Cheap South Pacific travel is possible though a number of paths. This first consideration for a cheap South Pacific vacation is getting there. Flights from the United States or Europe can be quite expensive. They can be even more expensive if you plan on visiting more than one place in this vast area. However, there are affordable flights available and one of the best ways to start searching for a deal is to check out the booking tool on this page—it will allow you to compare vacation deals across several travel websites and help you find out how to plan the best cheap vacations.

Since the Land Down Under is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, cheap trips to Australia are the most affordable and the most plentiful. A simple trip that visits the main attractions along the country's east coast (from Sydney to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef) can be extremely inexpensive and there are many available, usually flying from Los Angeles. They are almost all vacation packages that include round trip flights, hotel accommodations, guided sightseeing tours, and some meals. Because the distances to get from one place to another during your cheap trips to Australia are so great (about 1,700 miles between Sydney and Cairns and about the same distance between Sydney and Uluru - Ayers Rock), the trips will often include those flights.

There are also cheap trips to Australia that include car rentals for the time you are in certain areas. This is most useful if you're going to be staying in one area for a number of days. A vehicle of your own gives you the ability to visit different Australia beaches while on the coast and to travel inland to see places like the Daintree Rainforest outside of Cairns or the beautiful Blue Mountains outside of Sydney. Once you've gotten yourself to Australia, and secured the transportation you need while you're there, finding inexpensive hotels is no problem at all. There are Sydney hostels and inexpensive backpacker hotels and bed and breakfasts located up and down the east coast. You will also find them in key places such as Melbourne, Perth, and Alice Springs.

Cheap South Pacific travel that includes Australia will very often include its neighboring island of New Zealand (about 1,300 miles to the east). Many visitors from the United States and Europe figure that if they're going to travel so far away, they may as well fit both countries into the same trip. A cheap New Zealand trip has the same issues with initial flights, but getting around New Zealand once you are there is much less of an expedition as the distances are nowhere near as great and roads are good for rental cars. You can even take your car from North to South Island on a ferry over the Cook Strait from Wellington to Picton.

If you want a cheap South Pacific vacation that includes some of the more exotic islands like Fiji, you have the same search for flights, but many options for affordable accommodations. Fiji and Samoa both have excellent campgrounds and a wide variety of cheap accommodations, from hostels and cheap hotels to basic beach bungalows and charming guest houses. Samoa, in particular has an extensive network of village operated fales, which are thatched beach bungalows. These kinds of traditional structures can be found all over Polynesia. Americans can save money before they ever leave home by traveling to Guam, as it is a United States territory and no passport is required for travel there.

The least likely place to find a cheap South Pacific vacation is probably Tahiti. It is famous for its over-the-top luxury vacations, with accommodations that cater to honeymooners and the rich and famous. However, it is possible to find attractively priced vacation packages, and traveling during the off season from December through April can provide excellent hotel rates.

Another way to find relatively cheap South Pacific travel is to look for cruise vacations. Most international cruise lines have itineraries that hit the major ports of several destinations. If the embarkation point is Vancouver or Seattle, many itineraries may also include Hawaii en route. If the big cruise liners with hundreds or even thousands of other passengers is not your cup of tea, it is possible to book crewed or bareboat sailing boats for island hopping.