Cheap Accommodation In Anzac Highway, Australia
Anzac Highway is one of Adelaide’s most useful stretches of road for budget-minded travellers, running in a straight line from the southern edge of the city centre all the way down to the sand at Glenelg. It has long been known locally as a motel strip, and for good reason – decades of travellers have pulled in here because it sits close to Adelaide Airport, close to the CBD, and close to one of the city’s best beaches, all without the price tag that comes with staying right in the middle of town. If you want a base that lets you see both Adelaide proper and the seaside without paying resort rates, accommodation in Anzac Highway is worth serious consideration. Use the search box above to compare accommodation options in Anzac Highway and find the best deal for your dates.
Getting to Anzac Highway, Adelaide
Adelaide Airport sits only a few minutes’ drive from the western end of Anzac Highway, which makes this one of the more practical places to stay if you’re flying in and don’t want to pay for accommodation right at the terminal. A short taxi or rideshare trip gets you to most motels along the strip, and several properties even offer courtesy pick-ups, which is worth asking about when you book. If you’re driving into South Australia from interstate, Anzac Highway connects easily to the major arterial roads feeding into Adelaide, so it’s a straightforward stop without needing to navigate deep into the CBD grid. For those already in the city, Adelaide Metro buses run the length of Anzac Highway, and the Glenelg tram line runs on a nearby parallel corridor, linking Victoria Square in the city directly to Moseley Square at the beach in about half an hour. Between the airport, the buses and the tram, you genuinely don’t need a hire car to make the most of a stay here.
Best Time to Visit Anzac Highway
Adelaide’s climate is fairly mild overall, but the shoulder seasons of autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November) tend to offer the best mix of comfortable temperatures and lower accommodation prices. Summer along Anzac Highway can get hot, and because it leads straight to Glenelg beach, motels here fill up quickly on warm weekends and over the school holidays. Winter is cooler and wetter but also the cheapest time to book, and rooms are far easier to come by. If you’re chasing the lowest prices, avoid the Adelaide Fringe period in February and March, when accommodation across the whole city, including this strip, tends to book out early and prices rise accordingly.
Top Attractions Near Anzac Highway
The beauty of basing yourself in Anzac Highway is that you’re within easy reach of attractions at both ends of the road. At the beach end, Glenelg’s Moseley Square and Jetty Road are free to wander and full of things to see, from the historic HMS Buffalo replica to the long stretch of sand itself. At the city end, Anzac Highway leads almost directly into the Adelaide Parklands, with Adelaide Oval, the Adelaide Botanic Garden and the South Australian Museum all within a short bus or tram trip. Rundle Mall, the city’s main shopping strip, is also easily reached and worth a wander even if you’re not buying anything, just for the street performers and architecture.
For Families and Kids
Families staying along Anzac Highway are well placed for low-cost days out. Glenelg foreshore has free playgrounds, paddle boats for hire, and calm, patrolled swimming that’s ideal for younger kids. Wigley Reserve, just back from the beach, is another good spot for a picnic and a play without spending a cent. The tram ride itself down to the beach is something of a novelty for younger children and makes a cheap, easy outing in its own right.
Outdoors and Nature Around Anzac Highway
The Glenelg foreshore offers a long, flat coastal path that’s popular with walkers and cyclists, stretching along the beach and past the Patawalonga waterway, where you’ll often see local rowers and small boats out on the water. It’s an easy, free way to spend an hour or two, particularly in the cooler part of the day. Further along the coast, West Beach and Henley Beach are both a short drive away and offer a quieter, more local alternative to the busier Glenelg sands.
Local Culture and Heritage
Anzac Highway itself carries genuine historical weight, having been named in honour of the Australian and New Zealand soldiers of the First World War, with memorials dotted along its length. At the coastal end, Glenelg holds an even older significance for South Australia, as the site where the colony’s first settlers came ashore in 1836. The Bay Discovery Centre at Moseley Square covers this history in detail and is free to visit, making it one of the better value stops in the area for anyone interested in how Adelaide came to be.
Eating Near Anzac Highway
Budget travellers are well catered for along this corridor. Anzac Highway itself has a good spread of pubs offering counter meals at fair prices, along with bakeries, takeaway shops and casual Asian eateries that make for an easy, cheap dinner after a day of sightseeing. Down at Glenelg, Jetty Road has a much wider range of cafes and restaurants, and while some lean towards the higher end, there are plenty of fish and chip shops and casual bistros where a solid meal won’t break the budget. For the best value, look slightly off the main tourist strip on Jetty Road rather than right on the beachfront, where prices tend to climb.
Accommodation Options in Anzac Highway
Anzac Highway’s reputation as Adelaide’s motel strip means there’s genuine variety here, almost all of it aimed squarely at travellers who want a clean, comfortable room without paying city-centre prices.
Budget and Cheapest Options
The bulk of accommodation in Anzac Highway consists of straightforward motels offering simple, well-kept rooms at prices well below what you’d pay in the CBD. These are ideal for a short stopover or a no-fuss beach trip, and many have been operating for decades, catering to a steady stream of interstate drivers and airport travellers.
Airport Accommodation
Given how close this stretch of road is to Adelaide Airport, it’s a sensible choice for anyone with an early flight or a late arrival. Staying in Anzac Highway rather than right at the terminal usually means a lower nightly rate, with only a few extra minutes added to the trip.
Family Accommodation
Several motels along the strip offer family rooms or interconnecting rooms, which suit parents travelling with kids who want space without paying for a full apartment. Being close to Glenelg’s free beach and playgrounds adds real value for families on a budget.
Pub Accommodation
A handful of hotels along Anzac Highway pair simple upstairs rooms with a bistro downstairs, which can be a good option if you’d rather eat and sleep in the same building without arranging separate transport for dinner.
Beachfront Accommodation
Where Anzac Highway meets the coast at Glenelg, there are also accommodation options closer to the sand itself, for travellers happy to pay a little more to wake up near the water rather than further up the strip.
Shopping Along Anzac Highway
Kurralta Park, roughly midway along Anzac Highway, is home to a cluster of homewares and bulky goods stores that locals use for everyday shopping, while Harbour Town, a large outlet shopping centre near the airport, is a short drive away and worth a visit if you’re after discounted clothing and footwear brands. Down at the beach end, Jetty Road offers boutique shops, gift stores and market stalls that pop up seasonally, giving you a much more relaxed, holiday-style shopping experience than the malls in the city.
Nightlife and Free Fun
Glenelg’s foreshore comes alive in the evenings, particularly in the warmer months, with bars and outdoor dining areas around Moseley Square offering low-key evening entertainment without cover charges. A simple sunset walk along the jetty or the beach costs nothing and is one of the best free activities in the area. Back along Anzac Highway itself, several pubs have bistros and bars that serve as a quieter, cheaper alternative to a big night out in the city.
Suggested Budget Itinerary for Anzac Highway
Start the day with a cheap breakfast at a bakery or cafe near your motel on Anzac Highway, then hop on the tram down to Glenelg for a morning walk along the