Western Australia Road Trip: Costs, Camping & Best Time to Visit

Are you planning a self-drive road trip along Australia’s West Coast? In this guide, we share our personal experiences from our 5-week Western Australia road trip, packed with all the practical tips you need to plan your trip. We’ll walk you through the best time to visit Western Australia, explain how the WA National Park Pass works, and provide important information about flights and entry requirements.

We’re also giving you a completely transparent breakdown of our 5-week trip costs, along with tips for Perth rental car providers, insurance, and rental prices. Plus, you’ll find essential info on public holidays and an overview of the accommodation options available across Western Australia.

Is a Western Australia Road Trip Worth It?

Endless Road Trip Vibes 🚐:
The distances in Western Australia are extremely long, and the inland routes can sometimes feel a bit barren with endless straight roads. But exactly this vastness makes for a true Outback experience. A road trip here is the ultimate feeling of freedom for self-drivers.

Dream Beaches & Wildlife 🦘:
From reefs like the Ningaloo Reef near Exmouth to the snow-white beaches in Esperance: the coastline is among the most beautiful in the world. You’ll even meet kangaroos right on the beach.

National Parks & Natural Wonders 🏜️:
The Western Australia National Park Pass is your ticket to countless wonders. The gorges in Karijini, the spectacular Nature’s Window in Kalbarri, or the fascinating Pink Lake offer incomparable experiences.

Budget Planning 💰:
Australia is not a typical low-budget destination, but if you plan early, compare prices for rental cars, and use clever apps (like WikiCamps), you can manage your costs well.

Arrival, Flights & Entry Requirements

To find cheap flights to Western Australia, we recommend Skyscanner or Google Flights. Prices are often around 2,000 € for two people from Europe. Most flights head to Perth with airlines like Emirates, Qatar Airways, or Singapore Airlines.

Visa: You must apply for your tourist visa in advance (even if no one physically asked to see ours at the airport, it is registered in the system!).
Passenger Card: You will fill this out on the plane. Beware of strict biosecurity rules: Do not bring any fruit, spices, or animal products!
Adapter: You need a Type I adapter (available on Amazon) or a reliable universal adapter.

Costs for 5 Weeks in Western Australia

How much does a 5 to 6 week Australia itinerary cost? Here we transparently break down our expenses for 5 weeks (2 people). We’ll be publishing a detailed post on this soon, as costs can vary widely depending on several factors (like campervan insurance, vehicle model, etc.). Australia is definitely on the pricier side as a destination, especially considering you’re mostly self-catering while on the road:

Flights: approx. 2.000 € (fo 2 people)
Campervan: approx.3.500 € (for 5 weeks)
On-site costs: approx. 5.800 € (for groceries, campsites, tours, and fuel for about 8,000 kilometers)

Good to know:
Card payments almost always incur a surcharge of just under 2%. During school holidays and Western Australia public holidays (especially Easter), many restaurants charge an additional 15% surcharge!

Transport: Renting a Camper or 4WD in Perth?

One of the biggest decisions when planning your Western Australia road trip comes down to choosing the right vehicle and provider: which rental companies operate here, and what setup actually fits your travel style?
Popular providers include Apollo, Britz, Jucy, Hippie, Maui, and Cruisin. We rented a campervan from Star RV ourselves, but we wouldn’t necessarily recommend them. If you’re planning to venture into the Outback, your best bet is to look for 4WD rental companies in Perth that offer all-inclusive packages.

Campervan vs. 4WD Quick Overview:

4WD (with Rooftop Tent): Maximum flexibility. It’s the only way to reach remote dream beaches (e.g., in Francois Peron National Park). Disadvantages: Less comfort (cooking outside, uncomfortable in the rooftop tent during wind/rain) and usually higher costs for rental and fuel.
Campervan: Significantly more comfort. You can cook and eat inside during bad weather, and often have a toilet. Disadvantage: You are restricted to sealed roads and regular campsites.

Crucial for both options: Do not bring hard-shell suitcases (lack of space!) and when looking for car rental companies in Perth with insurance, absolutely make sure you get “Unlimited Kilometres”.

Tip: Unsure which vehicle is right for your route, what to keep in mind regarding insurance, or what the exact costs will look like? We’ll be publishing a detailed guide on this soon and will link it right here.

Accommodation & Camping in Western Australia

What accommodation options are there in Western Australia?
Fixed accommodations (hotels, resorts, Airbnbs) are almost exclusively concentrated in cities and popular coastal towns like Perth, Margaret River, or Broome. Once you head into the Outback or hit the endless highways, you will mostly only find isolated roadhouses (gas stations with very basic motel rooms) or highly-priced eco-lodges. For this reason, camping is by far the most common and practical way to travel WA. Even the locals themselves travel almost exclusively with a camper or rooftop tent. We’ll be publishing a detailed guide on camping in Australia soon and will link it right here. In the meantime, here are a few essential tips for camping in Western Australia:

Wild camping is not allowed in WA! Make sure to use the WikiCamps app to find dumping points, public toilets, drinking water, and campsites.
Booking in advance: Popular campsites book out extremely fast! Spots are often released 180 days in advance. For example, Lucky Bay was almost entirely booked out 3 months prior to our trip.
National Parks: Book your spots in national parks early via the official site of Parkstay WA.
The Booking Hack: Sometimes consecutive nights show as “unavailable” (e.g., April 21st to 22nd). Check the days individually! Often, you can book the 21st and the 22nd separately. Since many places operate on a “Select Site on arrival” system, the days are usually merged automatically once you get there.
Holidays & Public Holidays: Avoid school holidays if possible. Over Easter and Christmas, everything is completely booked out, and many campsites require a minimum stay of 3 nights. Many places also charge a 15% holiday surcharge.
Phone Number: Get a local SIM card. Having a phone number is invaluable for calling campsites directly to ask about leftover spots that aren’t listed online (or for short-notice rebooking).

Best Time to Visit Western Australia (By Region)

Because Western Australia spans multiple climate zones from Mediterranean in the south to tropical in the north the best time to visit Western Australia depends entirely on the region you plan to explore:

South & South West (Perth, Margaret River, Esperance):

Best Time: November to April (Summer & early Autumn). Warm beach weather and clear skies. From mid-to-late April onwards, conditions in the deep south (e.g. Esperance & Albany) become cooler and more unpredictable.

Coral Coast (Kalbarri, Shark Bay, Exmouth & Ningaloo Reef):

Best Time: March to October. Warm, comfortable days without extreme summer heat. Prime wildlife viewing: Whale sharks (March to July) and Humpback whales (June to October).

The North & Outback (Broome, Kimberley, Karijini National Park):

Best Time: May to September (Dry Season). Perfect conditions with clear skies, low humidity, and temperatures around 28–32 °C.
Caution (Cyclone & Wet Season): From November to April, the north experiences extreme heat (40 °C+), high humidity, and severe rain/cyclone risks. Unsealed roads (like the Gibb River Road) and many national parks are closed due to flooding.

Wildflower Season:

August to October (blooms progressively from north to south).

Western Australia National Park Pass & Useful Apps

If you plan to visit several Western Australia highlights (like Nature’s Window, Misery Beach, Lucky Bay, Karijini), the National Park Pass is highly recommended:

Costs: Normally, entry costs about 17 AUD per park. If you visit more than 3 parks, the National Park Pass already pays off!
How it works: Ticket machines are often located at the parking lots. Once you buy the pass, simply leave it visible on your dashboard. Careful when camping: Make sure you don’t pay the park fee twice if you are also booking a campsite within the national park.

Helpful Apps & Essential Info:

Emergency WA: Crucial for survival, offering real-time alerts for cyclones or bushfires.
Shark Smart: For recent shark sightings at beaches.
WikiCamps: The number one app for campers in Australia (one time cost = 7 €).
FuelMapWA / Fuel App: To cover the massive distances affordably and compare gas prices.
Offline Maps: Mobile network coverage is very poor outside the towns. Always download maps (Google Maps) beforehand. If you work remotely or travel longer, consider getting Starlink.
Local Brochures: Check the websites of the local Shires, they are always up-to-date. Alternatively, you can also pick up up-to-date brochures and tips at local visitor centres.

Currency & Paying in Western Australia

The official currency is the Australian Dollar (AUD). Australia operates almost entirely as a cashless society. Even the smallest purchases, like a quick coffee or a parking ticket, are typically paid via credit or debit card (Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere).

Travel Cards: We highly recommend using a travel card (such as easybank (former Barclays)) to avoid the steep foreign transaction fees usually charged by regular banks.
Card Surcharges: Be aware that it is standard practice in Australia for businesses to add a small surcharge (around 1 to 1.5% ) to card payments.
Cash: You don’t need to exchange money beforehand and will rarely need cash. However, it’s a good idea to carry a few dollars in coins or small notes for laundry machines at caravan parks or “honesty boxes” at remote national park campsites and roadside farm stalls.