Melbourne has been ranked the world's most livable city for the third year in a row in the Economist Intelligence Unit Global Livability report, with Adelaide, Sydney and Perth also in the top 10.
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The average Australian traveller spends AUD$3,962 on overseas travel according to the latest Visa Global Travel Intentions survey, which ranked Australians as the world's second biggest travel spenders.
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With the Australian dollar recently taking a sharp dive and expected to reach a 1 year low this week, travellers expecting to head overseas in the next few months might want to consider purchasing their travel money now, reports the News Limited Network.
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Prepaid Visa and MasterCard debit cards are fast becoming the popular choice of travel money for Australians heading overseas.
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Anyone who bought US dollar travel money for their holiday before last Tuesday afternoon will patting themselves on the back. But before you go bragging to your friends about your wise tactical move, consider the 82 year old American, George Soros, accidentally pronounced dead a month earlier, has now allegedly made $18.65 million dollars profit gambling on the Australian dollar to plummet.
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The Australian dollar is down ahead of today's interest rate decision by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). And concern is growing that May's announcement will have further effects on the Australian currency.
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Heading overseas today, an Australian traveller would get almost $1.03 U.S. dollars for their Aussie travel money but one analyst expects this to drop by as much as 40 percent in the next 18 months.
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We're not exactly sure how your travel insurance will cover you for this trip or what travel money you'll need but auditions for the latest Dutch reality T.V. show are now open. Applicants will need to prove they are adaptable, resilient, creative and have empathy, key attributes required for being part of the first group of humans to colonise Mars.
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One of the best ways to see numerous countries during one single trip is to embark on a luxury cruise. According to Cruiseabout national marketing manager Katie Burton, there are now far more liners leaving the country and Australia is expected to make up five per cent of the world's cruising market by 2020. She told Escape that two and three-night trips to different parts of Asia will prove popular among Aussies who are eventually bound for Europe in the next few years. Cruising obviously carries many advantages, but is it accessible to Australians who are on a budget? Ms Burton certainly seems to think so. "There are more itineraries and shorter sectors, which means that travellers can experience larger, luxurious cruise liners without spending a fortune," she was quoted as saying. Meanwhile, Escape's cruise guru Brad Crouch stated that China will emerge as a hub for cruise ship passengers. "Such cruises – at very affordable prices – also take in ports in nations such as Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan and Korea," he remarked. Of course, the increased availability of travel credit cards also makes it far easier for Aussies to take in numerous countries in a short space of time. Whereas in previous years people were forced to change their dollars every time they docked at a different port, new multi-currency cards mean that tourists can load all of the money they need on to one piece of plastic. As well as being more convenient, these cards can also heighten a person's chances of receiving the best exchange rates, as they can be "locked in" at the time of purchase – thus protecting travellers from a sudden dip in the value of the Aussie dollar. Although Australia's currency is going through a rocky patch at the moment, those planning an Asian excursion can still get 6.4 Chinese yuan for one dollar. Meanwhile, a single buck will also get you 21,306 Vietnamese dong in return.
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Foreign holidays are extremely appealing at the moment thanks to the strength of the Australian dollar. People are getting far more for their money when purchasing different currencies, but that doesn't mean we can go around frivolously splashing the cash. Times are still hard for a lot of households down under and any savings that can be made when taking an overseas trip are more than welcome. According to UK-based travel company Mercury Direct, there are plenty of things tourists can do to ensure their money stretches as far as possible. The company's first tip is to give airport exchange bureaus a wide berth. While it may be convenient to purchase overseas travel money from these booths, the chances of you receiving the best exchange rates are very slim. "Avoid airport Bureau de Change's at all costs – literally. The exchange rates they offer are generally poor," a spokesperson for the organisation stated. "As a viable alternative, many holidaymakers are now opting to take global credit cards, which offer cheaper transactions and are safer," they added. Travel credit cards come in various forms and multicurrency options are particularly useful for frequent fliers. These products enable users to load a number of different currencies on to their plastic, which eradicates the need to change your money when you reach each destination. Another way to cut your costs when venturing abroad is to purchase an international sim card. Roaming charges can be extremely expensive and the last thing you want is to return from your holiday to a great big phone bill. It is also worth organising your airport transfers in advance, as taxi rates can often be extortionate, especially in places where drivers prey on tourists who are unfamiliar with the area. Depending on how many times you intend to travel each year, it could be wise to take out an annual insurance policy. While this will obviously cost more than a single trip package, it will ultimately prove cost-effective in the long run if you are going overseas on numerous occasions.
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