Getting Into And Around Brisbane

When in Australia, tourist visa holders would surely want to visit the city of Brisbane. The Queensland capital definitely has many interesting things waiting for tourists to see. Thus, many travelers would want to know more about getting to and going around Brisbane. 

For starters, Brisbane is located in the southeastern coast of Queensland, in the mouth of the Brisbane River. It is known as the third most populous city in the country after the cities of Sydney and Melbourne. The city got its name from Sir Thomas Brisbane, a former governor of New Southwales from 1821 to 1825 (the city and the state itself was still part of NSW during that period).

Visitors can enjoy a year long sunny atmosphere, as the city's (as well as the state's) climate doesn't really change that much compared to other cities. However, do watch out for the summer seasons as they can be quite hot and humid. On the other hand, thunderstorms are quite frequent in the afternoon during the period from November to May.

Being the capital of Queensland, Brisbane is very accessible to visitors. Those people coming from other countries can directly land in Brisbane Airport, which is just 20 kms away from the city's central district. On the other hand, people coming from the Gold Coast can travel low cost to the Coolangatta Airport. And since Queensland has an integrated transportation system, you only need to secure a single ticket to fly to the airport and travel to Brisbane via bus or train.

Those people traveling on land also have several options to get to Brisbane. Those using private vehicles have many access points coming up from Sydney and Melbourne. There is also the public transportation system that links Brisbane to other cities. Premier Motor Services and Greyhound Australia are two of the major bus services that offer travel to and from Brisbane, these also take travelers to key points in the city.

Finally, when inside the city, are other means of travel aside from the public transportation system. Those wanting to cut down on costs can easily navigate the city's inner districts on foot. As have been said earlier, the city's climate is not that harsh, so you can enjoy traveling under the sun. And to avoid getting lost, you can easily purchase roadmaps from nearby bookstores. Another mode of transportation getting popular in the city recently is traveling using bicycles. In fact, dedicated bicycle lanes have been put up in the city's streets, so you need not to worry when going this way. Also, there are several rental companies offering bike use within the city.

And for those wanting to go around by car, rental companies are also quite plenty in Brisbane. They offer very affordable rates and have a wide range of vehicles to suit your needs. Some actually offer even scooters and motorbikes for inner city lane travel. These can be easily prearranged by the the tourist even before he sets foot in Brisbane.

Sources:
Brisbane, Wiki Travel article
http://wikitravel.org/en/Brisbane
Brisbane Travel Guide
http://www.brisbanetravelguide.com/  
Image Source:
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