Sydney to Brisbane drive
Sydney to Brisbane is around 10 hours of driving along the Pacific Highway, which is now dual carriageway from Hexham to the Queensland border. The Pacific Coast touring route is about 1,000 km and the New South Wales part alone is more than 800 km, so check the daily kilometre allowance, the one-way fee and toll charges before you book. Coffs Harbour or Port Macquarie both work as an overnight stop.
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Key facts
- Distance
- About 1,000 km on the Pacific Coast touring route from Sydney to Brisbane, which is planned over nine days with stops such as the Hunter Valley and Port Stephens
- Drive time
- Around 10 hours along the Pacific Highway
- New South Wales leg
- More than 800 km from Sydney to Tweed Heads on the Legendary Pacific Coast Drive
- Road standard
- All 657 km of the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border is dual carriageway, and the upgrade cut travel times by 2.5 hours
- Port Macquarie
- Four hours' drive north of Sydney
- Coffs Harbour
- Less than six hours' drive from Sydney and just over four hours from Brisbane
- Byron Bay
- Just over eight hours' drive from Sydney and less than two hours from Brisbane
- Gold Coast to Brisbane
- An easy 100 km drive north on the last day of the touring route
- One-way fee
- A one-way fee may apply when you return the car to a different location; Hertz Australia, for example, advises at reservation whether that is allowed and the fee
- Kilometre allowance
- Hertz's terms say a daily kilometre limit may apply depending on the vehicle and pick-up location, and that the allowance is shown on your rental agreement
- Tolls
- Hertz charges tolls to you plus a processing fee unless you buy its toll service, and can charge your card up to 90 days after the rental
Sydney to Brisbane
About 1,000 km on the touring route ยท Around 10 hours on the Pacific Highway
Newcastle
The second-largest city in NSW, and one of the North Coast airports where you can fly in and hire a car.
Port Macquarie
Four hours' drive north of Sydney. The Koala Hospital runs guided tours in 45 minute sessions through the day (book online), and the town has 17 beaches nearby and waterfront cafes.
Coffs Harbour
Less than six hours' drive from Sydney and just over four hours from Brisbane, so it splits the trip into two days.
Ballina
Just under eight hours' drive from Sydney. Ballina Byron Gateway Airport is less than 10 minutes from the centre of town.
Byron Bay
Just over eight hours' drive from Sydney and less than two hours from Brisbane.
Gold Coast
An easy 100 km drive to Brisbane from here, on the last leg of the trip.
- Brisbane
How far and how long is the drive from Sydney to Brisbane?
The Pacific Coast touring route from Sydney to Brisbane is about 1,000 km and is planned over nine days, with stops such as the Hunter Valley, Port Stephens and Byron Bay. Driving straight up the Pacific Highway takes around 10 hours, before fuel, meals and rest breaks.
The New South Wales part of the Legendary Pacific Coast Drive, from Sydney to Tweed Heads, is more than 800 km, and from the Gold Coast it is an easy 100 km on to Brisbane. A Sydney to Brisbane hire therefore covers more than 800 km before any detours, so compare that against the daily kilometre allowance.
What is the Pacific Highway like from Sydney to Brisbane?
All 657 km of the Pacific Highway between Hexham and the Queensland border is now dual carriageway (a four-lane divided road), and the upgrade has cut travel times by 2.5 hours across its length. Woolgoolga to Ballina was the last section to be upgraded to four lanes.
Bypasses now take the highway around towns including Kempsey, Macksville, Urunga, South Grafton, Ulmarra and Woodburn.
Where should you stop on the Sydney to Brisbane drive?
Port Macquarie is four hours' drive north of Sydney, Coffs Harbour is less than six hours, Ballina is just under eight and Byron Bay is just over eight. Coffs Harbour is also just over four hours from Brisbane, so it splits the trip into two days. Port Macquarie is the other natural break, with the Koala Hospital's guided tours running in 45 minute sessions through the day.
Newcastle is the second-largest city in NSW and one of the North Coast airports where you can fly in and hire a car. On the last day, Byron Bay is less than two hours from Brisbane and the Gold Coast is 100 km from the city, so the final leg is short.
Can you hire a car in Sydney and drop it in Brisbane?
It depends on the company and your dates. Hertz's Australian terms, for example, say a one-way fee may apply if you return the car to a different location, and that you are advised at reservation whether a different return location is permitted and any fee.
The Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Ballina and Gold Coast airports each have a pick-up page on this site, so you can also compare a single one-way hire with two shorter hires for your dates.
What does the hire car agreement need to allow?
Hertz's terms say a daily kilometre limit may apply depending on the vehicle and pick-up location, and that any allowance is shown on your rental agreement. The same terms list driving on unsealed roads as a prohibited use, with exceptions for roads under repair and access roads to recognised camping or accommodation grounds, so read your own agreement before a detour off the sealed road.
Under Hertz's terms you are responsible for tolls: it charges them to you plus a processing fee unless you buy its toll service, and it can charge your card up to 90 days after the rental for tolls and fines that cannot be finalised at return.
Compare one-way cars: Sydney Airport to Brisbane Airport
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Questions people ask
How far is it from Sydney to Brisbane by road?
The Pacific Coast touring route from Sydney to Brisbane is about 1,000 km, planned over nine days with stops. The New South Wales part alone, from Sydney to Tweed Heads, is more than 800 km. Driving straight up the Pacific Highway takes around 10 hours.
Can you drive from Sydney to Brisbane in one day?
The drive takes around 10 hours along the Pacific Highway before fuel and rest breaks, so it is a very long day. Port Macquarie (four hours from Sydney) and Coffs Harbour (less than six hours) both work as an overnight stop.
Is the Pacific Highway dual carriageway all the way to Queensland?
Yes. All 657 km between Hexham and the Queensland border is dual carriageway, and Woolgoolga to Ballina was the last section to be upgraded to four lanes.
Can I do a one-way car hire from Sydney to Brisbane?
It depends on the company and your dates. A one-way fee may apply; Hertz, for example, advises at reservation whether a different return location is allowed and the fee. Also check the daily kilometre allowance.
Who pays tolls on a Sydney to Brisbane hire car?
You do. Hertz, for example, charges tolls to you plus a processing fee unless you buy its toll service, and it can charge your card up to 90 days after the rental, so charges can arrive after you hand the car back.