Getting from Brisbane to Sydney and the other way is a popular path to take. Tourists in Sydney are now discovering Brisbane to be a really cool city, and it also makes for a good hub when traveling to far north Queensland, but they often have to get back to Sydney when it is all said and done. Whatever the reason, getting to Sydney from Brisbane is a popular trip that can be taken by car, bus, train and plane – but I recommend a good old fashioned road trip in a campervan.
Driving from Brisbane to Sydney by car or campervan can be done by following the Pacific Highway for an entire 940 kilometers, or a good 12 hours. It would make for a full day of driving non-stop, which isn’t recommended, so I say that making a few day trip out of it would be the better option.
I did a bit of this trip when driving from Cairns to Sydney, and after starting all the way up in far north Queensland, the 940 kilometers it took to get from Brisbane to Sydney felt like nothing. The smart thing to do is to choose some of those amazing central coast destinations that are along the way (Noosa, Gold Coast, Port Macquarie) and stop over for a day or two. Read about the same Brisbane to Sydney road trip taken a few years back.
A bus ride from Brisbane to Sydney is a long one and will take at least 16.5 hours on Greyhound. Unlike driving, however, a ride like this will give you the freedom to sit back and relax, read a book or just sleep instead of focusing on the road. It’s a worry-free sort of journey, but after 16.5 hours, it can get a bit cramped. Read more on this master bus travel in Australia post to get yourself prepared.
The CountryLink XPT train will take you from Brisbane to Sydney in just around 14 hours, which isn’t bad. Plus, train rides provide you much more flexibility than buses since you can get up and walk around at your leisure. Still, a ride like this is not short, so you’ll have to make sure you prepare and pack things for the journey. Tickets run in the $80 range one way. Read more on this master train travel in Australia post to learn more.
Being just 1.5 hours in length, a cheap flight to Sydney from Brisbane is a sure-fire way to save you time. A flight will help you get from A to B in no time, but it won’t help you see some of the brilliant east coast that you can in other modes of transport. Flight prices vary depending on airline, but can sometimes be bought at a bargain price of just $50 one way.
