• Sydney Morning Herald Travel Insurance
  Good rates, especially for purely Health Insurance.
• Travel Health Online
• Travel Insurance Cover
  ‘Through Travel Insurance Cover, Australian travellers can now access travel insurance at a significant discount’.
• Travel Insurance Direct
  Easy to use site with useful information about popular destinations, options for students, frequent travellers, families, older people.
• World Nomads
  Online completion.

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Taxation Information

Try these sites for help.

• Consultants Exchange Global
  ‘Contractor management specialists, offering tailor-made, tax effective solutions for contractors globally’.
• Taxation Information
  Do you still need to pay tax in Australia ?, What is the situation where you work ?. From the Australian Tax Office.

Technology While You Travel

Try these sites for help.

• Cybercafes Worldwide
  Large listing.
• Netcafeguide : World 66
• Techno Travel
  ‘How to access the internet while travelling’. Links to cyber cafes, Free email accounts, ways of accessing, etc..

Travel Magazines & Books

• Concierge.com
  Access one of the great travel magazines [Condé Nast Traveler]. Quality information.
• Fodors
  Mini-guides about places to visit, what to do there.
• Footprint Travel Guides
  Similar to Lonely Planet.
• Frommers
  Similar to Lonely Planet. Often has better detail about specific aspects.
• Gregory’s
  Australian series also known as the Insider’s Guides. Well set out, some with an additional map page. Mostly Pacific, Asia, Europe.
• Journeywoman
  ‘The Premier Travel Resource for Women’. Includes a newsletter.
• Let’s Go
  Similar to Lonely Planet. Call themselves ‘the budget guide’. Worth using.
• Lonely Planet
  The best known of all the travel book groups - a book for just about everywhere. You can also use The Thorn Tree travel forums for information about places around the world. Different branches cover different parts of the world.
• National Geographic Traveller
• Outside Online
  Covers travel with guides, more.
• Rough Guides
  Popular travel guides.
• Sydney Morning Herald Travel
  Search for and book travel, travel ideas, reports, questions answered, letters, special options, more.
• Thomas Cook
  Money changers, producers of travel books.
• ViaMichelin
  ‘Route planner, maps, tourist information, hotels, restaurants’. Now with GPS Navigation.

Tourist Offices & Information

• Tourist Information
  Positive, useful site with a listing of information services available world wide.
• ANTOR
  Links for different countries’ tourist offices that can be accessed in Australia.

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Travel Agents

No attempt has been made to include every travel agent in Australia - an impossibility. Major groups are included, whether shopfront or online.

• Travel Compensation Fund
  ‘Australia’s primary means of providing compensation to eligible travellers who suffer loss as a result of the financial collapse of a participating travel agency business’. You can also find agencies covered by the scheme.
• Airfare
  Claims the cheapest airfares you will find. Also tour packages.
• Costless Holidays
  Covers holidays and airline tickets. This link opens on the airline ticket page.
• Harvey World Travel
  National chain of travel agents found in cities, major towns.
• Jetset Travel
  All aspects of travel, on and offline.
• Kirratours
  For any travel and touring in New Zealand.
• Last Minute
  ‘Compare last minute accommodation, international flights & holidays’. If you don’t mind taking a chance you might get a bargain.
• Oz Flights Guide
  Links to other online sites. Access for best prices for accommodation, tours, flights, etc., Australian, overseas.
• Payless Travel
  Discounted air travel from Australia to overseas countries.
• Skylink Travel
  Database of airfares, online booking.
• STA Travel
  Travel arrangements and tours organised by a reputable chain.
• Student Flights
  The best student fares. Others can use it, just not quite as cheap.
• The Flight Centre
  Now indicating they will better any given price.
• Trailfinders
  ‘Worldwide tailor-made travel arrangements’. All aspects of travel, accommodation.
• Travel.com.au
• Travelscene
  600+ agencies across Australia. Check options available through Flightscene, which alloows for comparison fares and finding cheaper fares.
• WebJet
  Online airfares for most airlines. You need to add the Processing Charge and Credit Card charges when finalisinhg the cost of fares.
• Wotif
  Find accommodation in 35+ countries. Some limitations apply.
• Zuji
  Online travel booking service promising significant discounts.

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