Travel from Perth to Other Parts of Australia: Costs and Realistic Options

Perth is genuinely isolated – it is one of the most remote major cities in the world, and the nearest other Australian capital, Adelaide, is still over 2,100km away. That distance shapes every travel option out of Perth: flying dominates, one legendary train exists mostly for the experience rather than the commute, and interstate coach travel across the Nullarbor simply is not a thing anymore. Here is what is actually real.

Flying: the realistic option for almost everyone

For any genuine time-pressured trip – going home for a break, a job interview, a family emergency – flying is the only sensible option. Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia all fly nonstop from Perth to the major eastern capitals.

Fares swing enormously with how far ahead you book and the time of year, but semester breaks and public holiday periods consistently sell out and price up first – book as early as your plans allow, and set a fare alert if your travel dates are flexible.

The Indian Pacific: a bucket-list journey, not a commute

The Indian Pacific is real, iconic, and genuinely worth doing once – just not for a normal trip home. It covers 4,352km between Perth and Sydney via Adelaide, Broken Hill and Kalgoorlie, taking four nights and five days travelling east from Perth, or three nights and four days travelling west into Perth. It is priced and run as an experience rather than transport: 2026 fares are booked through an Advance Purchase Fare (paid in full at least six months out) or an Everyday Fare requiring a deposit of $1,000 per person for Gold Service or $1,500 per person for the new Platinum cabins, with the balance due two months before departure. Treat it as a holiday in itself, not a way to get somewhere quickly.

What no longer exists: interstate coach across the Nullarbor

Older guides sometimes list “buses” alongside flights and trains as if it is an equivalent option – it genuinely is not anymore. Greyhound Australia’s current network does not include Western Australia at all, and there is no scheduled coach service crossing the Nullarbor between Perth and Adelaide. If you see this claimed somewhere, it is out of date; verify directly with an operator before planning around it.

Driving the Nullarbor

If you have a car and the time, driving to Adelaide is a genuine option, but a serious one – roughly 2,700km along the Eyre Highway, typically spread over three or more days with overnight stops. Fuel and food are available at roadhouses along the way, but the gaps between them are long by any standard, so plan fuel stops carefully and check current road conditions before you leave.

Getting around WA itself: Transwa

For travel within Western Australia, Transwa runs the state’s regional trains and coaches. The Prospector reaches Kalgoorlie – home to Curtin’s WA School of Mines – in under 7 hours over 653km, departing at least once daily. The Australind, connecting Perth to Bunbury – home to ECU South West – resumed running as a train again in June 2026, after operating as a replacement road coach since the service was suspended in late 2023. See our guide to regional study options around Perth for what those campuses actually offer.

Bottom line

Fly if you need to actually get somewhere – Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney are all under 4.5 hours away by air, and booking early matters more than almost anything else. Treat the Indian Pacific as a holiday, not transport, and do not plan around an interstate coach, because none currently exists. Within WA, Transwa’s Prospector and Australind services genuinely work if a regional campus or town is your destination.