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Arrival and information
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Brisbane Airport
is located 9km northwest of the centre, at the end of Kingsford Smith Drive. You'll find banks (including ATMs) and luggage lockers at both the domestic and the new international terminals. The quickest way to reach Brisbane from either terminal is aboard the new
Airtrain
, which runs four times an hour to the Roma Street Transit Centre and charges $9 one-way ($15 return). For the same price you could take the SkyTrans
bus
(tel 07/3236 1000), which delivers direct to central accommodation and the Transit Centre every thirty minutes between 5am and 10.45pm. A
taxi
into the city costs around $30 for the half-hour trip. For the Gold Coast, Airtrain run twice an hour ($20 one-way, $35 return), while buses delivering direct to accommodation include SkyTrans, Airporter (book in advance tel 07/5588 8777), Airport Transit (book in advance tel 1300/655 655) and Active Tours (tel 07/5597 0344), who all charge $33 one-way, $54 return.
Buses and trains connect with Brisbane's functional Transit Centre , located in the heart of the city on Roma Street. On the highest of the three levels are the bus offices, luggage lockers and a hostel information desk (Mon-Fri 7am-6pm, Sat & Sun 8am-5pm). The middle floor has fast-food joints, a bar, toilets and showers, a medical centre and ATMs, while on the ground floor is the arrival and departure point for local and interstate trains .
During the day, reaching your accommodation seldom poses any problems as local buses and taxis leave from just outside the Transit Centre, and most hosteliers either meet buses or will pick you up if you call them. You can't always rely on a pick-up
late at night
, however, when it's best to take a taxi. While Brisbane is not as dangerous as most European or American cities of its size, it's still not a good idea to wander around after midnight with your luggage in tow; some areas - particularly Fortitude Valley, and even Queen Street Mall - are best avoided altogether. If you simply must get somewhere and don't have the cab fare, it's worth considering leaving your luggage in the lockers. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Australia,
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