Car hire and driving in Adelaide
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Australia traffic drives on the left. Picking up at ADL means 6 km (4 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2806478.
Drives from Adelaide
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adelaide to Bendigo | Australia | 551 km (342 mi) | about 7 h 28 min |
| Adelaide to Ballarat | Australia | 555 km (345 mi) | about 7 h 31 min |
| Adelaide to Geelong | Australia | 627 km (389 mi) | about 8 h 30 min |
| Adelaide to Melbourne | Australia | 654 km (406 mi) | about 8 h 52 min |
| Adelaide to Canberra | Australia | 958 km (595 mi) | about 12 h 59 min |
| Adelaide to Wollongong | Australia | 1,125 km (699 mi) | about 15 h 15 min |
| Adelaide to Hobart | Australia | 1,162 km (722 mi) | about 15 h 45 min |
| Adelaide to Sydney | Australia | 1,162 km (722 mi) | about 15 h 45 min |
| Adelaide to Central Coast | Australia | 1,186 km (737 mi) | about 16 h 5 min |
| Adelaide to Newcastle | Australia | 1,235 km (768 mi) | about 16 h 45 min |
| Adelaide to Toowoomba | Australia | 1,509 km (938 mi) | about 20 h 27 min |
| Adelaide to Logan City | Australia | 1,597 km (992 mi) | about 21 h 39 min |
| Adelaide to Brisbane | Australia | 1,601 km (995 mi) | about 21 h 42 min |
| Adelaide to Gold Coast | Australia | 1,601 km (995 mi) | about 21 h 42 min |
| Adelaide to Sunshine Coast | Australia | 1,658 km (1,030 mi) | about 22 h 29 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Adelaide?
The left, as everywhere in Australia.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.