Inter-City Driving Routes Map

For complete details including directions, open this Inter-City Driving Route map on Google Maps.

View Major Inter-City Routes in a larger map

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1. Click on any of the cities’ badges to display the exact addresses of the petrol stations offering the low prices
2. Use Google Maps to navigate your way to your chosen station
3. And save!

Unleaded fuel price data below is manually collected and updated twice daily in the morning and afternoon on Mondays to Saturdays, and once daily on Sundays.

For specific suburb search and prices of other types of fuel, use MotorMouth’s Price Search.

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The toll roads are fully electronic meaning cash is not accepted. To pay for your usage if you don’t have an electronic tag fitted in your car, you’ll need to pay for your trips by credit card online with a go viavideo pass or over the phone by calling 1 3000 GO VIA (1 3000 46 842). Alternatively, cash payments can be made at customer service centres but will incur a further $1.00 fee.

go viavideo passes are valid for 30 days and can also be bought up to three days after using the toll road. They are only for the Queensland Motorway network. On top of the regular toll fee, you’ll be charged an additional $0.40 ‘video matching fee’ per toll point.

Toll prices are charged depending on which of the five toll points you pass through.

Queensland Motorways Map (0.2 Mb)

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1. Sydney Toll Roads, Charges and Passes
2. Melbourne Toll Roads, Charges and Passes
3. Toll Roads in Australia

Toll roads are found in the metropolitan areas of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

Everywhere there is a move towards electronic payment sensors with the acceptance of cash being phased out. This means it is possible to use the toll road without physically paying for it on the spot (your car registration plate will be photographed as you go through the toll and it’s your responsibility to make sure you have paid for it before or within a couple days of using it).

Any fines will be sent to your car hire company and not only will you be charged for it (in the vicinity of $140 each) but they will also add on a “processing fee” which commonly comes in at about $35-60 each.

With all the care taken to save on your car hire, the last thing you need is a fine for unpaid toll charges. So you don’t accidentally miss one, below you’ll find information for toll road locations, toll charges and purchasing passes, payment methods and meanings of toll road signs.

Toll Roads, Charges and Electronic Passes

• Sydney Toll Roads, Charges and Passes
• Melbourne Toll Roads, Charges and Passes
• Brisbane Toll Roads, Charges and Passes

Payment Methods

Cash Payments

If your toll road accept cash payments, that’s easy. You’ll just want to make sure you have some change. Some toll booths only accept the exact amount while others will give you change. Keep to the left lane as that’s where most cash booths are located and pay attention to the signs:

• Exact change lanes are labelled ‘exact toll’ or ‘auto’
• Booths marked ‘change’ will, you guessed it, give you change.

Cashless Electronic Toll Payments

As mentioned, not all toll roads have cash booths in which case payment must be made electronically with an E-Tag or pass, or over the phone by credit card after using the road.

• Over the Phone
 
Along the road you will see large signs with the relevant phone number so remember it and make the call to pay within 48 hours of passing the toll. A small fee will be charged for credit card payments. Online payments are also possible and incurs a lower fee than over the phone.
• The Electronic Pass
 
For interstate and foreign visitors, the electronic pass will likely be your best option. All you need is a credit card and they are usually valid for 30 days with minimum or no start-up fees. If you’re travelling to multiple places e.g. Sydney, Melbourne AND Brisbane, you’ll need to get the relevant passes for each city i.e. unlike the E-Tag, a pass bought in Sydney will NOT be usable in other cities.
• The E-Tag
 
The E-Tag is a little device you attach to your car’s windscreen which automatically deducts from your account each time pass a toll sensor. Naturally having an E-Tag in the car is the most efficient option and spares you having to worry about forgetting to pay.

However, it is designed for longer term or frequent usage, often requiring a security deposit and prepaid toll balance which may not be appropriate for a visitor. Most rental car companies do not equip their cars with an E-Tag but if you find one that does, great!

E-Tags from NSW, VIC or QLD are usable throughout Australia so if you have an existing one, you can use it with your rental car or consider borrowing a friend’s. Just notify your E-Tag provider of your hire car registration number (and remember to call them to remove it after finishing your rental unless you are feeling particularly charitable).

E-Tags are available from RTA, RoamExpress, and Roam (NSW providers), Breeze (VIC provider), go via (QLD provider). Each provider has a slightly different payment structure and you’ll need an Australian address.

If you are a visitor to Australia or infrequent traveller (one or two trips on a toll road), look instead at getting yourself an electronic pass for the city you require.

Toll Road Signs

E-tags are accepted in these lanes

Electronic Passes are accepted in these lanes

An E-tag ONLY lane

A lane where you can use an E-tag or pay with the EXACT amount of cash

A lane where you can use an E-tag or pay with ANY amount of cash and change will be given

A lane where you can use an E-tag or an Electronic Pass

A lane where cash is accepted and change is given

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1. Brisbane Toll Roads, Charges and Passes
2. Melbourne Toll Roads, Charges and Passes
3. Sydney Toll Roads, Charges and Passes

2010
Friday 1 January – New Year’s Day
Tuesday 26 January – Australia Day
Friday 2 April – Good Friday
Saturday 3 April – Easter Saturday
Monday 5 April – Easter Monday
Monday 26 April – Anzac Day (replacement for 25 April)
Monday 3 May – Labour Day
Monday 14 June – Queen’s Birthday
Wednesday 11 August – Royal Queensland Show Day (Brisbane metro)
Monday 27 December – Christmas Day (replacement for 25 December)
Tuesday 28 December – Boxing Day (replacement for 26 December)

2011
Monday 3 January – New Year’s Day (replacement for 1 January)
Wednesday 26 January – Australia Day
Friday 22 April – Good Friday
Saturday 23 April – Easter Saturday
Monday 25 April – Easter Monday, Anzac Day
Tuesday 26 April – Replacement for Easter Monday and Anzac Day falling on the same day
Monday 2 May – Labour Day
Monday 13 June – Queen’s Birthday
Wednesday 17 August – Royal Queensland Show Day (Brisbane metro)
Monday 26 December – Christmas Day (replacement for 25 December)
Tuesday 27 December – Boxing Day (replacement for 26 December)

QLD School Holidays

2009 / 2010
Summer: 12 December 2009 – 27 January 2010
Autumn: 2 April – 11 April
Winter: 26 June – 11 July
Spring: 18 September – 3 October

2010 / 2011
Summer: 11 December 2010 – 23 January 2011
Autumn: 16 April – 25 April
Winter: 25 June – 11 July
Spring: 17 September – 2 October
Summer: 10 December 2011 – 22 January 2012

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2. VIC Public and School Holidays 2010 / 2011
3. WA Public and School Holidays 2010 / 2011

• A taxi ride to/from the airport will set you back ~A$35. When catching a cab from the city to the airport on Fridays between 3pm-5pm, you can use a designated airport taxi rank on Creek St between Elizabeth St and Queen St, opposite Central Plaza One. This allows you to share a ride with strangers to save extra money. You can pre-book a cab with Black & White Cabs or Yellow Cab
• The Airtrain’s Brisbane CBD Transfer services the airport to/from 5 locations in central Brisbane and takes about 20 minutes, costing A$14.50/adult one-way, A$27 return (save 10% when you book online)
• Coachtrans operates a shuttle bus between the airport and major hotels and locations, coinciding to meet all flights. A$14/adult one-way, A$28 return. Pre-booking is recommended

For more information, see the Brisbane Airport official site or for all Queensland public transport information and route planning, see Translink.

Brisbane Airport-City CBD Map

View Larger Map

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1. Brisbane City – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
2. Brisbane Airport – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
3. Inter-City Driving Distances and Times

Related posts:

1. Brisbane City – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
2. Brisbane Airport – Best Independent Car Hire Companies

Similar to renting from Brisbane Airport, there are savings to be made with going with the independent companies within Brisbane City. The best value company for you will largely depend on the duration of your rental and the number of kilometres you require to be included in the standard rate.

East Coast Car Rentals Go To Site

Value to be found with Unlimited km’s

With unlimited km’s included, East Coast Car Rentals can offer some of the most competitive prices from the Economy hatchbacks to the 12-seater Vans, particularly for rentals 3 days and longer. Their cars are mainly between brand new and 2-years old. While your credit card information is required to place the booking, you will not be charged until you arrive at the office for the pickup. ECCR charges A$13.20/day and less depending on duration, to lower your default collision damage liability from A$3000 to A$200 (this is for cars, more for AWDs and Vans).

In our research we found that for larger cars, booking with ECCR via Bargain Wheels (see below) instead of directly, can sometimes work out cheaper.

Bargain Wheels Go To Site

Independent companies comparison site. New and used cars

Bargain Wheels displays prices from about seven different independent car hire companies in Brisbane, allowing you to find deals on newer cars, and even more so if you are happy to hire an older/used car.

Pay attention to the Rental Information and details about the Supplier as provided on the site so you know the number of kilometres and insurance excess included. Take note that although you might search specifically for Brisbane City rentals, some of the listed companies’ depots are situated closer to the airport than the city. We recommend you call the company you are interested in to find the exact location of the pickup.

Finally, do not take the daily rates initially displayed in the search results at face value as they are often not inclusive of various administrative fees and taxes. Click through a few different companies to obtain the final price so you know you got the best car hire deal.

Alpha Car Hire Go To Site

Check for rentals 3 days or shorter. Includes 500km/day

With 500km/day included (27.5 cents/extra km), you should give Alpha a check if you are looking for a rental car for 3 days or less and intend to do a fair amount of driving. All car hire comes with a collision damage liability of A$2750. For A$16.50/day or less depending on duration, you can have it reduced to A$330. You can and should get cheaper if you source your insurance externally.

If you’re planning on renting from Alpha, you may want to use this discount voucher to get A$10 off a 3 day or more hire or A$20 off on any hires 14 days or more. You can use only one offer at a time so do check their Specials section to see if there are any more valuable offers.

Abel Rent-a-Car Go To Site

For rentals 3 days and under if 100km/day is adequate

For those who can stay within 100km/day of driving and are looking for a short-term rental under 4 days, Abel Rent-a-Car offers the lowest prices across Economy manual hatchbacks up to a 4WD. They charge 33 cents/extra km and the standard damage liability of A$3300 can be reduced to A$550 for A$27.50/day. This is very pricey so read how to get covered with alternative car hire insurance.

Note: In April 2008, Abel was in the Courier News (read the article here) for charging customers for dubious damages. Still, they also have their share of happy customers so weigh up this news for yourself. If you do damage the vehicle, Abel’s policy notes they will charge a A$250 administrative fee simply for handling the process. Any traffic infringements you incur will similarly attract a A$99 fee.

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1. Brisbane Airport – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
2. Brisbane Airport-City Public Transport
3. Brisbane Toll Roads, Charges and Passes

Brisbane airport’s Premium Location Fee is a fixed 10.7%. Therefore, opting to go with one of the independent companies who are located just off-site will increase your chances of finding a bargain. These are the best value companies we uncovered. Bargain Wheels comparison site is a great starting place for both new and used cars. East Coast Car Rentals in general offers the best deals particularly for car hires 4 days or longer. For shorter term hires, there are several more worth comparing depending on your mileage requirements:

Bargain Wheels Go To Site

Independent companies comparison site. New and used cars

Bargain Wheels aggregates prices across about nine off-site Brisbane Airport independent car hire companies for you to compare. They include used cars which if you are comfortable to accept will be noticeably cheaper.

Always read the Rental and Supplier information provided to ensure you know the exact terms and conditions of the rental, including the standard mileage and insurance excess. As the cars can be from any of a number of companies, we recommend you call Bargain Wheels for exact pickup instructions and location. Note that in the preliminary search results, the daily rates listed are often subject to further fees and you will have to click through in order to obtain the final price.

If you intend to hire your car from East Coast Car Rentals (see ECCR below) for 3 days or under, booking through Bargain Wheels can be cheaper.

East Coast Car Rentals Go To Site

Great value for all car sizes with unlimited km’s

Considering the included unlimited km’s, East Coast Car Rentals is (or very close to) the best value Brisbane company across all the car models including the Economy Toyota Yaris manual hatch, Compact Nissan Tiida auto hatch, Intermediate Toyota Corolla sedan and Toyota Tarago Van. Their Standard Toyota Camry’s are 2005-2007 models. They come with A$3000 damage liability that can be reduced to A$200 for A$13.20/day or less. Located off-site, they offer a courtesy shuttle service to take you to their depot from the airport. Your credit card details are required to make the booking but will not be charged until you pick up the car.

If you intend to hire for 3 days or under and decide to go with ECCR, you might want to check Bargain Wheels to see if booking via them can save you a little extra (perhaps about $10). See more information on Bargain Wheels above.

Alpha Car Hire Go To Site

Cheap for Economy up to SUVs, 3 days or less with 500km/day

With 500km’s included per day, Alpha may be cheapest for the 4WD Hyundai Tuscon SUV (although not allowed off-road). With what in practice is almost equivalent to unlimited km’s, for any rentals 3 days or under, you will likely find the best prices across the range from the Economy manual to the SUV. Anything beyond 500km is charged at 27.5 cents/km. Alpha includes a default standard collision damage liability of A$2750. Extending your coverage with them to lower this to A$330 will require you to fork out A$16.50/day, getting less the longer you rent.

Note that Alpha charges an administrative fee of A$220 in addition to the Damage Liability in the event of damages and A$99 for any traffic infringements you incur.

If you decide to book with them, use this voucher for A$10 off any 3-day or more car hire, or A$20 off for 14 days or more.

Airport Rent-A-Car Go To Site

Cheap from Economy up to Full-sized Cars and Vans, 3 days or less, if only 200km/day required

Particularly in the months where 10% discounts are offered, Airport Rent-a-Car is another value alternative company for short-term Brisbane Airport rentals but only if 200km/day is adequate for you. Exceeding this amount, they charge 25 cents/extra km. Standard A$2750 collision damage liability is included. A further A$16/day reduces this liability to A$550. Courtesy transfers to/from the airport are provided.

Abel Rent-a-Car Go To Site

Best value for shorter distance car rentals, 3 days or less with 100km/day

If you do not require more than 100km/day (A$0.30/extra km), Abel probably has the best price across all the car hire size categories for 3 day rentals or less. Being located a few minutes off-site, they offer free transfers to and from the Brisbane airport.

Note: However, Abel like ECCR has also had its share of bad publicity in the Courier News for ripping off customers over dubious damage claims as recent as April 2008 (read the article here). Misunderstanding or otherwise, you decide how to interpret this information. If you need the extra peace of mind, you could opt to protect yourself with some form of insurance (Abel charges A$20/day or less to drop the standard collision damage liability on a regular car from A$3300 to A$330 but you can look for cheaper external alternatives e.g. travel insurance that covers car hire). Be also aware they charge an additional A$250 administrative fee in the event of damages to the vehicle, and a A$99 fee if you incur any traffic infringements during the rental period.

Related posts:

1. Brisbane City – Best Independent Car Hire Companies
2. Brisbane Airport-City Public Transport
3. Brisbane Toll Roads, Charges and Passes

The smaller independent companies can be cheaper (especially for airport car rentals) but either way, you should get the best price offered by Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, and Thrifty to use as a benchmark.

After finding the lowest prices here, remember to check all the car hire coupons we’ve compiled to see if you can bag yourself further bonuses and discounts. Then after booking, be sure to apply our tips for saving $100s on car hire insurance by bypassing the car hire companies.

Update: To make life easier for you, we’ve now incorporated our top picks’ search engines directly onto this page.

Read more on VroomVroomVroom

• Clean, easy-to-use site
• Easy price comparison at a glance
• Most complete listing
• Modify or cancel your booking online
• Prices given for GPS, baby seats, excess reduction
• Summary terms and conditions displayed
• Price matching promise + $10 further discount within 3 days of booking

• No Rewards or Preferred Program membership input
• No Discount Codes input
• Call needed to reserve child seats

Read more on Oodles

• Presentable site design
• Rewards (Qantas, Velocity) and Preferred Program (Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty) membership input
• Discount Codes input
• Able to book child seats
• Vehicle details (e.g. luggage space, engine) shown with search results
• Modify or cancel booking online
• ‘Best Rate Guarantee’ matches lower price + further 10% discount within 8 hours of booking

• Tabbed comparison table looks good but not intuitive for first-time user and requires clicking around
• No ‘Green’ Hybrid cars or Station Wagons
• Prices for Europcar are 4-5% higher than VroomVroomVroom

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