You Can Score $600 Round-Trip Tickets To Australia For An Affordable Vacay Down Under

Heading down under might be in the cards this summer, thanks to one of the best flight deals I've seen yet for travel to Australia. I'll be the first to admit that traveling to Australia is right at the top of my bucket list, and Dollar Flight Club's April 10 deals to Melbourne are making that dream so much more attainable. With round-trip tickets to the coastal capital starting at just under $600, you can spend your summer basking in scenic ocean views, checking out the bustling metropolitan scene, and riding in a hot air balloon to take it all in at just a fraction of the airfare you'd normally spend.

Ever since I was little, I've always been fascinated with the idea of visiting Australia. I mean, it's the land of koalas, kangaroos, and Aussie accents, and it's always seemed like a different world to me. Plus, with the advent of Instagram, it's easy for me to see just what I'm missing out on, thanks to the countless bloggers who either live there or visit the southern continent. Unfortunately, visiting pristine beaches and scenic views cost a pretty penny (like over $1,000), and I've found myself pushing back my bucket list trip again and again in favor of a cheaper option.

Thanks to Dollar Flight Club (DFC), however, that's all about to change. On Wednesday, April 10, the website pinged my inbox with the notification that round-trip flights to Melbourne from the United States are currently starting at just $596. Considering that standard fares normally range around $1,100, per DFC, that means that you could potentially be saving almost 50 percent off your trip to and from Melbourne.

According to Dollar Flight Club, it looks like the sale fares are coming from Virgin Australia, and the best prices seem to be between Aug. 20 through Aug. 27, although that varies by location. There are also low fares for the fall and winter. The cheapest fare seems to be the $596 round-trip ticket between Los Angeles and Victoria's capital, followed by $723 tickets from San Francisco and $667 ones from Dallas-Fort Worth. If you're located in the Midwest, a $616 round-trip flight from Chicago seems to be your best bet.

East Coast residents will spend somewhere in the $700 range for their travel. Beantown dwellers can take advantage of $697 flights while New Yorkers can fly in and out of JFK for $710.

Again, I'd look at the cheapest dates for your city before booking (for example, the best time to fly from Los Angeles seems to be from Oct. 14 through Oct. 21), and you could potentially be looking at a fall or winter getaway. Also, keep in mind that all prices are accurate as of publication, and they are likely to go up in about 24 hours, per Dollar Flight Club.

Still, no matter the season, there are countless things to do in Melbourne. In addition to enjoying the dining scene, I'd recommend renting a car and checking out the Great Ocean Road (which is basically like Australia's version of Big Sur) as well as the stunning Twelve Apostles. Meanwhile, in the Yarra Valley, Melbourne is giving Cappadocia a run for its money with hot air balloon tours above its famed vineyards. Great wine, hot air balloons, and scenic views? You can definitely count me in.

If you haven't used Dollar Flight Club before, it's basically a website that does all the hard work for you and alerts you via email when airlines are offering incredible savings to and from some of the hottest destinations. I'm not talking about reaping the benefits of a few savings here or there, because you can potentially save hundreds of dollars on what you'd normally pay for round-trip flights.

If you find a deal you're interested in, you can click the link, and you'll be taken to Dollar Flight Club's website to learn more details about the offering. While you're there, you can also browse other deals (It looks like cheap fares to Italy, Thailand, and Belgium are also available if you're interested).

Again, I'm guessing that these flights to Melbourne won't be sticking around for long, so I'd get to booking your trip ASAP and start practicing your Aussie slang (or Strine) so that you can converse with the locals come summer.