Where to stay in Hobart
A car in Hobart is for the island beyond it, so the question is where to sleep between drives. The city areas sit about 20 km from the airport; Port Arthur, Bruny Island, Freycinet and Cradle Mountain are overnight bases between about 80 and 320 km away by road.
Last checked
How the areas differ
Hobart sits on the River Derwent below kunanyi / Mount Wellington, and its waterfront takes in Sullivans Cove, the site of the first European settlement, and Salamanca Place, where rows of sandstone former warehouses hold restaurants, galleries and shops and the Salamanca Market runs there every Saturday. Battery Point, immediately south of the centre, is known for its well-preserved colonial character; Sandy Bay beyond it runs along the river with public beaches, the University of Tasmania and the Wrest Point casino hotel.
Richmond, about 25 km north-east of Hobart, keeps the Richmond Bridge of 1823 to 1825, Australia's oldest bridge still in use, and its sandstone buildings. Port Arthur, about 97 km south-east, is the former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, part of a World Heritage property. Bruny Island lies south of Hobart across the D'Entrecasteaux Channel, reached by car ferry from Kettering.
Coles Bay, on Great Oyster Bay on the east coast, looks out on the granite peaks of The Hazards and is the main entrance to Freycinet National Park. Cradle Mountain, at 1,545 m in the Central Highlands, is the farthest, a long drive north-west.
Staying with a rental car
In the city the council steers visitors to its multi-storey car parks, which it says give longer time at a lower cost than the street. They are free for the first hour, then AUD 6 to 2 hours, AUD 10 to 3 hours and up to AUD 27 for 7 hours or more, with AUD 8 for a night; on Sundays and public holidays the first hour is free and then AUD 3 an hour to a maximum of AUD 11. Street parking is paid by bay number in the EasyPark app or at the meter, and its restrictions do not apply on public holidays.
Streets within walking distance of the centre are residential parking zones where non-residents get usually one or two hours. The council issues month-long temporary permits to residents and, if approved, nominated visitors, and the underground Salamanca Square car park in Battery Point takes no cars after 8pm.
Out of town the parks set the terms. A Daily Pass costs AUD 49.15 per vehicle, excluding Cradle Mountain, and a Holiday Pass AUD 98.35 per vehicle for up to 2 months. Tasman National Park is a 90-minute drive on sealed roads from Hobart; the Bruny ferry takes no bookings; Freycinet is about 2.5 to 3 hours from Hobart; at Cradle Mountain the car stays at the visitor centre during shuttle hours. The parks service asks drivers to avoid its reserves at night because of wildlife on the road.
GetCar's guide Driving in Hobart covers the rest: the airport rental areas, the Tasmanian road rules and roads that carry no tolls.
What the rules mean for a guest
No Tasmanian or City of Hobart levy on short stays was found as of September 2026. Under ACCC guidance the advertised price must be the total price, taxes and unavoidable fees such as cleaning included, and GST is 10%.
Tasmania's Short Stay Accommodation Act 2019 makes the planning status visible: a platform must show, for each home listed in a residential, rural living, environmental living or village zone, whether it has a planning permit for short stays or needs none, and the permit number where there is one. The host must give the platform that information, false information is an offence, and platforms report their listings to the state every quarter. Hotels, motels and caravan parks are outside the Act.
In Hobart, short stays are visitor accommodation under the state's planning scheme. The City of Hobart applies a differential rating to homes with a permit for it, and notes that a strata body corporate's rules may bar the use.
When to book what
Apply for the eVisitor or the ETA first: both must be granted before travel, and Home Affairs suggests not making travel arrangements until the ETA is granted.
In Tasman National Park, the Tasmans Arch and Devils Kitchen site is closed until 17 October 2026. The Port Arthur historic site opens daily from 9am to 5pm, closed only on Christmas Day. The Bruny ferry needs no booking, but the parks service advises extra time at Easter. At Cradle Mountain the shuttle hours change with the season, so plan the drive with the visitor centre.
Which area for which trip
A first visit on foot, and the Saturday market: the city centre and waterfront.
A residential street near Salamanca, or the river beaches: Battery Point and Sandy Bay.
A night near the airport: Richmond.
The convict site and the sea cliffs: Port Arthur and the Tasman Peninsula.
A slower island stay: Bruny Island.
The east coast and Freycinet: Coles Bay.
The Central Highlands: Cradle Mountain.
Questions
How far is Port Arthur from Hobart?
About 96 km by road from the city centre and about 82 km from the airport; the parks service calls it a 90-minute drive on sealed roads through Sorell.
Do you need to book the Bruny Island ferry?
No. The ferry from Kettering takes no bookings and crosses in 15 minutes to Roberts Point; the parks service advises extra time in busy periods such as Easter.
Can you drive to Dove Lake at Cradle Mountain?
Only outside shuttle hours, and Dove Lake has nine private spaces. During shuttle hours visitors park at the visitor centre and take the shuttle.
Is street parking free on public holidays in Hobart?
Yes. On-street restrictions do not apply on public holidays, and the multi-storey car parks charge their Sunday fees.
Which bases are closest to the airport?
The city centre and Richmond, both about 19 km by road. Battery Point is about 20 km.