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The Story Bridge over the Brisbane River, with the towers of the Brisbane CBD behind it and riverside buildings in the foreground, under a clear blue sky

Where to stay in Brisbane

Photographed in 2020. Photo: Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Brisbane

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About Brisbane

The six areas in this guide lie within about 4 km of the Brisbane CBD and about 15 to 19 km from the airport by road. No Queensland levy on short stays was found, and the council's parking zones set what a car costs: AUD 6.85 an hour on weekday days in Zone 1, AUD 4.95 in Zone 2.

Australia. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Brisbane Airport (BNE); about 15 to 19 km by road from Domestic Airport station to the areas in this guide. Source
Entry for EU and UK citizens
The eVisitor (subclass 651) is free, valid for 12 months and allows up to 3 months after each entry. It must be granted before travel. Source
Entry for US citizens
The Electronic Travel Authority (ETA, subclass 601), applied for in the Australian ETA app for an AUD 20 service fee, valid for 12 months with up to 3 months after each entry. Source
Tourist tax
No Queensland or Brisbane levy on short stays was found as of September 2026. Advertised prices must be the total price, taxes and unavoidable fees such as cleaning included; GST is 10%. Source
Short-term rental rules
Brisbane City Council is not proceeding with its proposed Short Stay Accommodation Local Law 2025. No Queensland register or night cap for short stays was found as of September 2026. Source
Owners' rates
The council rates homes let to paid guests for under 42 nights in separate categories, and charges whole homes let to paying guests at a higher rate. It is a cost to the owner, not a charge on the guest. Source
Parking with a rental car
Three council meter zones, paid by plate or app: Zone 1 AUD 6.85 an hour on weekdays 7am to 7pm and AUD 3.70 otherwise; Zone 2 AUD 4.95 and 3.45. Free after 7pm at weekends; 15 minutes free. Source
Monthly stays
The Residential Tenancies and Rooming Accommodation Act 2008 does not apply to a let for holiday purposes; a right to occupy for 6 weeks or longer is taken not to be for a holiday unless the contrary is proved. Source
Currency
Australian dollar (AUD). Cash over AUD 10,000 must be declared on arrival. Source
Emergency numbers
000, or 112 from a mobile phone Source

Areas of Brisbane

The Brisbane CBD skyline across the Brisbane River, seen from Kangaroo Point, with trees on both banks and the Kangaroo Point Bridge on the right
Photo: Chris Olszewski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Brisbane CBD

The city centre, on a point of the northern bank of the Brisbane River with the river on three sides and Gardens Point at its tip. It suits a first visit on foot and a business trip, less so a stay built around a car.

Brisbane Airport
about 16 km
Fortitude Valley
about 2 km

Car and parking

Zone 1 meters: AUD 6.85 an hour from 7am to 7pm on weekdays, AUD 3.70 on weeknights and weekend days, free after 7pm at weekends. The council's King George Square car park caps a weekday at AUD 49 for a car out by 6pm, and a weekend at AUD 20.

Streets Beach at South Bank Parklands, a lagoon of clear water with a sandy beach, palm trees, a red lifeguard tower and buildings behind
Photo: Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

South Bank

The parklands on the Expo 88 site across the river from the city, with a riverfront promenade, Streets Beach and the Wheel of Brisbane, linked to the CBD by the Victoria Bridge and the Goodwill Bridge. It suits families and a first visit with the city a walk across the river.

Brisbane Airport
about 18 km
Brisbane CBD
about 3 km

Car and parking

South Brisbane is inside Zone 1 on the council's zone map: AUD 6.85 an hour on weekday days and AUD 3.70 in the evening and at weekends, with 15 minutes free once the plate is registered.

The Chinatown gate in Fortitude Valley, with red columns, orange tiled roofs and two stone lions, opening onto the Chinatown Mall between shops and restaurants
Photo: Birkett83, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fortitude Valley

An inner suburb with pedestrian malls on Brunswick Street and in Chinatown, and a hub of Brisbane's nightlife, with nightclubs, bars and live music. It suits a stay built around evenings out.

Brisbane Airport
about 15 km
Brisbane CBD
about 2 km

Car and parking

Inside Zone 1 on the council's zone map: AUD 6.85 an hour on weekday days and AUD 3.70 on weeknights and at weekends, paid by plate at the meter or in the CellOPark or PayStay app.

The New Farm Riverwalk running along the Brisbane River below a cliff, with a CityCat ferry, moored boats and apartment towers along the riverbank
Photographed in 2021. Photo: John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

New Farm

A riverside suburb 2 km east of the CBD on a bend of the Brisbane River, with Queenslander houses, shady streets and apartment towers along the river, Merthyr Village, and New Farm Park with its ferry wharf and the Powerhouse arts space. It suits a quieter stay and a month by the river.

Brisbane Airport
about 17 km
Brisbane CBD
about 3 km

Car and parking

Zone 2 meters: AUD 4.95 an hour from 7am to 7pm on weekdays and AUD 3.45 on weeknights and weekend days.

The Kangaroo Point Cliffs in Brisbane, a tall rock face with trees along the top, and a grass verge, railings and a road at its base
Photographed in 2019. Photo: Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Kangaroo Point

An inner suburb across the river from the CBD, with the Story Bridge, the Kangaroo Point Cliffs and the Kangaroo Point Green Bridge into the city. It suits a stay with views of the river and the city a bridge away.

Brisbane Airport
about 18 km
Brisbane CBD
about 3 km

Car and parking

Zone 2 meters: AUD 4.95 an hour on weekday days and AUD 3.45 on weeknights and weekend days; the longer meters cap a weekday at AUD 16.75.

West End

An inner suburb on a peninsula of the Brisbane River, whose cafes, restaurants and shops centre on Boundary Street, with a farmers' market in Davies Park on Saturdays. It suits a month in a residential street with food within walking distance.

Brisbane Airport
about 19 km
Brisbane CBD
about 4 km

Car and parking

Zone 2 meters: AUD 4.95 an hour on weekday days and AUD 3.45 on weeknights and weekend days, free after 7pm at weekends.

Guides

Questions

Is there a tourist tax in Brisbane?

No Queensland or Brisbane City Council levy on short stays was found as of September 2026, and the council is not going ahead with its proposed short stay local law. Under ACCC guidance the advertised price must be the total, GST and unavoidable fees included.

Which part of Brisbane is best for a first visit?

South Bank, with the parklands, Streets Beach and the river promenade across the Victoria Bridge from the city, or the CBD itself on its point of the river. Both are in the council's Zone 1 for parking.

How much is street parking in central Brisbane?

In Zone 1, AUD 6.85 an hour from 7am to 7pm on weekdays and AUD 3.70 on weeknights and weekend days, free after 7pm at weekends. The first 15 minutes are free once the plate is registered at the meter or in an app.

What do EU, UK and US visitors need to enter Australia?

EU and British citizens can apply for a free eVisitor; US citizens apply for an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) in the Australian ETA app for AUD 20. Both allow up to 3 months after each entry and must be granted before travel.