I am wondering about booking flights from the US and then within Australia and on to New Zealand and then back to the US. What is the easiest way to do this and when is the best time to book tickets (planning on trip in mid November through early December)? Also wondering about booking hotels, is it best to book one at every destination before going or booking just the first stop and then book the rest once arriving in Australia? Thanks for the help.

Are you a member of any particular airline alliance? If so, that's usually a good place to start.

Regarding booking hotels...if you're here around Christmas or local school holidays, you'll want to book in advance.

NZ school holidays can be found here:

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/theMinistr...dHolidays.aspx

Australian school holidays can be found here:

http://australia.gov.au/topics/austr...ool-term-dates

Outside peak periods and school holidays, there are often bargains from the local carriers.

In Australia: www.Qantas.com.au
www.virginblue.com.au
www.jetstar.com.au

www.webjet.com.au is a good starting place for fare comparisons. I always book direct with the airlines but sometimes use webjet for a quick check.

Qantas offers an Aussie Pass that allows stops in a number of places, but don't know how restrictive it is or whether it compares favourably with buying intracountry flights independently.

Book your flights in advance an some of your accommodation. Leave some flexibility so you can stay longerat places if need be and shorter others.

You've got a lot of options. There are several airlines now that fly from the US to Australia, so:

1. You could book your flight from US to Australia on any of the airlines (Qantas, Virgin Australia, Delta, United, Continental, etc.) and then book your internal flights within Australia independently on one of the airlines mentioned by Bokhara. You would also need to book your flight to NZ independently.

2. You can book your flight to Australia and the internal flights within Australia using a package by Qantas (Aussie Airpass) or Virgin Australia (V Australia Airpass). Then book your NZ flight separately.

3. Look for an airline (perhaps Air New Zealand does this) that offers a stop in New Zealand before continuing on to Australia. You might be able to do the NZ portion of your trip this way before going to Australia.

Since it doesn't appear that you will be traveling during school holidays, you could probably book your accommodations as you go, if that's the way you like to travel. Also, as a single person, you probably have more flexibility on where you can stay than does someone like me that is generally traveling with 3 other people. But, looking for accommodations as you go takes away time from sightseeing and other activities. If you want to book accommodations in advance, I have heard good things about Wotif (www.wotif.com.au) although I have not personally used this site.

Finally, since you are booking this trip yourself, note that you must obtain the proper visa/permit to enter Australia. I've read a few threads from people who didn't realize this unt(il it was almost too late.) Go to www.immi.gov.au for info. If you are a US citizen, you will want an ETA, which you can apply for and pay for online at the above site.

There are some airfare sales on right now. I'd try a site like kayak.com or fly.com. If you don't find something under $1000 yet it may be too early, but I would try to book something a few months ahead.

Main thing is to be sure you really have enough time to see both countries. Try to plan your itinerary out now. You may decide to see just one or the other after doing that. Most people find 3 weeks about the right time just for NZ, much less both countries.

There are cheap internal flights (Smart Saver) in NZ between some city pairs on the NZ version of their website (www.airnewzealand.co.nz). They are limited on number of seats and sell out in advance but the prices can be excellent.

For hotels I recommmend signing up on the milleniumhotels.co.nz there are often some good spring and summer email specials (usually NZD79 to NZD99). Also for cetain locations (Mt. Cook, the Glaciers) the supply of moderate lodging is limited, so book ahead there. For other places you can be flexible.

Thanks for all the suggestions and help. I know that I need a visa for Australia, any idea on how long it takes to get one? Do I need a visa for New Zealand??

I plan on doing day trips/tours to see the sights, any suggestions on companies or specific things to do?? Planning on going to Melbourne, Alice Springs/Ayers Rock, Carins, Sydney, Auckland, Queenstown, and Christchurch.

Thanks for all the help.

You can get an ETA visa for Australia at the site below. Costs about $20 and takes about a minute. Don't apply too far in advance as it's only good for a year.

http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/

Americans don't need visas for New Zealand, unless you plan to stay for more than three months or plan to work.

http://www.visabureau.com/newzealand/holiday-visa.aspx