Brisbane is one of the most laid-back big cities in the country, with warm and friendly people and a casual and sophisticated atmosphere. The weather is agreeable for the most part, and getting about is straightforward although you should try and stay within reach of the CBD as the city is huge.
Brisbane is as tourist-friendly as anywhere else in Australia and you can get by for most activities with shorts and a t-shirt, from dining out to visiting museums. Most restaurants are casual and have alfresco dining, with tipping usually around 10 percent.
If you happen upon local company, be generous with your praise for the city as Brisbane folk are particularly proud of their home town.
Australia uses the Australian dollar. Notes come in AU$100, $50, $20, $10, and $5, and coins in AU$2, $1, 50c, 20c, 10c, and 5 cents. The Aussie dollar is traditionally worth less than the US dollar and food, drink, accommodation and travel is reasonably priced.
Credit cards are accepted virtually everywhere (in hotels, shops and restaurants), while ATMs generally accept most major foreign debit cards and dispense in local dollars.
Brisbane is a rarity in Australia in that it can be visited virtually any time of year. It sees more sunny days than most other Australian cities and it doesn't rain all that much. It does get hot and humid in the summer months of December through February however, although sea breezes often cool things somewhat. Winters in Brisbane are mild and dry.
You can walk around much of the inner city of Brisbane, meaning the CBD, the West End and the South Bank areas. TransLink is the public transport operator and it runs a decent network of trains, buses and ferries where tickets are interchangeable within a given zone. You will be able to see most of the attractions within the first four zones.
Brisbane Airport (BNE) is about 10 miles northeast of downtown Brisbane and options for getting here include train, bus, and taxi. The best option for most travelers is the useful Airtrain, which connects both terminals and the city center, with services departing every 15 minutes (05:00 to 21:00) and travel time 20 minutes.
Coachtrans buses run every 30 minutes (05:00 until 23:00) between the airport and Roma Street Transit Centre and take about 40 minutes.
Population: around two million
Spoken languages: English
Status: capital of Queensland
Electrical: 240 Volts, 50 Hertz
Phone/calling code: +61 7
