A bit about Brisbane Airport first. This helps put the car hire tips into perspective.

Brisbane Airport is on the eastern side of Brisbane CBD. It is about a 1 hour 15 minute drive to the Gold Coast depending upon the time of day and the traffic. Brisbane Airport is a popular entry point to both Brisbane, Sunshine and Gold Coast holidays. Brisbane is often the airport used by our overseas visitors.

Brisbane Airport has two terminals a domestic and international terminal. The two terminals are 2 kms apart and are linked by the Brisbane Airports AirTrain. The AirTrain is simply a train that runs from Brisbane Airport through into the city and then down to the Gold Coast.

Main Car Hire Options at Brisbane Airport

In the both the Brisbane Airport terminal buildings there are the five major global car rental companies:

• Avis
• Budget
• Hertz
• Europcar
• Thrifty

In addition you can find a local Australian car hire company called RedSpot Car Rentals in both terminals too.

Car Hire Tip Brisbane Airport

This is probably the most important tip for renting a car at Brisbane Airport. If you are booking your hire car at Brisbane Airport online, make sure you select the correct terminal when booking otherwise you could have a trek to the other terminal to add inconvenience. I have found they are often not accommodating with these kinds of internet booking oversights!

Book Ahead

Booking ahead is a must, the good cars and the deals go early, especially in peak times. If you are coming in from overseas you may not be aware that you are flying in on the first weekend of Australian school holidays or in the middle of a holiday weekend! Best to secure your booking nice and early.

GPS

I highly recommend adding a GPS to your hire if Brisbane is an unfamiliar city to you, or if you are planning on exploring. It certainly adds peace of mind and prevents family arguments over map reading!

Car Seats and Baby Capsules

If you are travelling with children, don't forget to book your child car seats or baby capsules which are compulsory for young children and babies. These are particularly difficult to add to your booking when you arrive, I have been caught out with that one myself. The last thing you want to be doing is driving around to find a baby seat.

More Information About Travelling To Brisbane and Gold Coast

Those three tips should help get you started with car hire at Brisbane Airport. If these tips have put you off hiring a car at the airport, there are several other Brisbane Airport transfer options you can consider for you holiday to the Gold Coast or Brisbane.