Car hire and driving in Brisbane, QLD
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 BNE means 13 km (8 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2806478.
Drives from Brisbane
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane to Gold Coast | Australia | 71 km (44 mi) | about 58 min |
| Brisbane to Sunshine Coast | Australia | 90 km (56 mi) | about 1 h 13 min |
| Brisbane to Toowoomba | Australia | 106 km (66 mi) | about 1 h 27 min |
| Brisbane to Newcastle | Australia | 619 km (385 mi) | about 8 h 23 min |
| Brisbane to Central Coast | Australia | 682 km (424 mi) | about 9 h 14 min |
| Brisbane to Sydney | Australia | 733 km (455 mi) | about 9 h 56 min |
| Brisbane to Wollongong | Australia | 800 km (497 mi) | about 10 h 50 min |
| Brisbane to Canberra | Australia | 944 km (587 mi) | about 12 h 48 min |
| Brisbane to Townsville | Australia | 1,111 km (690 mi) | about 15 h 3 min |
| Brisbane to Bendigo | Australia | 1,320 km (820 mi) | about 17 h 54 min |
| Brisbane to Melbourne | Australia | 1,375 km (854 mi) | about 18 h 38 min |
| Brisbane to Cairns | Australia | 1,390 km (864 mi) | about 18 h 50 min |
| Brisbane to Adelaide | Australia | 1,601 km (995 mi) | about 21 h 42 min |
| Brisbane to Geelong | Australia | 1,436 km (892 mi) | about 19 h 28 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 Brisbane?
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 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel 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.