The SEQ Explorer
Where can 50 cents take you? Tap a pin and see.
Everything worth doing in Brisbane and South East Queensland without a car, on one hand-drawn map: 35 places across wildlife & nature (5), theme parks & family (4), beaches & islands (11), city, culture & icons (11), game days & nights out (4). Tap a pin and the route draws itself, with the exact trains, buses and ferries, how long it takes, and what it costs, which, thanks to the flat 50c fare, is usually less than a coffee. Prefer a list? Read our day trips from Brisbane by train and things to do in Brisbane without a car. Ready to go? The journey planner has live times for your exact trip.
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Tap a pin on the map
Every pin shows you how to get there by train, bus or ferry, and what it costs (spoiler: usually 50 cents). Zoom in for the city detail.
Tap any pin, use the ‹ › arrows to browse, search above, or pick from the list below. Zoom in to reveal more places. Routes shown are the straightforward public-transport way from central Brisbane; the planner has live times for your exact trip.
🐨 Wildlife & nature
🎢 Theme parks & family
🏖️ Beaches & islands
🌆 City, culture & icons
🏟️ Game days & nights out
Exploring SEQ without a car
Can you do day trips from Brisbane by public transport?+
Yes, and cheaply: the flat 50 cent fare covers the whole TransLink network regardless of distance, so Australia Zoo, the Gold Coast theme parks, Noosa and the bay islands are all reachable by train, bus and ferry. Every pin on the map above shows the exact legs.
Do you need a car to visit Brisbane?+
For most of the classic visitor list, no. Trains, buses, ferries and the G:link tram cover the koala sanctuaries, theme parks, beaches, stadiums and the city sights, and each trip is a flat 50 cents. The exceptions worth knowing: the Airtrain to the airport and the North Stradbroke ferry charge their own fares.
How do you get to Australia Zoo by train?+
Take the Sunshine Coast line to Beerwah (about an hour and a quarter), then Australia Zoo's free courtesy coach runs the last few kilometres from the station, seven days a week. The whole trip costs 50 cents plus your zoo entry.
How do you get to the Gold Coast theme parks without a car?+
Train to Helensvale or Coomera on the Gold Coast line, then the TX7 bus to Movie World, Wet'n'Wild and Dreamworld. For Sea World, take the G:link tram toward Main Beach and the short 704 bus hop. Every leg is 50 cents.
Which islands can you reach by public transport from Brisbane?+
Coochiemudlo Island is the easy one: train, bus and a short ferry that's part of the TransLink network, all on the flat fare. Bribie Island is train to Caboolture plus the 640 bus over the bridge. North Stradbroke is train to Cleveland plus a fast water taxi from Toondah Harbour, which charges its own fare.
What can you do in Brisbane for free (or nearly free)?+
Plenty: the Sky Deck at Queen's Wharf is free to visit, GOMA and the Queensland Museum have free entry, Streets Beach at South Bank is a free inner-city beach, and the City Botanic Gardens and Roma Street Parkland cost nothing. Getting between all of them is a flat 50 cents a trip, and a CityCat ride down the river is arguably the best-value sightseeing in the country.
What are good school-holiday days out by public transport?+
Bluey's World by CityCat, Lone Pine on the 430 bus, Australia Zoo by train with its free courtesy coach, the Gold Coast theme parks by train and the TX7, and Streets Beach or the bay beaches at Wynnum and Sandgate by train. Kids four and under ride free, and 5 to 14s travel free on weekends with a child go card.