Reaching Brisbane

Brisbane Airport
Brisbane receives international flights from all over the world. The airport is ten kilometres from the city centre and there is a rail link which takes 22 minutes. There is also a bus service to the city centre, or to your accommodation and other buses operate directly from the airport to the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Some trains from the airport also run directly to the Gold Coast.

Brisbane Trains
Brisbane is connected with Sydney by a standard-gauge rail line and services are operated by Countrylink, the New South Wales train operator. The train from Sydney to Brisbane runs overnight, taking rather more than fourteen hours, and reaches Brisbane early in the morning, early enough to make onward connections further north should one so wish. It then returns to Sydney by day. The train arrives at Roma Street Station, in the heart of Brisbane.

From the north, direct narrow-gauge trains operated by Queensland Railways run from Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton, the journey from Cairns now having been reduced to 25 hours by the advent of the Tilt Train. The Sunlander, which operates the same route, is slower, taking 6½ hours longer over the 1,681 kilometres, but it is cheaper and offers sleeping berths at a reasonable supplement. There are also direct services from Longreach, to the north-west, and Charleville, to the west.

Brisbane Buses
There are bus services from Sydney to Brisbane operated by McCafferty’s, Greyhound and Premier. Average journey time is fifteen hours. There is also a direct service from Melbourne via the inland route by-passing Sydney. This route, operated by McCafferty’s, takes almost one day.

From the north, services are operated by the same three companies from Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton and Hervey Bay, taking 27 to 29 hours from Cairns. There are also services operated by McCafferty’s from Mt. Isa, Longreach and Charleville.

Roma Street Transit Centre
If you are arriving by bus or train, your service will terminate at the Roma Street Transit Centre, which is in the heart of the city, and a useful place. Here you will find, on the top floor, where buses arrive and depart, an information desk which will, on request, arrange accommodation for you if you arrive at a reasonable hour, and often arrange for you to be picked up by your accommodation too. On the middle floor of the building are places to eat and free showers. On the ground floor is the railway station.