Car hire and driving in Canberra, ACT
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 CBR means 7 km (4 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2806478.
Drives from Canberra
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canberra to Wollongong | Australia | 187 km (116 mi) | about 2 h 32 min |
| Canberra to Sydney | Australia | 247 km (153 mi) | about 3 h 21 min |
| Canberra to Central Coast | Australia | 291 km (181 mi) | about 3 h 57 min |
| Canberra to Newcastle | Australia | 358 km (222 mi) | about 4 h 51 min |
| Canberra to Bendigo | Australia | 466 km (289 mi) | about 6 h 19 min |
| Canberra to Melbourne | Australia | 466 km (290 mi) | about 6 h 19 min |
| Canberra to Geelong | Australia | 531 km (330 mi) | about 7 h 12 min |
| Canberra to Ballarat | Australia | 536 km (333 mi) | about 7 h 16 min |
| Canberra to Hobart | Australia | 859 km (534 mi) | about 11 h 38 min |
| Canberra to Toowoomba | Australia | 900 km (559 mi) | about 12 h 12 min |
| Canberra to Gold Coast | Australia | 906 km (563 mi) | about 12 h 17 min |
| Canberra to Logan City | Australia | 930 km (578 mi) | about 12 h 36 min |
| Canberra to Brisbane | Australia | 944 km (587 mi) | about 12 h 48 min |
| Canberra to Adelaide | Australia | 958 km (595 mi) | about 12 h 59 min |
| Canberra to Sunshine Coast | Australia | 1,030 km (640 mi) | about 13 h 58 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 Canberra?
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.