18 day trips from Brisbane by train, bus & ferry
Every one reachable without a car · almost every one a flat 50c
The flat 50 cent fare turned South East Queensland into one giant day-trip menu: the same coin covers one stop or the entire network, so the zoo, the surf, the islands and the theme parks all cost $1 return in fares. Here is every day trip on our Explorer map, with the exact train, bus or ferry legs for each. This list grows as we add places, and every entry links to its pin on the interactive map.
Want these on a map instead? The SEQ Explorer plots every one of them with its route drawn from Brisbane, and our city guide covers the days out that don't leave town.
1. 🐊 Australia Zoo
The Irwins' zoo, and the train gets you there with a free zoo coach at the end.
🚆 Train to Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast line (~1¼ hr)
🚌 Free Australia Zoo courtesy coach from the station, 7 days
⏱ ~1½ hr from Central · flat 50c each way · The zoo coach is free
2. 🌴 Noosa
Yes, you can do Noosa on the 50c fare. Make a day of it.
🚆 Sunshine Coast line to Nambour or Cooroy (~2 hr)
🚌 631 bus through Eumundi to Noosa Junction
⏱ ~2½ hr each way, make a day of it · flat 50c each way
3. 🐚 Caloundra & Kings Beach
The Sunshine Coast's easiest beach day without a car.
🚆 Sunshine Coast line to Landsborough (~1¼ hr)
🚌 Connecting bus into Caloundra (~25 min)
⏱ ~1¾ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
4. ⛰️ Glass House Mountains
Volcanic peaks with their own train station at the trailhead town.
🚆 Train to Glass House Mountains station on the Sunshine Coast line
🥾 Walks and viewpoints start from the township
⏱ ~1¼ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
5. 🐟 Bribie Island
The island you can catch a bus to: over the bridge to Bongaree's calm bay beaches.
🚆 Train to Caboolture (~50 min)
🚌 640 bus over the bridge to Bongaree (~30 min)
⏱ ~1½ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
6. 🌊 Redcliffe Jetty & Lagoon
Jetty, lagoon and Bee Gees Way, at the end of the newest train line.
🚆 Redcliffe Peninsula line to Kippa-Ring (~55 min)
🚌 680 bus to the jetty (~15 min)
⏱ ~1¼ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
7. 🦀 Sandgate & Shorncliffe pier
Old-school seaside: the pier, the flats and the best sunsets north of the river.
🚆 Shorncliffe line to Sandgate (~35 min)
⏱ ~35 min from Central · flat 50c each way
8. ⚓ Wynnum–Manly foreshore
Wading pool, esplanade and fish and chips by the boat harbour.
🚆 Cleveland line to Wynnum or Manly (~40 min)
⏱ ~40 min from Central · flat 50c each way
9. 🏝️ North Stradbroke Island
Whales, gorges and island beaches: train to the coast, then a fast ferry.
🚆 Cleveland line to the end (~1 hr)
🚌 Free courtesy shuttle or local bus to Toondah Harbour
⛴️ Water taxi to Dunwich (~25 min); island buses meet the ferries
⏱ ~2 hr door to island · own fare applies · Train and bus are 50c each; the island ferry charges its own fare
10. 🛶 Coochiemudlo Island
The little island you can reach on the TransLink network.
🚆 Cleveland line, then a local bus to Victoria Point jetty
⛴️ The short TransLink ferry hop across to the island
⏱ ~1¾ hr from Central · flat 50c each way · The Coochiemudlo ferry is part of the TransLink network
11. 🏄 Surfers Paradise & Broadbeach
The famous strip, reachable end to end on the flat fare.
🚆 Gold Coast line to Helensvale (~1 hr)
🚊 G:link tram into Surfers and on to Broadbeach South (~30 min)
⏱ ~1½ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
12. 🌊 Burleigh Heads
The point break, the headland national park walk, and the best fish and chips hill on the coast.
🚆 Gold Coast line to Helensvale, then the G:link to Broadbeach South
🚌 700 bus down the Gold Coast Highway to Burleigh (~20 min)
⏱ ~2 hr from Central · flat 50c each way
13. 🌅 Coolangatta & Rainbow Bay
The border beaches: Snapper Rocks, Rainbow Bay and Point Danger, at the far end of the 50c network.
🚆 Gold Coast line to Helensvale, then the G:link to Broadbeach South
🚌 700 bus to Coolangatta (~45 min)
⏱ ~2½ hr from Central, the full length of the network · flat 50c each way
14. 🦜 Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary
The Gold Coast's koalas and lorikeets, with a bus to the front door.
🚆 Train to Helensvale, then the G:link tram to Broadbeach South
🚌 700 bus from Broadbeach South, stops outside the sanctuary (~30 min)
⏱ ~2¼ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
15. 🎬 Movie World & Wet'n'Wild
Superheroes and slides, both off the same train-and-bus combo.
🚆 Gold Coast line to Helensvale (~1 hr)
🚌 TX7 bus to the park gates (it serves Wet'n'Wild next door too)
⏱ ~1½ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
16. 🎢 Dreamworld
The big rides, a short bus from Coomera station.
🚆 Gold Coast line to Coomera (~55 min)
🚌 TX7 bus to the park (WhiteWater World is the same stop)
⏱ ~1¼ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
17. 🐬 Sea World
Dolphins on the Broadwater: train, tram, then one short bus.
🚆 Gold Coast line to Helensvale, then the G:link tram toward Main Beach
🚌 704 bus the last hop to Sea World
⏱ ~1¾ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
18. 🚂 Workshops Rail Museum
Australia's oldest working railway workshops, reached by (what else) the train.
🚆 Ipswich line to Ipswich station (~55 min)
🚶 About a 20 minute walk across the river, or a short local bus
⏱ ~1¼ hr from Central · flat 50c each way
The maths that makes all this work is the flat 50 cent fare: one coin, any distance, transfers included. Check live departures before you leave, and know your last service home if you're making an evening of it.
Day-trip questions
What are the best day trips from Brisbane by train?+
The classics: Australia Zoo (train to Beerwah plus the zoo's free courtesy coach), Surfers Paradise (train to Helensvale plus the G:link tram), the Glass House Mountains (their own station), Caloundra (train to Landsborough plus a connecting bus), and Noosa (train to Nambour or Cooroy plus the 631 bus). Every train and bus leg is a flat 50 cents.
How much does a day trip from Brisbane cost by public transport?+
Almost always $1 return in fares: every trip on the TransLink network is a flat 50 cents regardless of distance, so even Noosa or the Gold Coast costs the same as one stop. The exceptions are attraction entry fees and the North Stradbroke ferry, which charges its own fare.
Can you do a day trip from Brisbane without a car?+
Yes, easily. The train network reaches the Sunshine Coast hinterland, the Gold Coast, Ipswich, the Redcliffe Peninsula and the bay, and connecting buses and ferries cover the last leg to the zoo, the theme parks, the islands and the beaches. Each entry below gives the exact legs.
Which islands can you day-trip to from Brisbane?+
Coochiemudlo (train, bus and a TransLink ferry, all on the flat fare), Bribie Island (train to Caboolture plus the 640 bus over the bridge), and North Stradbroke (train to Cleveland plus a water taxi, which has its own fare).
More live guides
🌆 Things to do in Brisbane without a car →
The city's best days out by train, bus and ferry, including the free ones.
🚧 Weekend train closures & Cross River Rail →
Why your line is replaced by buses, and what's closed for works right now.
⛴️ Is the CityCat running today? →
Live ferry status, why the river stops the boats, and your backup routes.
🚆 Are the trains running on time? →
Live train delays and cancellations right now, and which lines cop it most.
Live information on this page comes from TransLink's service alerts feed and updates automatically. Plan any trip with the journey planner.