Getting around Brisbane

Public transport

Translink (tel: 131 230, in Australia only; www.translink.com.au) operates an extensive network of public transport throughout Brisbane, working with a range of different bus, rail, ferry and City CATs (catamarans) operators.

Go card is Translink’s electronic ticket which enables travel on all Translink bus, train and ferry services and can be topped up like a mobile phone. It's cheaper than using a paper ticket, with an additional 20% saving during off-peak hours (8.30am to 3.30pm, after 7pm to 3am on weekdays and all day weekends).

CityCats and CityFerries operate along the river from the University of Queensland at St Lucia to Northshore Hamilton. Services are frequent and daily. There is also a free CityHopper ferry service that runs every 30 minutes between 6am and midnight, seven days a week. The CityHopper stops at a number of places along the Brisbane River, including North Quay, South Bank 3, Maritime Museum, Thornton Street, Eagle Street Pier, Holman Street, Dockside and Sydney Street. 

A free bus loop circles Brisbane’s CBD and stops at Central Station, Queen Street Mall, City Botanic Gardens, Riverside Centre, QUT and King George Square.

NightLink buses, trains and flat-fare taxi services operate late on Fridays and Saturdays to destinations across Brisbane.

Taxis

The major cab operators in Brisbane are Black & White Cabs (tel: 133 222), in Australia only) and Yellow Cab Co (tel: 131 924, in Australia only). Typically, passengers round up the bill to the nearest dollar.

Driving

Brisbane’s road network is improving, but like most Australian cities, driving during peak hours in the centre is not recommended. Many roads in the central business district (CBD) are one way and congestion is common during peak hours.

The Brisbane Central Traffic Area covers the CBD and surrounding suburbs; within this area, you can park for up to two hours on unsigned streets, unless there are parking meters. Parking meter prices are set according to which parking zone you're in. Brisbane City Council operates two public car parks in the CBD, located at King George Square and Wickham Terrace.

Car hire

All the major car hire companies have offices in Brisbane, including Avis (tel: +61 7 3247 0577; www.avis.com.au), Budget (tel: +61 7 3633 5333; www.budget.com.au) and Hertz (tel: +61 7 3221 6166; www.hertz.com.au). The minimum age for hiring a car is usually 21, but there are often hefty surcharges if you're under 25.

Bicycle hire

Brisbane is cycle friendly, especially following the introduction of the CityCycle bikeshare network (tel: 1300 229 253, in Australia only; www.citycycle.com.au).

There are around 150 CityCycle stations across Brisbane’s city centre. You can buy a daily or weekly subscription to use the network, then the first 30 minutes of any journey is always free. Bikes are available 24 hours a day.

Brisbane Bike Tours (tel: +61 413 253 366; www.brisbanebybicycle.com.au) hires bikes by the day and also runs half-day tours. Phone to book a bike, and they will deliver it to you.

Visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing. You should verify critical travel information independently with the relevant embassy before you travel.