From the research I have done on travel to these two countries, I have come to the conclusion that a four week trip for two senior citizens could cost at least $15,000. That is quite a bit more than our previous trips to Europe and Asia. At one point we considered going with a tour company because of the logistics of travel from point to point, but the cost with a tour company could run to $20,000. We are getting discouraged. Any opinions out there about an average cost? Thanks!

You don't say where you are travelling from, or what time of year you plan to travel. Those factors can make a big difference, so please give us a little more info so we can provide some useful feedback.

Sorry, I meant to include that info. We will travel from Los Angeles sometime from September to November.

With the Australia dollar so high, yes it will cost you about the same as traveling in Germany, England or France, for example. Most of Asia is, of course, substantially cheaper than traveling in Australia and New Zealand.

You should sign up on the Qantas website for special deals. There are often very cheap airfares in order to encourage tourists. Look at deals for domestic airtravel also--Jetstar is a lot cheaper than Qantas. Spring, which is when you are proposing to travel, is a beautiful time to visit.

I would think $15k would be sufficient for 4 weeks. Think of other ways you can economise, for example by staying in serviced apartments where you can prepare your own food or looking at B & Bs rather than hotels. There are cheap places to eat in most of the major cities.

Grand Circle Tours offers a tour that might interest you; even with the 5-day add-on, it runs a bit less than the $7,500:
http://www.gct.com/Trips/2012/Austra...Fiji-2012.aspx

I'm planning to travel just to Australia for 17 days in July, and it's costing about $5,000 for airfare/lodging/excursions--and that's with staying at B&B's, an apartment in Brisbane, and the Sydney Harbour hostel! However, I have come up with lots of ways to save, starting with the Qantas air pass purchased via Expedia for $2100 for all flights from Philadelphia to Brisbane, to Cairns, to Alice Springs, to Sydney, back to Philly.

We've travelled from Toronto through LAX with Qantas 3 times. Airfare tends to be somewhat lower before September 21 so you can save by setting your departure date early. The Qantas air pass can be a pretty good deal, I think, though we've never used it as we go to visit family and don't go to several destinations in one trip. Friends of mine who have travelled to New Zealand/Australia 3 or 4 times like to use a travel agent to find the best flight deals, then book their own accommodation. When comparing to the costs of a European holiday, keep in mind that not only is it farther and more expensive to get there, the distances you travel within Australia are great too, so flights don't come cheap. We found Virgin Air quite satisfactory the one time we used it.

Certainly a trip worth doing so I'm sure you'll find it worth the money in the long run.

Thanks for your tips!

We went to NZ for 25 days in March and left from Seattle. I would guess it cost us about 8-9K? The unexpectedly high expenses were the cost of the rental car, gas, and food (although you can certainly eat cheaply). We ate fairly well. We did stay in a lot of hostels that were usually less than $100 NZ per night for a private room with ensuite. Activities can also be expensive. I think it can be done for much less than 15K though. We also got a fairly good airfare deal that included 3 domestic flights and airfare from SFO to Auckland for about $2200 for 2 people.

Britomart,

Thanks for your help! Your information is encouraging.

Marsh

I agree with britomart, to look into using the hostel system within NZ, especially the bbh.co.nz network. In addition, use wotif.com or similar to find discounted rooms. I also signed up for emails with millenium.co.nz hotel chain.

In Auckland I stayed with friends but there are also the chains like Quest (serviced apartments).

Car rentals are a big expense. I would usually split my rentals into a week's block and then bracket it with city stays where you don't need a rental car (for example, in Queenstown where most tours will pickup at hotels). Most airports have a supershuttle system and Auckland airport has a bus that runs to the city center. A few rental companies run deep=discount one way specials (eg Avis often has a one way transfer from airport to City for a pittance, so I use that to see some sights such as One Tree Hill and the Auckland domain as well as a stop at a grocery store).

Keep an eye on airnewzealand.co.nz for super saver airfares (grab a seat). Sometimes it was cheaper to fly back to Auckland and then get a Grab a Seat to a different region!

Eating out can be quite expensive and even groceries are a shocker, but the sandwich and fush and chups are usually good for breaking up the bank account busting meals. If you buy what is in season and local, then it's reasonable (including the local beverages).