Before you go camping in Australia or New Zealand, you often have a budget in mind for your trip. And maybe you even have done some research on what things regarding camping are going to cost you.
But once you are on the road it is often quite simple to save some extra costs. That is always a nice extra, which you can spend on other fun things during your trip. Do you want to know on which things you can make savings during your camping adventure in Australia, New Zealand or anywhere in the world? JustGo.Travel has got the best savings tips for you.
1. Combine free campsites with paid campsites
On the way you will pass various types of campsites. For example, free of charge with only a toilet, a paid campsite with limited facilities or a paid luxury caravan park with extras such as a swimming pool or sports facilities. But is it really necessary to stay at a paid campsite daily or in a luxury caravan park with all kinds of extras?
If you do not need to take a refreshing dip in a swimming pool every day or if you do not need to shower after a day of driving in an air conditioned vehicle, consider to combine free campsites with paid (more luxurious) campsites. In this way, you can use the more extensive (more luxurious) facilities of paid campsites on a regular basis, but by spending the night on free campsites sometimes, you are able to save some costs as well. Below are some examples of overnight schedules:
- 1st night: free campsite. 2nd night: paid campsite.
- 1st night: a luxury caravan park. 2nd night: free campsite.
- 1st night: free campsite. 2nd night: paid campsite. 3rd night: luxury caravan park.
Of course, the choice for a place to stay depends entirely on your personal preferences and what you need or is important to you at that moment. But by choosing for a free campsite or cheaper campsite sometimes, you can certainly save on the costs for your overnight stays! Both in Australia and New Zealand, there are great places to find free (and sometimes absolutely beautiful) campsites!
2. Use a camping app
When traveling by campervan or by car, you will often just see what the day will bring. You will usually decide on the road where you will spend the night. By using camping apps you can already check which (free and paid) campsites, caravan parks and backpackers hostels are on your way.
As a traveler in Australia or New Zealand you almost cannot travel without the below camping apps:
- WikiCamps Australia
- WikiCamps New Zealand
- CamperMate (Australia and New Zealand)
And the good thing is that you can also use these apps offline! Do you want to know which highlights you absolutely should not miss or, for example, where you can refuel, shower or find drinking water? This information can also be found in these camping apps.
3. Only choose for a campsite with power if necessary
Paid camp sites and luxury caravan parks mostly offer the choice from:
- a campsite without power (unpowered site) or
- a campsite with power (powered site).
If you choose for a powered site, you will be assigned to a campsite with a power supply to which you can connect your campervan by using a power cable. Of course when your campervan has got a connection for this. This allows you to use the microwave or to charge all kinds of electronics.
However, for a powered site, you will pay a surcharge, ranging from a small reasonable fee to a sometimes way to high surcharge for what power actually costs. If you do not need electricity everyday in your campervan, you do not need to choose for a powered site on a daily basis and to pay the extra surcharge. Therefore, consider whether you really need a powered site every day.
Mostly campervans have got one or more batteries, which are being charged sufficient daily while you are driving, to be able to have your fridge running for several days. And if you need power to charge your electronics, you can choose to go to a campsite with a camp kitchen. In this kitchen you can then charge your electronics or warm up a meal in the microwave.
4. Search for places where you can refill (drinking)water for free
Campervans are usually equipped with a water tank, of which the water can be used properly to wash dishes or wash your hands. Since the water is constantly subject to temperature fluctuations and in a sealed tank located underneath the campervan, it is not advisable to drink the water.
In order to have drinking water available, the easiest way is just to buy it. However, there is a way to get (almost) free clean drinking water.
At most campsites, at rest areas or at specially designated points, you can fill the water free of charge with a garden hose or empty bottles from your own campervan. If you fill up both your water tank and some empty water and / or soda bottles, you will have fresh drinking water again for a while. It is absolutely a waste of money to buy new bottles every time and makes a great difference in the amount of plastic which you trow away. Win win!
5. Cook yourself
When you are on the road, it can be tempting to stop at a restaurant to have a meal. Off course very nice and cozy. Only when you do this on a daily basis or several times a week, these costs will rise quickly.
Not everybody is a true kitchen prince or kitchen princess, but it is absolutely worthwhile to cook yourself regularly or almost every day during your camping adventure. It is not only healthier, but also much more economical.
6. Use a Fuel app
Without fuel you will not be able to drive around. When you travel long distances with a car or campervan, you will find yourself regularly at the petrol station. Then saving on your fuel is a nice extra.
By downloading a so-called fuel app on your mobile phone, you can try to plan your next tank stop, depending on where the fuel you need is the cheapest.
TIP: Make a stop as soon as you see a petrol station with a low fuel price. Refill your tank completely full or with a certain amount of fuel to be able to get to the next inexpensive petrol station. This way you will keep the average fuel costs lower and you probably only need to refill your tank with a few expensive liters of petrol.
For Australia, you can use the Fuel Map Australia.
For New Zealand, the use of Gaspy is recommended.
7. Avoid toll roads
In some countries, you will not be able to travel without driving on toll roads and paying the costs to use these roads. And these toll costs can increase quickly. Therefore, it’s definitely rewarding, to select “avoid toll roads” at the options in “Google Maps”.
Google Maps calculates the route to your next destination over alternative roads, so you do not have to pay toll costs. It not only saves you on toll costs, but sometimes by driving an alternative route you will travel via interesting other places instead of driving over the boring highway.
8. Buy long lasting groceries
When you are traveling, it can be nice to decide last minute what you are going to have for breakfast, lunch and / or dinner that day. Probably you will find yourself shopping in a supermarket every day and will you spend a lot of time of your day in the supermarket.
However, you can save time and money, by getting your basic groceries as soon as you have picked up your car / campervan. Consider products that are durable, such as rice, pasta, sauces, non chilled (fresh) beverages etc. And so you will have your own driving supermarket!
This means that you do not have to get groceries every day and you can spend the time you are normally shopping in the supermarket for other fun things. On the way, you only have to buy your fresh products, such as bread, vegetables, fruit and chilled products.
9. Get your groceries in big cities
Another saving tip concerning groceries is to get them in larger cities rather than in smaller villages. In the smaller villages, the choice is usually more limited and you pay too much for the same products. Take a look on Google Maps and see where you can get groceries at a supermarket chain in a larger city along your planned route.
10. Select campsites with free facilities to do your laundry
Certainly when you are on the road for a longer period, you sometimes want to have a freshly washed wardrobe again. Of course you can choose the paid option and take your dirty laundry to a dry cleaning service or to the laundromat where you can wash clothes yourself.
However, there is also an option to do your laundry for free. Some campsites offer the possibility to use their washing machine and / or dryer free of charge during your stay. In this way and with a bit of planning, you can regularly provide yourself with a clean wardrobe.
11. Choose campsites with free wifi
Nowadays, WIFI is almost a first necessity for travelers. Not only to stay in touch with family and friends at home, but also to be able to arrange things during your trip. Many accommodations now already offer internet access. This is usually at an additional charge for a certain number of mb’s.
Do you want to avoid this fee for using the internet? Then choose a campsite which offers free Wi-Fi.
The saving tips for camping in one overview
Once again the saving tips for your camping adventure in one overview:
- Combine free campsites and paid campsites
- Use a camping app
- Only choose for a campsite with power if necessary
- Search for place where you can refill (drinking)water for free
- Cook yourself
- Use a Fuel app
- Avoid toll roads
- Buy long lasting groceries
- Get your groceries in big cities
- Select campsites with free facilities to do your laundry
- Choose campsites with free wifi
A camping adventure, anywhere else in the world
Of course, these tips to save money are not only useful when you are camping in Australia or New Zealand. Probably, you can also use a few for a camping adventure somewhere else in the world.
Do you have any additional money saving tips?