🇦🇺 THINGS I WISH I KNEW BEFORE GOING TO PERTH 🇦🇺

(Spent HOURS googling all this so hopefully this saves someone’s trip 😭)

✈️ BEFORE YOU EVEN START YOUR TRIP

1️⃣ GET AN AUSTRALIAN NUMBER

This ended up being WAY more useful than we expected.

Get a prepaid SIM card once you land.

📱 Telstra is said to have the best coverage.

You can:

• buy a Telstra eSIM/physical SIM from Woolworths (often cheaper)

• OR buy directly from the Telstra website if they’re having promotional discounts

Why it matters:

• contacting rental car company

• hotel calls

• restaurant reservations

• receiving OTPs/callbacks

• easier use of local apps/services

• setting up/using Didi 🚖

Some things genuinely work better with a local number.

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💳 PAYMENTS & MONEY THINGS

2️⃣ CARD PAYMENTS IN PERTH WORK DIFFERENTLY

Most places are basically card-only / ETPOS preferred. Some don’t even accept cash.

BUT:

⚠️ many places charge 1–2% surcharge for Mastercard/Visa payments.

The important tip:

➡️ Bring your PHYSICAL YouTrip card.

If you use the virtual card on your phone, it may process as Mastercard payment network = surcharge applies.

But the PHYSICAL card can process as DEBIT(!! DONT USE THE MASTERCARD/VISA FUNCTION) at many places = NO merchant fee 👀

Small thing but it adds up over the trip.

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🛒 GROCERIES & SHOPPING

3️⃣ WOOLWORTHS VS COLES PRICES CAN DIFFER A LOT

The 2 main supermarkets are:

• Woolworths

• Coles

But prices can vary surprisingly a lot.

Example:

🥤 Coke could be ~$6 at one place but on promo for ~$2 elsewhere.

If you care about saving money:

compare prices before buying.

OR:

just buy the house brand snacks/drinks because they’re usually the cheapest 😂

ALSO:

🛒 Many grocery stores close EARLY on Sundays (around 5pm).

Don’t assume supermarkets stay open late like Singapore.

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🍽️ FOOD & RESTAURANTS

4️⃣ ALWAYS CHECK OPENING HOURS

This caught us off guard MANY TIMES.

In Perth:

☀️ Some cafes/restaurants operate ONLY morning → lunch (~3pm)

🌙 Some restaurants ONLY open for dinner (after 5pm)

Do NOT assume places operate all day.

And during public holidays/special occasions:

📅 reservations may become essential.

(Mother’s Day was especially crowded.)

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5️⃣ SUNDAY & PUBLIC HOLIDAY SURCHARGES ARE COMMON

Restaurants are usually open on Sundays/public holidays…

BUT:

⚠️ many charge additional surcharges:

• ~10% Sunday surcharge

• higher public holiday surcharge

So don’t be shocked when the bill comes 😭

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🚗 RENTING A CAR IN PERTH

6️⃣ NO BIRDS CAR RENTAL = ONE OF THE BEST VALUE OPTIONS

After comparing MANY companies, No Birds felt like one of the most fuss-free + affordable rental options.

Things to know:

✔️ cheaper than many big brands

✔️ straightforward pickup/return

✔️ you choose the CAR SIZE, not exact model

BUT:

🚘 the car has “NO BIRDS” branding/stickers so people will know it’s a rental car.

Just mentioning it because some people care about this 😅

ALSO:

⛽ return the car with a FULL TANK

🚗 return the car at the SAME LOCATION that you picked up the car

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⛽ FUEL PRICES IN PERTH ARE A WHOLE SCIENCE

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT if you’re driving.

Perth fuel prices apparently follow a weekly cycle and many locals/redditors say:

📉 Tuesdays are usually the cheapest fuel day.

Also:

some petrol stations are consistently cheaper:

• Burk

• Vibe

etc

BUT the SAME station can suddenly become expensive in areas with fewer nearby fuel stations 😭

MOST IMPORTANT TIP:

📍Check FuelWatch WA before pumping petrol.

All stations must publish their daily + next-day prices there.

ALSO:

If you have an Australian number:

📱 download Scan Pump Save (SPS)

It gives discounts at Shell stations.

We got:

💰 10c/L off fuel

which adds up quite a bit during road trips.

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🏙️ PERTH CBD TRANSPORT

8️⃣ YOU MAY NOT WANT A CAR IN PERTH CBD

If we could redo our trip:

we probably would NOT rent a car while staying inside Perth CBD.

Public transport there is honestly pretty decent:

🚍 buses

🟥 free CAT buses

🚆 trains

Parking on the other hand:

❌ hard to find

❌ competitive

❌ expensive

And many hotels charge parking fees.

One hotel we stayed at charged:

💸 AUD $65/day for parking 😭

So honestly:

🏙️ use public transport while staying in CBD

🚗 rent a car only when starting your road trip

would probably be the smarter strategy.

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Hope this saves someone HOURS of googling before their Perth trip 😂🫶#Perth #Australia #Travel