Road trips or self-drive holidays are a satisfying way to travel around Australia. Travel as you please, plan your own itinerary and explore as far as you want. Australia has a good network of well-maintained roads and highways and, for the more intrepid, quite a few dusty tracks to take you into the Outback.
Driving laws
Australians drive on the left-hand side of the road. The maximum speed limit in cities and towns is from 50 km/h (32mph) and 100 km/h (62mph) on country roads and highways unless signs indicate otherwise. Speed limits are strictly enforced. Strict drink-driving laws apply and it is compulsory for drivers and passengers to wear seat belts at all times.
Driving licenses
A bonafide tourist may drive in Australia on a valid driver's license for the same class of vehicle. Licenses must be carried when driving, in addition to a valid passport. If the driver's license is not in the English language, the visitor must carry a translation with the permit. An International driver's Permit is not sufficient by itself and must be accompanied by a valid driver's permit.
Motoring clubs
The Australian Automobile Association is affiliated with motoring organizations in most countries of the world. This entitles visitors to free roadside emergency breakdown service, travel guides, route maps, accommodation and camping directories and touring information. For information and assistance contact motoring associations in each Australian state.
Petrol (gas)
Petrol in Australia comes in leaded and unleaded grades and is sold by the litre. Petrol costs roughly between AUS $1.70 - AUS $1.90 per litre. LPG gas and diesel are also available. Petrol stations are plentiful; trading hours vary. Most will accept major international credit cards.
What do the experts say?
Tasmania is under the radar for many travelers, but it’s great for hikes, natural landscapes and now modern art!
Sydney and Melbourne are a great combination for first-time visitors to Australia, with Brisbane, Adelaide and/or the Outback added in, depending on how much time you have. Returnees should take in Perth, Darwin and the Kakadu National Park area and/or Tasmania if they can, plus spend some time in the cities they loved the first time around
It might sound cliche, but you really can visit year-round. Australia is a big country, so there is always somewhere with amazing weather!
Goway’s trips to Australia are not stock itineraries. We can put together trips of a few weeks or a few months, allowing you to see as much of the land Downunder as you can. And we offer a mix of travel options, from self-drives to train journeys to long stays.
Goway has partnerships with many unique inns and hotels in Australia. Among the most memorable are Qualia on Hamilton Island, Longitude 131 at Uluru and Southern Ocean Lodge on Kangaroo Island.
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ExcellentBased on 5,333 ReviewsVanessa from Goway Travel did a fantastic job pulling together a really comprehensive itinerary for our trip to Egypt. Her advice about "must see" sites was extremely helpful and she also provided great tips based on her own experience travelling to Egypt. Excellent planning by Vanessa meant we were able to thoroughly enjoy our trip. OlgaI want to Thank Vanessa Lloyd for putting together the most perfect itinerary for my husband and my dream trip to Santorini, Greece. Every detail was perfectly executed. From the pick ups, to tours and most certainly our hotel location, it was truly a dream!! We were so happy and completely blown away, that we couldn't help but shared our experience with several folks we met during our trip... and I just bet they will be using Goway Travel for any future plans of theirs, just like us. Africa, here we come....Tanya KashExceptional Customer Service, Accountability, and Leadership — Thank You, Goway Travel!
As a Canadian travel advisor with Discover Joy Travel, affiliated with TravelOnly, I want to recognize three exceptional individuals at Goway Travel: Jaime Vargas-Hernandez (Destination Specialist – North America and Latin America), Sean Hebert (Vice President, The Americas), and Jason Stratford (Business Development Manager).
I recently booked a cross-Canada vacation for my clients, and while the itinerary offered many wonderful experiences, there were several unexpected challenges along the way, particularly involving transportation, transfers, and certain aspects of the overall travel experience.
As a travel advisor, one of the most difficult situations is hearing that your clients are disappointed, especially when you've worked hard to create a memorable and seamless vacation for them.
What truly impressed me was how Goway responded when things didn't go as planned.
From the beginning, Jaime was responsive, professional, and genuinely committed to addressing our concerns. He listened carefully, communicated with the appropriate teams, and made sure our clients' feedback was taken seriously.
Jason Stratford was equally supportive, demonstrating the value of having a Business Development Manager who genuinely advocates for travel advisors and their clients.
I also want to extend my sincere appreciation to Sean Hebert, Vice President of The Americas, for his outstanding leadership and personal attention to our situation. His involvement demonstrated that customer satisfaction and accountability are priorities at Goway, even at the executive level.
What impressed me most was that Goway didn't simply acknowledge the challenges — they listened, took ownership, and made a genuine effort to rebuild our clients' confidence and trust.
In fact, despite the difficulties they experienced, my clients were so impressed with how Goway handled their concerns that they expressed interest in booking another international vacation through them, with another couple potentially joining!
To me, that speaks volumes.
Exceptional customer service isn't about everything going perfectly. It's about how a company responds when things go wrong.
As a travel advisor, I value supplier relationships built on trust, transparency, accountability, and genuine care for travellers. Knowing that I have a team willing to listen, take responsibility, and work toward a resolution gives me greater confidence when recommending Goway to my clients.
Jaime, Jason, and Sean — thank you for your professionalism, patience, dedication, and for making me feel genuinely supported as a travel advisor. You didn't just help resolve a difficult situation; you helped restore confidence and strengthen a valuable business relationship.
Goway is fortunate to have individuals like you representing the company.
I look forward to continuing our partnership and creating many more memorable travel experiences for our clients.
Highly recommended — not because everything was perfect, but because Goway demonstrated what genuine accountability, strong leadership, and exceptional customer service should look like.
— Evangeline Fiset
Discover Joy Travel | TravelOnly
Fort St. John, British Columbia, CanadaEvangeline de Torres - FisetThank you Vanessa, always a pleasure dealing with you and knowing you'll give us the perfect customized trip. Everything was spot on with excellent guides, drivers.Terry F.Every detail was managed and executed beyond our expectations and everything flowed from one destination to the nextClinton G HughesThis is a review for my Goway travel guide in Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. PHẠM HỮU THIỆN (TONY) was a very kind and knowledgeable guide during our 5 day stay in the city. Friendly, likeable and funny, Very accommodating to our needs during our visit. He and his driver were always early for every excursion as well as the final day for our airport departure. He gave us wonderful recommendations for sights and restaurants for our personal time. I highly recommend Mr. Pham (Tony) for your stay in the Ho Chi Minh area.George C.Brooke Theron has booked 3 trips for us, France and Tunisia in 2025 and we have just returned from a 2 week trip from China.
The entire trip was flawless, from the research to the booking Brooke is always soo helpful in whole process.
Brooke always works with us to answer any questions and make sure any request we have can be added.
Our tour guides James, Helen, Felicity and Keira and drivers were all top notch with lots of information on each stop and sent us onto our next stop with no problems.
The hotels, trains and tours were all excellent. We couldn't have asked for more
I look forward to working with Brooke and Goway tours on our next vacation.MaddieBijal and Martin (tour guide in Kenya) made this the trip of a lifetime. I felt safe every minute of the trip. I did not care for the travel from the Serengeti to Ngorogoro Crater. I felt the last hotel was too far from the crater i was exhausted not wanted to travel to the crater. The travel was absolutely brutal for 6 hoursKathie BeckerJosie was incredible to work with. She replied to all emails quickly and effectively. She was very knowledgeable and always willing to help. Would definitely work with Josie again!! Clients had an incredible 14 days in Italy with no complaints. A dream vacation!!Chattell BlueOur safari in Tanzania was excellent. Brooke Theron, our Goway representative, was easy to work with, responsive and knowledgeable. Our guide in Tanzania, Anwar Razak, was outstanding. His knowledge and his driving ability was impressive. He was also engaging. We enjoyed our time with Anwar. The camps that Goway recommended were comfortable, welcoming and surprisingly luxurious while capturing the essence of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. We had a wonderful trip. Jack B.
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