Driving Adelaide to Alice Springs - A Complete Driving Guide

By Amanda Markham, Gary Weir and Travel Outback Australia

EXPERIENCE OUTBACK AUSTRALIA. 

 

Plan your outback adventure with a complete driving guide from Adelaide to Alice Springs - written by real outback locals. 

 

THIS is the trip to take to experience a sense of freedom, a taste of true outback isolation, wildlife, vast horizons and blue sky, quirky outback towns, roadhouses and characters.

 

Packed into this little guide is EVERYTHING you need to drive one of Australia's most iconic outback roadtrips, the Stuart Highway from Adelaide to Alice Springs.

 

And we tell you everything you need to have the courage and confidence to drive this outback roadtrip YOURSELF.

 

Over 60 pages, including the famous super-detailed driving itinerary that people rave about - all for HALF the price of a cup of fabulous Aussie coffee.

 

Includes two complete itineraries:

• Adelaide to Alice Springs AND Alice Springs to Adelaide itineraries plus information about extended side trips and options.
• Detailed sightseeing, accommodation, trip planning and preparation advice.
• Written by actual outback (Alice Springs) locals who've driven the route hundreds of times over the past 25 years
• Includes our detailed beginner's guide to vehicle preparation and packing guides, based on more than 20 years of living and working in Outback Australia.

Written by the people behind the number one travel resource for the Australian outback on the web, Travel Outback Australia.com, this guide will tell you everything you need to know to plan your epic outback road trip to Alice Springs adventure.

 

Don't wait! Download your copy today and start planning your trip.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda Markham
• Release date: May 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201368876

Book preview

Introduction

We've been asked many times would we write a guide to driving from Adelaide to Alice Springs.

This is arguably one of Australia's most iconic roadtrips - especially if you add in a side trip to Uluru-Kata Tjuta.

It's everything you imagine: freedom, a sense of isolation, intense personal reflection, wildlife, vast horizons and blue sky, quirky outback towns, roadhouses and characters.

Given that we've travelled this road dozens of times, we really had no excuse for not writing this guide.

So, here it is, our: Ultimate Guide to Driving from Adelaide to Alice Springs.

To show you how EASY it is to do this legendary outback road trip, we’ve written a complete planning and travel guide, aimed at preparing you and your vehicle from beginning to getting out there and on the road.

Quick Facts

Start/Finish

You can either begin or end in Alice Springs or Adelaide

Distance

1503km /934mi

Recommended Driving Time: Approx. 16 hours - at least ONE overnight stop is recommended

Estimated Fuel Cost: $200-$300 depending on vehicle and whether you're towing. Allow around $1.70-1.90 per litre for fuel in remote locations. (Please note that cost of fuel per litre can change and is an estimate only).

Fuel, food, accommodation: Port Augusta, Pimba, Glendambo, Coober Pedy, Cadney, Marla, Kulgera, Erldunda, Stuart's Well

Longest Stretch without fuel: 254km between Glendambo & Coober Pedy

Mobile Phone coverage: Partial Telstra only coverage - see detailed itinerary below. Some optus

Recommended Vehicle: Suited to 2WD cars, 2WD campers and backpacker vans. Really any type of vehicle can do this road and the bonus is that you don’t need a 4WD. People even do it on push bikes.

Caravan/Camper Trailer friendly: Yes, with plenty of formal van parks and free camping along the way.

Accommodation Options: Hotel/motel/budget rooms at Port Augusta, Glendambo, Coober Pedy, Cadney Park, Marla, Kulgera, Erldunda and Stuart’s Well; and camping or campervan. We really do recommend you try camping – especially in the many rest stops along the way- for a true outback experience.

Book accommodation & get the BEST prices here

Costs (2019)

Fuel

Yes, you can drive virtually any car along this road and you don’t need a 4WD to do it. The Stuart Highway is sealed (bitumised) all the way. You will need to allow about $200-$300 for fuel for the whole trip. This will obviously depend on your vehicle’s fuel economy.

Accommodation

The price of accommodation varies from approx. $120 upwards, depending on what level you seek. There are caravan parks and camping areas also along the way. There are also free camps and the best way to find these is by using one of the many apps available for your phone or tablet.

Safety Advice - Ignore at Your Own Peril

Whilst you'll be driving on the Stuart Highway - an excellent and mainly straight road, you’re driving in the Australian outback for most of this journey, you'll need to do a few simple things to stay safe:

Rest Frequently. Stop and get out of your car every 2 hours. Rest for at least 15 minutes before you start driving again. Take some photos. Have a loo break. Find a geocache

Beware of animals on the road – kangaroos, camels,horses, emus and cattle. You will see them on this drive. Take note: the most common cause of tourist fatalities after heat exhaustion in the outback is hitting large animals.

Be VERY cautious when over taking roadtrains. These guys are sometimes 55 metres long. You will need a lot of room to overtake safely.

Water. Carry a