While many dream of a European adventure or a road trip across the USA, sometimes our schedule and budget doesn’t allow for this type of holiday. Enter the mini trip, a journey that’s close to home and achievable in a long weekend.
Where can I go on a mini trip?
Although mini trips don’t have a hard and fast definition, they’re generally two- or three-night stays in destinations within a three-hour flight away.
Australia’s grand size makes international mini trips a little challenging depending on where you’re based. For example, if you’re flying from Melbourne, you can just about get to Cairns before having to touch down. This opens the world of domestic trips, but travellers from Brisbane and Darwin do have a few overseas destinations within around a three hour flight:
- Brisbane: Noumea (New Caledonia), Port Vila (Vanuatu) and if you can spare 10 minutes, Nadi (Fiji).
- Darwin: Bali (Indonesia), Dili (Timor-Leste) and Nadi (Fiji).
- Sydney: Noumea (New Caledonia).
And, if you want to be a bit flexible with the rules, several East Coast airports fly directly to Auckland in around 3 hours and 15 minutes.
1. Optimise your travel dates
Filter your flight searches by departure times to make sure you get the most out of your mini trip. There are a few ways you can do this on the Skyscanner website and Skyscanner app. Some tips?
- Fly during long weekends
- If you have to work, book a late flight at the end of your workday. Arrive late in the afternoon/evening so you can grab dinner, go to your hotel and wake up early to explore
- Find an early flight to you arrive in your destination before lunch (or before breakfast if you can) to enjoy your first full day there
2. Pick the fastest flight
When you want to get somewhere quickly, tick the ‘direct flights only’ box to avoid hanging around airports unnecessarily. Save the multiple stopovers for longer trips.
If you are going somewhere that needs a stopover, filter your search results by ‘journey duration.’ This will show all flights in order from quickest to slowest, getting you to where you want to go pronto.
2. Check all available airports
Some cities have more than one airport, and you could save massive amounts of time by flying into the airport closest to where you want to go. To search for all airports in a city, type the city name and “any” into the Skyscanner search bar for a full list of airport options.
Take Melbourne, for example, which has Tullamarine Airport (MEL) and Avalon Airport (AVV). Tullamarine is more than half an hour closer to Melbourne’s CBD than Avalon, and it also has more frequent public transport departures, making it the more convenient of the two airport for mini trips.
3. Be flexible on destinations
Spontaneity makes travel more exciting and memorable. For your next mini trip, search for flights to ‘everywhere’. We’ll show you all the airports you can get to from your closest departure point and, adding your journey’s dates, you’ll be given a list of possibilities.
From there, it’s up to you. There may well be an airport you wouldn’t have thought of on the list. Speaking from experience, this type of gamble pays off.
4. Check your annual leave
Sometimes it might be possible to extend a mini trip by a couple of days by using a few days of leave. Or, you can use public holidays to max the time you’re away without dipping too deep into your leave pool.
To find out how to make the most of your annual leave, we’ll show you how to turn 19 days of leave into 46 days off this year.
5. Use points
Whether you’re a frequent flyer, you’re loyal to a hotel brand or you have a credit card that you use strategically, there’s a good chance you’ve accrued some points that can make your next mini trip cheaper. Australia’s main airlines, like Qantas and Virgin Australia, have their own frequent flyer programs. Points accrued in these programs can be used on allied airlines, too.
If you haven’t logged into your frequent flyer account in a while, now’s a great time to check how many points you have and how far you can go.
6. Travel light
If you’re only going for a few days and you’re likely staying in Australia, then you probably don’t need a hefty bag.
With many airlines charging for check-in baggage, you’re better off travelling with only a carry on. With no baggage bogging you down, checking in and departing from the airport will be a breeze. You’ll avoid the big check in queue by checking in online, and you won’t be hanging around the carousel at the other end.
Frightened by the idea of travelling with so little luggage? Read our best ever packing tips for advice on packing light.
Mini trip destination ideas
So you want to take a mini trip this autumn? Here’s where to go between March and May.
It’s almost impossible to pick one destination that suits all Australians for a mini trip, but perhaps the best one-size-fits-most option is Alice Springs. Direct flights are available from most domestic airports in three hours or so. The weather is warm, expect early-30°C in March and April then cooling to mid-20°C in May. Once in Alice, you’ve got so many day trip options to explore the Outback.
Two main cohorts can’t make it to Alice Springs in a few hours. So if you’re in Perth or Tasmania, let us help you with your mini break too.
If you’re in Perth, consider a trip to Broome. It’s about two-and-a-half hours by plane and it’s one of the most strikingly beautiful spots in the country. It’s a surreal space where Outback meets beach meets turquoise waters.
For Tasmania, direct flights from Hobart take you to Adelaide in just two hours. The weather will be five degrees or so warmer in South Australia and you’ll have plenty of time to explore one of the country’s most popular small cities.
For more help planning your next holiday, head to our travel hacks hub and find out how to save money, reduce your carbon footprint and have an amazing time.
Read more:
- Want to travel but not sure where to go? Read our tips for last-minute Easter getaways
- Save money on your next holiday by downloading these travel budgeting apps
- For destination inspiration, check out these 9 Australian airports with cheap flight options
