Ready to book your next trip to Brisbane? Not so fast!
First, you need a travel checklist. Make sure to include a plan for deciding when to book your flights, whether or not you want to hire a car and what documents you’ll need along the way. The good news is, we’ve got everything sorted for you! So, without further ado, let’s go through our ultimate travel checklist with what to organise for your next trip to Brisbane.
1. Book Flights in Advance
If you’re visiting Brisbane from overseas, you’ll definitely need to book your flights in advance. Let’s face it – Australia is far from pretty much every other country in the world and most overseas flights to Brisbane will be long and expensive. That’s why it’s best to book your flights early, keeping track of prices and flight patterns for months before you finally secure your tickets.
In general, for overseas flights to Brisbane, it’s best to book flights at least 4 months in advance. But 6 months in advance is the most optimal time to book. However, if you’re travelling to Brisbane domestically from somewhere else in Australia, you can book your flights closer to your travel date. For domestic flights to Brisbane, you should be able to get a good deal on your flights anywhere from 1-3 months before your trip.
Or, you can always hire a car and drive into the Brisbane area instead of flying if you’re more inclined to take a road trip to do your travelling.
2. Gather Your Travel Documents
Another important aspect of your travel checklist is gathering your travel documents. You’d be surprised how many people skip this step. The main documents you’ll need to travel to Brisbane include:
- Passports (for international travel)
- Visas (for international travel)
- Vaccination certification
- Travel insurance (optional)
Passports
Obviously, you won’t get very far if you’re travelling internationally and you forget to pack your passport. Another common mistake is arriving at the airport with an expired passport. So, well before you travel internationally to Brisbane, make sure you not only have your passport but that it won’t be expired by the time you embark on your trip. In general, you should allow at least 6 weeks to get a passport or to renew your passport.
Visas
To visit Brisbane from overseas, you’ll need a Visitor Visa to visit Australia as a tourist. There are a variety of different Visitor Visas you can apply for but the most common is known as an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) which allows you to visit Australia for up to 3 months at a time.
While the visa is technically free, there may be an application fee of around A$20 to apply for the ETA. Most ETAs are processed within the same day but keep in mind that there are other Visitor Visas you can apply for to visit Australia as a tourist that have other feeds and wait times.
Vaccination Certification
With the recent pandemic restrictions still in place for travel to Australia, your vaccination certification is also an important document to keep on hand if you plan to travel to Brisbane both domestically and internationally. International travellers to Australia are to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and domestic airline travellers are also required to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19 to enter any Australian state or territory.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance offers peace of mind for travellers in the case of something unexpected happening on your journey. Most travel insurance policies cover illness or injury that might prevent you from travelling or even lost luggage, cancelled flights and change of mind.
Airlines generally offer a variety of travel insurance options which include documentation about the policy and what’s included. Having these documents on hand are beneficial in case of an emergency or other unforeseen circumstances.
3. Make a Packing List
This wouldn’t be a travel checklist if we didn’t include packing for your holiday. While we won’t go into exactly what you should pack as every trip requires slightly different belongings, instead, we’ll go over what to consider before you go about packing.
Check the Weather
First, be sure to check the weather forecast for the duration of your trip. Most of the time, Brisbane is warm and humid but it’s common for temperatures to drop in the winter and for there to be lots of rain during certain seasons.
While you won’t find snow in the Brisbane area, the weather can fluctuate quite a bit from month to month. So, be sure to check the weather in your final destination before you start your packing list.
Consider Airline Weight Limits
If you’re flying into Brisbane, you’ll definitely need to consider airline weight limits before you start packing. Unfortunately, airlines put limits on how heavy your luggage can be so it’s definitely a consideration to make.
However, another reason to hire a car for your trip instead of flying is the fact that you don’t have to worry about weight limits on your baggage. Just pack up the car and bring as much as you want.
Always Double Check the List
How many times have you forgotten to pack a phone charger and ended up having to buy a new one when you reached your holiday destination? Probably too many times to count.
So, you can avoid missing those little things on your packing list by always double checking. Once you think you’re done packing, check the list once through and physically tick it off as you go. And finally, check the list again just before you head off. You’ll thank yourself later.
4. Hire a Car
Before you even arrive in Brisbane, consider hiring a car in advance so that it’s ready and waiting for you to get up and driving in no time. While the Brisbane CBD has incredible public transport, there’s so much more to see and do in the southeast Queensland area when you have a car to help you get around.
The Gold Coast is less than two hours south and the Sunshine Coast is about two hours north of Brisbane and both boast some of the best beaches in the world. Plus, with so many bushwalks and island getaways along the Queensland coast, you’ll definitely want to make your way outside the city centre by hiring a car. Let’s go over a few simple reasons why you should hire a car as part of your travel checklist.
Freedom to Get Around
When you hire a car, you’ll have the freedom to get around on your terms. You can get up and go whenever the inspiration strikes instead of waiting for the train or trying to navigate the Brisbane bus system.
Explore More of Brisbane
Especially if you love remote areas and the great outdoors, your best bet is to hire a car in Brisbane. Instead of doing the touristy things in the area, you’ll be able to do more exploring and see more of what Queensland is made of.
From the mountains of Springbrook to the bushwalks in Noosa, you’ll be able to see it all – both the cityscapes and the natural world when you hire a car. It’s so much easier to get around and truly explore on your holiday with a car that’s yours to use whenever you’re ready to hit the road.
Save Money
While it might not seem like it on the surface, hiring a car in Brisbane may actually save you money in the long run – especially if you’re staying for a while. Again, public transport in Brisbane is better than in many other cities around the world, but it’s not perfect.
You could end up spending heaps on public transport if you’re doing a lot of activities during your Brisbane holiday. So, even though the upfront cost of car hire may seem like the more expensive option, in reality, you could actually save money.
5. Book Accommodation
The last thing to tick off on your travel checklist before your trip is to book accommodation. Some love luxury hotels while others prefer quaint Airbnbs. Regardless of your preferences, Brisbane has it all.
If you’re staying for a long weekend, perhaps you’ll want to find somewhere to stay that’s close to the CBD and public transport. If you’re staying a bit longer, hire a car so that you can do a bit more exploring. But make sure your accommodation has a parking space for your rental car.
For many, booking accommodation is one of the most fun parts of planning a trip and with so many options, your choices are almost endless. Once you’re booked, your travel checklist is complete!