BRISBANE:
GETTING THERE AND AROUND
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to Brisbane guide
Central
Brisbane is termed the CBD or Central Business District
and is very small and walkable. However there is also
a bus, train and river ferry system to aid you plus
a number of riverside walking and bike tracks. If you
would like to compile/edit/improve a city guide write
to us at oceania@backpackglobe.com
-AIR: TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
-BUS
-TRAIN
- FERRIES
-CAR AND MOTORCYCLE
- BICYCLES AND WALKING
-TAXI
-TICKETS
-HITCHING
TO / FROM THE AIRPORT
The Brisbane
International and Domestic airports are about 20km
from the city centre. A fast Air
Train from Roma Street accesses the airport four
times every hour and to the Gold Coast twice an hour.
It takes 22 minutes from the city centre and costs $9.
CoachTrans
is a bus service that costs about $9-11 per person but
the journey is a lot slower with numerous stops at hotels
picking up passengers on the way. The international
and domestic airports have the same services and 2km
apart. The Brisbane airport accesses all major destinations
in Australia and internationally. Occasionally flights
may stop at Sydney or Melbourne for a route on to Perth
or New Zealand.
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BUS
Buy tickets at newsagents or on the bus from the conductors.
Routes go all over the city but most terminate at the
central Queen Street bus station under the Queen St
Mall. Buses are run by the Brisbane
City Council and timetables can be gleaned online,
from the City Hall and libraries. Buses generally stop
running after midnight until the early morning. On Brisbane
buses you board from the front and leave from the back.
If you have a ticket you must get it punched on board.
Useful bus routes include buses 190, 191, 193 and 194,
which run from the city centre and the hostels in Fortitude
Valley, New Farm and South Brisbane/West End. A free
downtown loop bus runs around the city centre every
10 minutes (Mon-Fri 7am-5.50pm) and you can reach Central
Station, the Botanic Gardens and the Eagle Street Pier.
Fares are calculated on the number of zones crossed
and there are five zones. Zone 1 is the city centre.
For long distance domestic routes Roma Street is the
only bus terminal in Brisbane. Tickets can be purchased
from the counter or from agents but must be done some
time in advance. McCafferty's/Greyhound and Premier
Motor Service operates from here. There are daily buses
to most destinations with more frequent services on
the popular Sydney and Cairns routes. Brisbane is also
a stop for Oz
Experience.
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TRAINS
There is no metro in Brisbane but a suburban line run
by CityLink has seven lines that extend to Ipswich,
Beenleigh and Caboolture. All trains stop at the three
main central stations Roma Street, Central and Brunswick
Street. Central which is closest to the Queen Street
Mall and shopping areas. Roma Street is closest to the
hostels and the bus station. Brunswick Street is the
Fortitude Valley stop where there are markets and lots
of multi cuisine restaurants. The South Brisbane station
is closest to Southbank, the major art gallery and cultural
centre in the city and not too far from West End's eateries
and alternative shops. If you want an out of city shopping
stop choose either Toowong or Indooroopilly on the Ipswich
line. The Toowong stop is actually inside the shopping
centre, the Westfield Shopping Town is a short walk
from Indooroopilly station.
Weekly and monthly passes can be purchased for train
travel but only from major stations. Normal daily tickets
(including concessional tickets for seniors and students)
can be purchased from vending machines at all stations.
Inspectors will fine you if you board without a ticket.
All tickets are half price on weekends. On weekends
and public holidays and late night trains run to different
schedules, usually only hourly.
Trains operate from Roma Street for major Queensland
destinations. Routes go north along the coast up to
Cairns and the Atherton Tablelands. Routes inland include
from Brisbane to Charleville and inland from Rockhampton
to Longreach. For details of the journeys go the Queensland
Railways website http://www.qnr.com.au
Long distance trains use Roma Street and go to most
major destinations particularly on the Brisbane-Cairns
line. Long distance rail travel is slow but enjoyable
and a good way to see the countryside.
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FERRIES
Ferries are divided between the City Cat that runs a
route upriver stopping at a multitude of points along
the way and the Crossriver ferries which operate a triangular
route between Eagle and Edward Streets in the city centre
and Thornton Street in Kangaroo Point. Ferries run about
once every 20 minutes.
Brisbane Ferries and River Cats are beautiful at sunset
or even at night and good for a glimpse of the city
from the river. You can also take bikes on board. The
City Cats run between the Univeristy of Queensland in
St Lucia, Toowong Village, Southbank, past the Queensland
University in the City to New Farm and beyond. Crossriver
ferries operate between Eagle and Edward Streets in
the city centre and Thornton Street at Kangaroo Point
approximately every 20 minutes. Buy your ticket at the
ferry.
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CAR / MOTORCYCLE
If you are in Brisbane for any length of time you will
find a car useful for getting around, especially if
you are living outside of the centre or away from bus
or train lines. Traffic is not too bad if you avoid
most peak times and most roads are well signed and maintained.
In the city keep an eye out for parking metres or signs,
many suburban areas have 2 hour parking rules for non-residents
especially around major sports stadiums.
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BICYCLES AND WALKING
The Brisbane City Council has done a splendid job with
inner city and suburban walking/cycling paths that criss
cross the city. One of the best runs along both sides
of the Brisbane River from the University of Queensland
to the city campus of the Queensland University of Technology.
On the other side it runs from Kangaroo Point to West
End. Brisbane is quite a cycle friendly city with areas
for locking up your bikes and numerous paths that criss
cross the inner city and suburbs.
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TAXIS
Taxi fares generally start at about $3 before you even
more. You can hail, phone or queue for the same price.
Generally taxi's are only best for large grops to hard
to reach destinations or late night travel when trains
or buses may have stopped or when it's safer to go home
escorted eg. 3am from a nightclub.
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TICKETS
Fares on Brisbane's transport network are determined
by a zone system with most points of interest located
in zone one. A single trip within zone one is $1.80,
2 zones is $2.60, 3 zones $3.40 and all zones $3.80.
There are also multi-trip passes that combine modes
of transport. A Ten Trip Saver is available for all
zones, A 1-2-3 ticket allows two hours of travel and
transfers between buses, ferries and trains. Off Peak
Savers allow unlimited travel between 9am and 3.30pm
and after 7pm (all day weekends public holidays). The
Day Rover allows unlimited travel on buses and ferries.
The South East Explorer is good for venturing past the
Brisbane area to the Sunshine Coast or Gold Coast. It
is usually best to buy these passes before boarding
the transport.
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HITCHING
Get suburban trains to major roads leaving Brisbane
for the best results.
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