Discover how Australians are tackling the great Aussie road trip – from preparation to spending and challenges faced on the road. To make it easier for Aussies to head outdoors in the lead up to the holiday period, we partnered with Hipcamp to bring you some amazing road trip itineraries worth exploring.
Planning your next road trip? We can help cover your car, caravan, motorbike and watercraft so you can enjoy your holiday, fuss free.
We know Australians love road trips
The iconic road trip is an Australian favourite. Whether it’s heading outdoors with friends and family, or solo, Australians love to explore our own backyard.
In September 2024, we conducted a survey1 with more than 2,000 Australians to uncover the habits, preferences and behaviours of travellers across the country. Whether it's the classic coastal drive, a rugged Outback adventure or a quick weekend getaway, we've uncovered the key trends shaping how Aussies hit the road.
Read on to find out more about Australian road trip habits and to discover our itineraries.
A snapshot of our behaviours
Australians are feeling the pinch due to the current cost-of-living crisis and rising costs have impacted our road trip habits, with more than 1 in 3 Aussies taking fewer trips and 1 in 4 visiting destinations closer to home.
Despite changing habits, inflation has not dampened the nation’s appetite to head outdoors, with more than half of those surveyed planning a road trip adventure in the next two to three months.
Individuals reported that the motivators behind taking road trips include freedom and flexibility (56%), the chance to explore Australia (52%) and being able to spend quality time with family and friends (48%). 35% of respondents also cited their motivation is due to the cost being cheaper than other holidays, such as international travel.
Almost half of Aussie travellers surveyed drove up to 500 kilometres on their last road trip, with 1 in 4 spending more than 17 hours on the road.
The top three ways that Australians prepare for a road trip include checking tyres (65%), packing food and water for emergencies (62%) and cleaning windscreens and checking wipers (54%). Respondents were least likely to check that their roadside assist is up to date (37%), and that their insurance is up to date (33%). Whether insurance covers the road trip (26%) ranked the lowest when it came to preparing.
On average, each respondent surveyed spent $1,108 on their last road trip, including fuel, accommodation, meals and entertainment. 74% of travellers cited fuel as their biggest expense, followed closely by accommodation (56%).
Challenges faced on the road
Data reveals that 75% of travellers have had an unpleasant surprise on the road. Road closures (25%), flat tyres (25%), extreme weather (23%) and just plain getting lost (20%) are the most common unexpected challenges that travellers encounter.
When it comes to other concerns, car breakdowns (48%) and the cost of fuel (42%) are the two biggest worries people have when they’re on a road trip.
Among different vehicle types including cars, campervans, vans and motorbikes, ute drivers are most likely to encounter off-road problems such as road closures (38%), extreme weather (32%), bushfires (21%) and floods (17%). This is likely due to ute drivers typically getting off the beaten track more than car drivers (35% compared to 20% respectively).
Trends by generation
Among the generations, older drivers had more freedom with their road trips, with data showing that Baby Boomers were able to go on longer trips, spend more, and were more likely to embark on a road trip whenever they want to. 33% of Baby Boomer respondents drove for more than 17 hours on their last road trip compared to 22% of Gen Zs. Baby Boomers travelled the furthest too, with 32% travelling more than 1,000 kilometres on their trip, compared to the 20% average.
21% of Baby Boomers spent more than $2,000 per trip. 60% of Baby Boomers go on a road trip whenever they want to, compared to 33% of Gen X and 29% of Millennials. Gen X and Millennials are more likely to travel when they can get time off work (35% and 37%).
Across the generations, most travellers take their road trips with their partner, but Gen Zs are more likely than any other group to go with friends (39% compared to 21% overall)
When it comes to accommodation and road trip duration, 48% of travellers road tripped for 3 to 7 nights. Gen Zs were more likely to take shorter trips, with 39% of Gen Zs only going away for 1 to 2 nights. Younger drivers, including Gen Z and Millennials, were most likely to camp out in a tent (20% and 16% respectively), whereas Baby Boomers and Gen Y were most likely to stay in a budget motel (30%).
Most travellers (62%) don’t modify their car before a trip. However, among the generations, Gen Z were most likely to modify their cars (59%), with 21% adding roof racks, 28% buying camping equipment and 24% improving their driving comfort. Baby Boomers were least likely to make modifications, with 81% reporting that they make no modifications at all.
Want to learn more about how car care habits differ across generations? Read our 2024 Generational Car Care & Costs Report.
State trends and where Australians are heading
Travellers from Queensland spent the most time on the road, with 33% driving more than 17 hours compared to 21% of travellers from New South Wales. 58% of travellers who stayed in the same state drove less than 7 hours; 46% of interstate travellers drove for more than 17 hours.
- Interstate travellers from New South Wales were most likely to go to Victoria and Queensland.
- Travellers from Victoria were most likely to travel to New South Wales.
- South Australian interstate travellers were most likely to travel to New South Wales and Victoria.
- Western Australians were the least likely to travel interstate (13% compared to national average of 33%).
Data reveals that the single most popular road trip in Australia is the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, with 39% of respondents ranking the Great Ocean Road as their favourite. 63% of Victorians prefer the Great Ocean Road, as do 45% of South Australians.
53% of New South Wales travellers ranked Sydney to Brisbane as their favourite New South Wales route.
43% of Queenslanders prefer the Queensland Outback, and 52% of Western Australians ranked the Perth to Esperance route as their favourite.
Planning your next road trip?
Need a hand in planning your next big adventure? We’ve partnered with Hipcamp to bring you five itineraries across Australia, unveiling amazing gems worth exploring.
You can find out more information about each itinerary below.
New South Wales Itineraries
Looking for the ultimate NSW road trip these holidays? We’ve teamed up with Hipcamp to bring Aussies the ultimate NSW Great Australian Road trip itinerary.
Queensland Itineraries
From feeding dolphins to stargazing in the outback, discover Queensland’s top unique and undiscovered locations with Youi’s Great Australian Road Trip itinerary.
South Australia Itineraries
Discover the top hidden locations and attractions in South Australia with Youi’s Great Australian Road Trip.
Victoria Itineraries
Discover the top hidden locations and attractions in Victoria with Youi’s Great Australian Road Trip.
Western Australia Itineraries
We’ve teamed up with Hipcamp to bring you Western Australia’s best road trip destinations. Don’t waste time planning it, we’ve done it for you.
Single Burner road trip recipes
To help Aussie families make the most of their road trips, we’ve worked with chef Steph de Sousa to create some delicious campsite meals that can be made using just a single burner stove.
1 This article's data is sourced from a survey conducted by Dentsu Intelligence, involving 2,019 individuals from Australia, Tasmania, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory from 18 September 2024 to 25 September 2024. Any information contained in this article is for general information only and is not comprehensive advice. Any recommendations should be considered against your personal circumstances.
