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Compare campervans, motorhomes and RVs to hire in Brisbane, listed by private owners and local hire businesses. See prices, photos and reviews for campervan hire in Australia, then book online with insurance included.
Brisbane works best as a base for the coast and the hills. The Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast and the Scenic Rim are all within about two hours, and two sand islands sit just off the bay. Campervan hire in Brisbane covers those trips, and motorhome hire in Brisbane suits them too, with more room and a toilet on board. Pick a size that fits the city streets as well as the route, then search campervans and motorhomes near Brisbane for your dates.
Brisbane campervan hire at a glance
| Typical nightly prices | Basic 2-berth backpacker campervan $30 to $100; mid-size 2 to 4 berth campervan $100 to $180; 4 to 6 berth motorhome $150 to $280; large or luxury motorhome $180 to $350+; 4WD campervan $130 to $250 (AUD). |
|---|---|
| Best months | March to May and September to November for mild days. June to August is dry and mild, and prices drop. December to February is hot, humid and stormy. |
| Pickup points | Brisbane Airport (about 17 km from the city centre) and the northern suburbs near it, plus owners across the suburbs. Delivery and one-way hire depend on the listing. |
| Where you can stay overnight | Holiday parks and caravan parks, booked national park campgrounds and signed sites. Camping overnight in a vehicle on a Brisbane road is against council rules, except for fatigue stops, emergencies and signed areas. |
| Key drives | Gold Coast about 80 km; Sunshine Coast from about 90 km; Byron Bay about 165 km; Sydney about 920 km; Cairns about 1,700 km. |
| Booking lead time | Three to six months ahead for peak summer, and about six months for Christmas and New Year. |
| Islands and tolls | Moreton Island needs a high-clearance 4WD, permits and a vehicle ferry booking. Brisbane toll roads are cashless. |
Where to pick up a campervan in Brisbane
Brisbane Airport is about 17 km from the city centre and handles domestic and international flights, so most visitors collect a van within a short taxi or rideshare of the terminal. Pickup points depend on the listing. Many hire businesses base themselves in the northern suburbs close to the airport, such as Eagle Farm, Northgate and Virginia, while private owners collect from their own suburb or deliver to an address you agree. Check the listing for pickup hours, because some locations close on public holidays and the days around Christmas.
One-way hire is possible on some listings. Sydney to the south and Cairns to the north are the usual far ends of an east coast run. Owners set their own one-way fees and distance limits, so read the terms before you plan a route that ends somewhere else.
If you would rather start your trip elsewhere in the south-east corner, look at the nearby pages for the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Inland, Toowoomba sits about 125 km west, and a long northbound trip can finish at Cairns. For a wider look at the state, see the Queensland overview, and for a one-way run south, see Sydney.
Campervan routes from Brisbane
Distances below are approximate road distances from route planners, so check them on your own map before you book nights.
Gold Coast, Tamborine Mountain and Byron Bay
About 80 km and an hour to the Gold Coast on the Pacific Motorway, then roughly 165 km and two hours in total to Byron Bay. Break the trip on Tamborine Mountain or in Springbrook National Park, and stay at a holiday park near the beach. The Gold Coast page covers the coast in more detail.
Sunshine Coast, Glass House Mountains and Noosa
The Glass House Mountains are about 70 km and an hour north. Caloundra is about 90 km, and Noosa is roughly 155 km and two hours. This is the easiest direction for a first night, with a long beach, a river mouth and a national park headland. See the Sunshine Coast page for pickup and stays.
Scenic Rim and Lamington National Park
Binna Burra, on the Lamington side of the Scenic Rim, is about an hour and a half from Brisbane. The road up to Green Mountains is sealed but narrow, with many blind corners, so a compact van is easier than a large motorhome.
Bribie Island and Moreton Bay
Bribie Island is reached by road bridge from the Bruce Highway near Caboolture, so any van can reach the caravan parks at Woorim and Bellara. Driving on the beach is a different matter: it needs a high-clearance 4WD and a vehicle access permit bought before you go, and dogs are not allowed in the recreation area, even inside a vehicle.
North to Cairns or south to Sydney
Brisbane is the middle stop on the east coast. It is about 920 km south to Sydney and about 1,700 km north to Cairns by the Bruce Highway. The Sydney to Brisbane road trip guide has a day-by-day plan, and the road trip hub lists the other routes.
Choosing a campervan for Brisbane and south-east Queensland
Most trips from Brisbane stay on sealed roads, so a 2WD campervan or motorhome is enough for the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, the Scenic Rim and the road to Bribie Island. A 4WD campervan matters only if you plan to drive on sand. Moreton Island needs a high-clearance 4WD with low range, and 2WD vehicles cannot get a vehicle access permit for Bribie Island. Most hire terms exclude unsealed roads and beaches, so check the listing and the owner's terms before you plan any off-road leg.
Size matters in the city. Inner-city streets and multistorey car parks often have height limits, and a big motorhome is harder to park near South Bank or the CBD. A mid-size campervan is the easiest all-rounder, and the UK-based motorhome hire guide explains berths and van types in general terms. If you are travelling as a family or want a toilet and shower on board, a 4 to 6 berth motorhome is more comfortable, and it is worth checking the toll class and ferry price before you book it.
Summer in Brisbane is hot and humid, so look for a van with air conditioning and a fridge that copes with the heat. If you are travelling with a pet, ask the owner first, because rules vary by listing, and pets are not allowed on Moreton Island or in the Bribie Island recreation area.
Where you can stay overnight around Brisbane
Holiday parks. The simplest option is a holiday park or caravan park with a powered site, typically about $40 to $65 a night. Bribie Island has caravan parks at Woorim and Bellara, and BIG4 Sandstone Point is on the mainland side of the bridge.
National park campgrounds. In Queensland you must book and pay for a camping permit before you arrive. Fees are $7.75 per person per night or $31 per family (one or two adults and their children under 18, up to eight people), with children under five free, and bookings are made through the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service camping bookings page. The official bush campgrounds in Lamington National Park are tent sites, while the private campgrounds at Green Mountains and Binna Burra list campervan sites, so confirm your vehicle fits. Some campgrounds near Brisbane, such as Neurum Creek in D’Aguilar National Park, need a 4WD to reach. Moreton Island and North Stradbroke Island have their own camping and permit sites, which are covered below.
Council rules. In Brisbane it is illegal to camp overnight in a vehicle on a road, and the rule covers footpaths, road shoulders and reserves as well as cars, caravans and trailers. Sleeping in a vehicle on a road is allowed to manage fatigue, for personal safety, in an emergency, in a designated signed area, or in a caravan park or camping ground. Read the Brisbane City Council camping on roads page for the full detail.
Rest areas. Queensland rest areas on state roads allow general and recreational vehicles to stop for up to 20 hours unless a sign says otherwise, but they are not campsites. Heavy vehicle rest areas are for trucks only, and a motorhome should not use them.
Moreton Island, Stradbroke Island and Brisbane tolls
Moreton Island. Moreton Island (Mulgumpin) is driven on sand and inland tracks, and you need a high-clearance 4WD, ideally with low range. The vehicle ferry, the Micat, leaves from the Port of Brisbane on a demand-based timetable, and the crossing takes roughly 75 to 90 minutes. Passenger-only services leave from Holt Street Wharf at Pinkenba. You also need a vehicle access permit and a camping permit before you arrive, and both are booked through the island’s own Mulgumpin Camping site rather than the state booking service. Pets are not allowed. There are no mechanics or recovery services on the island, so you carry your own gear. A hire vehicle needs a permit in the hirer’s name, and many owners do not allow island trips at all, so ask before you book.
North Stradbroke Island. North Stradbroke Island (Minjerribah) is reached by SeaLink vehicle ferry from Toondah Harbour in Cleveland, a crossing of about 45 minutes. Vehicles should be booked in advance, and fares are set by length, with larger motorhomes priced per metre. Driving on the beaches needs a vehicle access permit and a 4WD, and the permit is booked on the island’s own camping site. If a van is large or a hire vehicle, ask both the owner and the ferry operator before you set out.
Tolls. Brisbane’s toll roads are cashless, and Linkt is the toll payment provider. Visitors can pay up to three days after using a toll road, but an unpaid toll can bring extra fees to the vehicle’s registered owner. Ask the owner how tolls are handled on your hire, and check the toll class with Linkt if your motorhome is large. The Queensland Government tolls page explains how to pay.
Costs and when to go
Nightly rates are in the table above. Christmas, January, Easter and school holidays sit at the top of each range or above it, and May to August brings prices down. Queensland’s summer school holidays run from mid-December to late January, which is also when holiday parks fill fastest.
Alongside the nightly rate, budget for excess reduction (typically $20 to $80 a day), fuel (often above $2 a litre, and more at remote roadhouses), and a powered holiday park site at roughly $40 to $65 a night. The Australia campervan hire guide has the full cost breakdown.
Brisbane has a subtropical climate. Summer is hot, humid and stormy, with the heaviest rain between December and February. Autumn (March to May) and spring (September to November) give warm, dry days and lighter crowds, and winter is dry and mild with clear skies. Bushfire risk builds through the dry late winter and spring in the hills and on the islands. Queensland uses local fire bans rather than the term Total Fire Ban, so check the Queensland Fire Department for bans before you light a campfire, and check each park’s alerts before you travel.
Book three to six months ahead for peak summer, and about six months for Christmas and New Year.
How campervan and motorhome hire works
- Search by dates and pickup area on the search page.
- Check the listing for berths, mileage, pickup hours, pets and what the owner allows on unsealed roads and islands.
- Book through our partner Outdoorsy. Insurance and payment protection come with every booking, and 24/7 roadside assistance is an optional extra.
- Collect the van, or have it delivered if the owner offers that, and take the walk-through before you drive away.
A full car licence covers most campervans and motorhomes in Queensland, up to 4.5 tonnes. Visitors with a valid overseas licence may drive. If your licence is not in English, carry a recognised English translation, and carry an International Driving Permit as well if the owner asks for one. Owners often set a minimum age of 21, so check the listing.
Brisbane campervan hire FAQs
Can I take a hired campervan to Moreton Island or North Stradbroke Island?
Only if the owner allows it. Moreton Island needs a high-clearance 4WD, a vehicle access permit and a booked ferry, so a standard 2WD campervan cannot go. North Stradbroke has a vehicle ferry from Cleveland. For both, check the listing and the owner’s terms first, and ask the ferry operator about your vehicle’s length.
Can I collect a campervan at Brisbane Airport?
It depends on the listing. The airport is about 17 km from the city, and many hire depots sit in nearby northern suburbs such as Eagle Farm, Northgate and Virginia. Some private owners will deliver to an address, so check pickup hours and any transfer arrangements.
How do tolls work in a hired campervan around Brisbane?
Brisbane’s toll roads are cashless. Visitors can pay Linkt within three days of using a toll road, and the owner should explain whether tolls are charged to you after the hire. Ask before you drive, and check the toll class if you have a larger motorhome.
Is it legal to sleep in my campervan on a Brisbane street?
No. Council rules make it illegal to camp overnight in a vehicle on a road in Brisbane, with exceptions for managing fatigue, emergencies, signed areas and caravan parks. Book a holiday park or a national park campground instead.
How far ahead should I book a campervan for Christmas?
About six months for Christmas and New Year, and three to six months for the rest of the peak summer season. Queensland’s summer school holidays run from mid-December to late January, so popular holiday parks on the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast fill early.
Can I hire a campervan in Brisbane and drop it off in Sydney or Cairns?
Some listings offer one-way hire, but owners set their own fees and distance limits. Sydney is about 920 km south and Cairns about 1,700 km north, so allow at least a week for either drive and read the terms before you commit.
Ready to go? Search campervans near Brisbane, or read the Australia campervan hire guide. You can also browse all of campervan hire in Australia.