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GETTING ABOUT in Tasmania
Canoeing on the Franklin River, Franklin-Gordon Wild Rivers National Park © Tourism Tasmania - Matthew Newton
Scroll down for information about Air Travel Tas, Coach and Train Travel Tas, Ferries Tas, Driving in Tasmania

Getting about by AIR in Tasmania

Currently there are no direct international flights into Tasmania, with most overseas visitors arriving via Melbourne or Sydney into Hobart or Launceston (there are also some domestic flights into Devonport, Burnie/Wynyard and King Island).
The 3 main domestic carriers all operate into Tasmania - www.qantas.com.au/ www.virginblue.com.au/ www.jetstar.com.au. Additionally, Rex (Regional Express) www.regionalairlines.com.au has services from Melbourne including to King Island. Tasair www.airtasmania.com.au flies to King Island from Burnie and Devonport and to Flinders Island from Moorabbin (a minor airport in the Melbourne suburbs) and Launceston.

Getting about by TRAIN or COACH (Bus) in Tasmania
The only railways left in Tasmania are those running as short sightseeing trips for visitors, the main one being the 35km West Coast Wilderness Railway between Queenstown and Strahan. The original railway was completed in 1896 for use by the Mount Lyell Mining Company. It closed in 1963 but a A$30million redevelopment resulted in the new service, opened in 2002.
None of the mainland scheduled service bus companies operates in Tasmania. Instead there are about 8 local bus firms who cover most destinations on the island, although these services can be quite limited. The largest of these is Redline Coaches www.tasredline.com.au.  TassieLink www.tassielink.com also has a good range services whilst Hobart Coaches www.hobartcoaches.com.au operates to towns close to the island capital.  The Tasmanian Tour Company www.tasmaniantourcompany.com.au offers a charter service to bushwalkers from Devonport to Cradle Mountain, Frenchman’s Cap and the Walls of Jerusalem.

Getting about by CAR FERRY in Tasmania

Spirit of Tasmania Car Ferries www.spiritoftasmania.com.au operate daily between Devonport and Melbourne on the mainland. (The Sydney Devonport service ceased in August 2006.) Other local ferry services operate to some of Tasmania’s offshore islands including to Bruny Island from Kettering (about 34km south of Hobart), to Maria Island from Triabunna (north east of Hobart) and an 8 hour boat trip to Flinders Island from Bridport on the northeast coast of Tasmania.

Getting about by RENTAL VEHICLE in Tasmania

Tasmania is a compact and scenic state in which to self drive. Progress can be charmingly slow as many roads are narrow and winding.
The leading vehicle hire firms are … Europcar www.deltaeuropcar.com.au Budget, Avis, Thrifty, Hertz and Red Spot.  For motorhomes and campervans the main suppliers are Apollo, Britz and Maui.
The main motoring organisation in Tasmania is the Royal Automoble Club of Tasmania www.ract.com.au
We also have a separate page Transport in Australia which has information and advice about driving in Australia.
 
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Truly Australia have attempted to give an honest and objective description of the topics covered on this page and have deliberately avoided regurgitating tourist office media releases. The information shown has been compiled from a variety of reputable sources and our own experiences. We check and review this information from time to time, but we assume no responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the details given.