Greater Brisbane

The primary way of getting into Greater Brisbane is via 🌍 Brisbane Airport (BNE ^IATA). See the Brisbane page on getting around.

The primary way that most will come from the south will usually be via Logan City, which is the closest point of Greater Brisbane from the south. This table below shows the distance from each city. Distances are in kilometres, and to the CBD of each of the five cities mentioned.

Most of the motorway network in SE Queensland is centred around Greater Brisbane. Getting around most suburbs in Greater Brisbane can in most cases, be done entirely on motorways, though there are some notable exceptions where using a road that isn't a motorway is quicker and easier. The motorways and major roads are as follows:

• Pacific Motorway (M1, M3) – starts at Coffs Harbour in New South Wales, and first enters at southeast Logan City, and continues to Brisbane CBD.
• Logan Motorway (M6, M2) – a short motorway starting at the M1 Pacific Motorway in Loganholme to the M2/M7 Ipswich Motorway in Gailles. The motorway is tolled, and has two separate toll points – one at Heathwood which costs $2.98 and the other at Loganlea, at a cost of $1.81 (as at April 2022).
• The M5 is not one motorway, but a series of roads, including the Centenary Highway, starting in Ipswich, which heads north-northeast and becomes the Western Freeway passing the Fig Tree Pocket Road after which it heads northeast. After Indooroopilly, the M5 becomes the Legacy Way, which is tolled and is a tunnel, bypassing Brisbane CBD. As of April 2022, the tolls cost $5.79 per car and $2.90 per motorcycle.
• The AirportLinkM7 (M7) is a short tunnelled motorway linking Fortitude Valley north of the CBD to Brisbane Airport costing $5.92 for cars (as of 2022). The route continues further south as Clem7 which has a different toll, costing $5.37.
• The Port of Brisbane Motorway and Port Drive (M4, SR 24) is a short motorway from the Gateway Motorway to the Port of Brisbane.
• Gateway Motorway (M1) – a motorway just to bypass Brisbane CBD if you're heading from the Gold Coast to the Sunshine Coast.
• Warrego Highway and Ipswich Motorway (M2, M7) – a motorway that's the continuation of the divided Warrego Hwy to Toowoomba that heads northeast to Rocklea, continues as A7 and eventually becomes the Clem7.
• The first 14 km (8.7 mi) of the Cunningham Highway (M15 / National Highway 15) is a motorway, which later continues down southwest to Armidale and Tamworth as an undivided highway.

All cities but Redland City have at least one motorway. Brisbane by far has the most motorways both by length and number, followed by Ipswich and Logan. Moreton Bay doesn't really have a motorway of its own, its only motorway is just the Bruce Highway on its way to Cairns.

Greater Brisbane's three main public transport modes (trains, buses and ferries) are run by a single provider known as Translink. The Translink website (Phone: 13 12 30 or download the 'MyTranslink' app) is handy for researching public transport options between destinations. Google Maps also offers full public transport navigation, with real-time updated information across all three modes.

The go card is a contactless smart card that you can top up with funds. The card can be purchased from train station ticket counters, busway fare machines, and selected newsagents and convenience stores of which there are many in the area. A deposit of $10 applies. The card can be topped up at the same locations, including fare machines at train stations.

The fare is deducted as you touch on and touch off each mode of transport. You must touch both on and off for all journeys regardless of the mode of transport. A failure to touch off will result in a fixed fare of up to $30 being charged to the card. Buses and ferries are fitted with validators as you board. Train stations have fare gates or distinctive pink validators located on the platform.

Buying a go card removes the hassle of figuring out zones. Fares are discounted by 30% and free once you have paid for eight journeys within a week (Monday to Sunday). Translink uses the word "journey" to mean end-to-end journey including any required transfers, and the word "trip" to mean a single point-to-point trip. A journey can be made up of one or more trips on any mode of transport. When making a number of trips to get to your destination it is still one journey if you touch on within 60 minutes of touching off on your previous trip.

Getting a refund for the unused money and $10 deposit can be a hassle. If you have paid by credit card you need apply and have the money returned by cheque or by transfer to an Australian bank account. If you have paid by cash you can get a refund at a train station, including the airport train station.

Contactless cards (Visa/MasterCard/American Express) can be used to pay for train and ferry journeys (buses will be available by 2025). This is far more convenient than purchasing a go card, and you don't have to worry about residual amounts remaining on the card when you leave. All the same benefits apply to using a contactless card as apply to using an adult go card.

Single paper tickets are available from train station ticket counters and all train and busway fare machines. They are only valid for one way journeys and come at a premium. Buses are now pre-paid only so you will need to purchase a paper ticket beforehand or use a go card / contactless card instead.

If you are going to be doing short-term extensive travel or using the Airtrain, you can buy a 3-day or 5-day unlimited travel SEEQ Card for $79 and $129 respectively. SEEQ cards work like regular go cards however provide additional discounts at various tourist attractions around South-East Queensland. You don't have to worry about topping up and refunds, but you'll struggle to get value out of it unless you are catching the Airtrain.

You can be fined $261 for travelling without a valid ticket.