Road trips
What are the best road trips in Australia by rental car?
Short answer
For a first trip, the Great Ocean Road from Melbourne (est. 508 km loop), Cairns to Port Douglas and the Daintree, Tasmania's loop (est. 834 km) and Perth to Margaret River give you the most scenery for the fewest hours behind the wheel. Every route below starts at a city where you can pick up a car, with distance, drive time and the car that suits it.
Last checked October 21, 2026By Brett Gould3 sources ↓
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Do I need an IDP?What's the deductible?How do I contact you?Sydney, Dec 4 – Dec 12, automatic, I'm 24Cairns, Dec 20 – Jan 3, an SUV, zero deductible
How to read the tables: drive time is time moving, with no stops; allow at least double for sightseeing. Distances are one way unless the route is a loop. Darwin and Perth pickups are return trips only today, so routes from there go back to where you started.
Start here: the 8 routes we've written up
| Route | Distance | Drive time (est.) | Allow | Car |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Ocean Road loop from Melbourne | 508 km (316 mi) loop | 7 h | 2-4 days | any |
| Cairns to Port Douglas | 67 km (42 mi) | 1 h 15 min | day trip+ | any |
| Tasmania loop | 834 km (518 mi) loop | 10 h 30 min | 7-10 days | any (sealed roads only; pick up in Hobart or Launceston, cars can't cross Bass Strait) |
| Perth to Margaret River | 271 km (168 mi) | 2 h 45 min | 3-5 days | any |
| Sydney to Melbourne | 876 km (544 mi) inland, 1,030 km (640 mi) coast | 9 h / 13 h, plus stops | 2 days / 5-7 days | any |
| Sydney to Brisbane | 907 km (564 mi) | 9 h 30 min, plus stops | 4-7 days | any |
| Brisbane to Cairns | 1,693 km (1,052 mi) | 19 h 15 min, plus stops | 7-10 days | any |
| Darwin to Kakadu | 253 km (157 mi) | 2 h 45 min | 3 days | any, sealed roads only; SUV for the 200 km a day allowance |
What to know before any long drive
- One-way trips: possible on some routes; any fee is quoted before you book. One-way car rental
- Remote roads: fuel stops can be 200+ km apart on outback highways; fill up when you can.
- Dawn and dusk: kangaroos are most active. Driving with wildlife
- Unsealed roads, beaches and some islands: your rental terms say where you can drive; your booking shows them. Allowed islands include Kangaroo, Phillip and Bruny; damage on a ferry isn't covered.
- Northern Territory and Western Australia: the rental terms don't allow driving outside towns between sunset and sunrise.
Every route by start city
49 routes. Max driving filters the day trips; longer routes are split over several days.
| Route | Distance | Drive time | Type | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney to Melbourne (Hume Hwy) | 876 km (544 mi) | est. 9 h | one way | |
| Sydney to Melbourne coastal (Princes Hwy via Eden) (live search) | 1,030 km (640 mi) | est. 13 h | one way | |
| Sydney to Brisbane | 907 km (564 mi) | est. 9 h 30 min | one way | |
| Brisbane to Cairns | 1,693 km (1,052 mi) | est. 19 h 15 min | one way | Usually driven over 7-10 days. |
| Great Ocean Road loop from Melbourne (Torquay-Apollo Bay-Twelve Apostles-back) | 508 km (316 mi) | est. 7 h | loop | |
| Tasmania loop (Hobart-Freycinet-Launceston-Cradle Mtn-Hobart) | 834 km (518 mi) | est. 10 h 30 min | loop | Cars can't cross Bass Strait (pick up in Hobart or Launceston). |
| Perth to Margaret River | 271 km (168 mi) | est. 2 h 45 min | day trip / short | |
| Cairns to Port Douglas | 67 km (42 mi) | est. 1 h 15 min | day trip / short | |
| Sydney to the Blue Mountains (Katoomba) (live search) | 102 km (63 mi) | est. 1 h 15 min | day trip / short | |
| Sydney to the Hunter Valley (Pokolbin) (live search) | 165 km (103 mi) | est. 2 h | day trip / short | |
| Sydney to Jervis Bay (Huskisson) (live search) | 185 km (115 mi) | est. 2 h 15 min | day trip / short | |
| Sydney to Canberra (live search) | 284 km (176 mi) | est. 3 h | day trip / short | |
| Sydney to Byron Bay and back (live search) | 1,512 km (940 mi) | est. 16 h | there and back | No Byron Bay pickup: there and back from Sydney (Harbor 10-21). |
| Sydney to Cairns (coast) (live search) | 2,412 km (1,499 mi) | est. 27 h | one way | Long one-way; usually 2-3 weeks. |
| Newcastle to Port Stephens (Nelson Bay) (live search) | 60 km (37 mi) | est. 1 h | day trip / short | |
| Newcastle to the Hunter Valley (live search) | 64 km (40 mi) | est. 1 h | day trip / short | |
| Melbourne to Phillip Island (Cowes) (live search) | 142 km (88 mi) | est. 1 h 45 min | day trip / short | |
| Melbourne to the Grampians (Halls Gap) (live search) | 253 km (157 mi) | est. 2 h 45 min | day trip / short | |
| Melbourne to the Yarra Valley (Healesville) (live search) | 64 km (40 mi) | est. 1 h | day trip / short | |
| Melbourne to Wilsons Promontory (Tidal River) (live search) | 225 km (140 mi) | est. 2 h 45 min | day trip / short | |
| Adelaide to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road (live search) | 951 km (591 mi) | est. 11 h | one way | One-way offered Adelaide to Melbourne (live 10-21); fee shows before you pay. |
| Adelaide to Melbourne inland (Western Hwy) (live search) | 727 km (452 mi) | est. 8 h 15 min | one way | One-way offered Adelaide to Melbourne (live 10-21); fee shows before you pay. |
| Adelaide to the Barossa Valley (Tanunda) (live search) | 76 km (47 mi) | est. 1 h | day trip / short | |
| Adelaide to Cape Jervis (Kangaroo Island ferry) (live search) | 108 km (67 mi) | est. 1 h 30 min | day trip / short | Island allowed, but damage on the ferry isn't covered. |
| Adelaide to the Flinders Ranges (Wilpena Pound) (live search) | 436 km (271 mi) | est. 5 h | day trip / short | Sealed roads only (unsealed not allowed). |
| Adelaide to Coober Pedy and back (live search) | 1,700 km (1,056 mi) | est. 18 h | there and back | Sealed Stuart Highway only; no unsealed side roads (opal-field tracks). Remote; plan fuel. |
| Darwin to Kakadu (Jabiru) | 253 km (157 mi) | est. 2 h 45 min | day trip / short | Darwin daily km limit (100-200 km/day, on booking); sealed only; no night driving outside towns; Jim Jim + Twin Falls off limits. |
| Darwin to Litchfield (Wangi Falls) (live search) | 130 km (81 mi) | est. 1 h 30 min | day trip / short | Darwin daily km limit; Lost City off limits; sealed only. |
| Darwin to Katherine (live search) | 316 km (196 mi) | est. 3 h 15 min | day trip / short | Darwin daily km limit; no night driving outside towns. |
| Cairns to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation | 141 km (88 mi) | est. 2 h 30 min | day trip / short | OK to Cape Tribulation; Bloomfield Track north of it not allowed. Daintree River cable ferry on the way. |
| Cairns Atherton Tablelands loop (live search) | 160 km (99 mi) | est. 2 h 45 min | loop | |
| Cairns to Mission Beach (live search) | 139 km (86 mi) | est. 1 h 45 min | day trip / short | |
| Cairns to Townsville (live search) | 347 km (216 mi) | est. 4 h 15 min | day trip / short | |
| Brisbane to the Gold Coast (Surfers Paradise) (live search) | 78 km (49 mi) | est. 1 h | day trip / short | |
| Brisbane to Noosa (live search) | 139 km (86 mi) | est. 1 h 45 min | day trip / short | |
| Brisbane to Byron Bay (live search) | 165 km (103 mi) | est. 1 h 45 min | day trip / short | |
| Brisbane to Lamington NP (O'Reilly's) (live search) | 114 km (71 mi) | est. 2 h | day trip / short | |
| Gold Coast to Tamborine Mountain (live search) | 42 km (26 mi) | est. 45 min | day trip / short | |
| Sunshine Coast to Rainbow Beach (K'gari gateway) (live search) | 153 km (95 mi) | est. 1 h 45 min | day trip / short | K'gari isn't on the allowed-islands list: the car stays on the mainland. |
| Brisbane to Airlie Beach (Whitsundays) and back (live search) | 2,222 km (1,380 mi) | est. 25 h | there and back | No Airlie Beach pickup: there and back from Brisbane (Harbor 10-21). |
| Perth to the Pinnacles (Nambung NP) (live search) | 189 km (117 mi) | est. 2 h 15 min | day trip / short | |
| Perth to Kalbarri and back (live search) | 1,150 km (714 mi) | est. 12 h | there and back | WA: no driving outside towns between sunset and sunrise. |
| Perth to Exmouth (Ningaloo) and back (live search) | 2,500 km (1,553 mi) | est. 25 h 30 min | there and back | Don't drive north of Exmouth (rental terms). WA: no driving outside towns between sunset and sunrise. Allow 7+ days. |
| Perth to Albany (live search) | 417 km (259 mi) | est. 4 h 30 min | day trip / short | |
| Perth to Esperance and back (live search) | 1,400 km (870 mi) | est. 15 h | there and back | Don't drive east of Esperance (rental terms). WA: no driving outside towns between sunset and sunrise. |
| Hobart to Port Arthur (live search) | 92 km (57 mi) | est. 1 h 15 min | day trip / short | |
| Hobart to Freycinet (Coles Bay) (live search) | 193 km (120 mi) | est. 2 h 30 min | day trip / short | |
| Launceston to Cradle Mountain (live search) | 142 km (88 mi) | est. 2 h | day trip / short | |
| Hobart to Kettering (Bruny Island ferry) (live search) | 32 km (20 mi) | est. 30 min | day trip / short | Island allowed, but damage on the ferry isn't covered. |
Related questions
DistancesHow far apart are Australia's cities by car?Sydney to Melbourne is est. 876 km (544 mi), about 9 hours of driving; Sydney to Brisbane is est. 907 km (564 mi), about 9 h 30 min; Perth to Sydney is est....PLANNERAustralia road trip calculatorDistance, drive time, the right car and an est. fuel cost for 8 classic routes.PlanningIs it worth renting a car in Australia?Yes, for almost any trip outside the big-city centers: the Great Ocean Road, Tasmania, Far North Queensland, Margaret River and the Top End are hard to see...One-way rentalsOne-way car rental in AustraliaYou can pick up in one city and drop off in another on some routes.
Quick answers
What's the most beautiful road trip in Australia?
Most first-timers pick the Great Ocean Road for its coastal cliffs and the Twelve Apostles, about a 508 km loop from Melbourne. Tasmania's loop and Cairns to the Daintree are close behind.
How many days do I need for an Australia road trip?
Two to four days for the Great Ocean Road, 7-10 for Tasmania or Brisbane to Cairns. Plan on no more than 4-5 hours of driving a day if you want time to stop.
Do I need a 4WD for an Australian road trip?
No. Every route on this page is on sealed roads, and rental terms don't allow unsealed roads or 4WD tracks, even in a 4WD.
Can I do a road trip one way?
On some routes, yes; any one-way fee shows before you pay.
Sources
1Google MapsDistances and drive times (no stops), rounded to 15 minutes.maps · checked Oct 21, 2026
2State tourism and road authoritiesRoad conditions and seasons.state government sites
3Rental company termsSealed roads only, allowed islands, ferries, NT and WA night driving.rental terms
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