NWplatinum

Hi,
I will be arriving into BNE at 6:29am and leaving that night at 2:35am, almost 24 hours. I already booked a room at the Marriott with early Check-in, and it appears I will be free for the entire day. I’ve never been to Brisbane before, or that part of Australia.

Does anyone have any suggestions being in Brisbane for a day of what to do?

Thank you

number_6

Personally I have 2 must-do's in Brisbane and those are sand crab lasagna at an Italian restaurant on Eagle Pier and the other is visiting the Art Gallery (by QPAC). That whole river precinct is a nice walk.

NWplatinum

Thank you any other tips would be appreciated. What’s the best way to get to CBD from the airport?

MSPeconomist

Take the boat along the river to see the koalas.

Mwenenzi

Train https://airtrain.com.au/

Airport info https://bne.com.au/

NWplatinum

I’m staying at the Marriott, if it makes any difference. I was going to uber, but if there is a more affordable option I would be open to that. I don’t have much luggage, just a rollerboard and a backpack.

number_6

Sand crab lasagna is at Il Centro Restaurant | The legendary Sand Crab Lasagne | Il Centro Restaurant and worth the cost.

Catweazle

Yep, the Marriott is nicely located, just around the corner from the river there. You can stroll down to Eagle St pier for your lasagne, as others have suggested, before jumping on the City Cat ferry and zipping upstream around the bend to South Bank. Makes for a lovely place to meander, or bring your togs if you dare and hit the pool there for a swim (although I dare say the Marriott pool will be more appealing). You can grab a coffee there too, or head to Milton on the Western bank for an afternoon or evening coffee and cake at La Dolce Vita. Such an Italian vibe there! You could also cut across the city, if that's your thing, to the ferry terminal on the Western end of Elizabeth St, and hop across to Southbank from there.

If you have the chance, you could grab a taxi to whip atop Mt Coo-tha for the lovely views out across the city. There's walking tracks throughout the bush there too. Depends on what you like to do in terms of pleasure – shopping (city) and nightlife (Fortitude Valley) or hikes (Mt Coo-tha) and the Brisbane gardens on the southern tip of the CBD.

heraclitus

I have an airtrain question for anyone who might know the answer.

I will be staying at the W Brisbane and then moving down to the Marriott Vacation Club at Surfer's Paradise. Would airtrain be a viable option with luggage and kids in tow? Or am I better off doing a one-way car rental? I'd prefer to avoid the hassle of driving if I can.

NWplatinum

I usually always uber to places I’ve never been because I don’t wanna get lost with luggage. Is the train relatively easy to get to the Marriott?

Catweazle

Well, it wouldn't really be considered the 'Airtrain' per se so the ex-airport surcharge won't apply but yes, it's on the same 'yellow' BNE Airport - Varsity Lakes/Gold Coast line, if that makes sense. Might be worth checking the Translink website to get a quote (or give them a call) because depending on how many kids you have, the difference between train fares and hiring a bomb for the day may not be that large. Certainly, however, the train is convenient if somewhat slow and nothing at all like the TGV in France or the Japanese bullet trains. If only...! Still, that's Australian trains for ya.

W hotel, the Roma St train station is within easy walking distance, being only a few blocks away. From there a direct service to the Gold Coast. I think you'll hope off at Helensvale to grab the tramway to Surfers Paradise. The Translink website also has a journey planner, so you can always print that off and take it with you. Sounds complicated, but really it's not and since the tramway stops 300m from the Marriott, it does sound pretty dang convenient without the hassle of car hires, as you say.

Incidentally, when does the W open?

Catweazle

Is it just you, or have you others in tow like heraclitus? The price for a one-person fare is probably far better than taking an Uber, I reckon, but that's just me. Depends how much luggage you've got too. Just a short stay, or are you in the process of moving house lol?

You can grab the AirTrain to Central station. From there it's under 1km away so either walk like me, a nice stroll heading East through the CBD, or else grab your Uber from Central outside the Sofitel hotel if you prefer. You'll save upwards of $40+ I think See here:

heraclitus

Thank you for the details! As you point out, I guess going from Brisbane to Gold Coast I'm looking at a Translink train and not airtrain as such.

I am going to look into the details and see if I can make the train work, as I think it could be more pleasant than driving on unfamiliar roads. It's just a matter of managing the logistics of toting preschoolers and suitcases. We'll see

Anyway, the W opens on June 1! I've never stayed in a brand new hotel before, definitely looking forward to it.

number_6

Not sure W is that sutiable for preschoolers, the room design if definitely kid-unfriendly at other W hotels that I have stayed ...and that is the essence of their brand differentiation. Driving a rental car with GPS is pretty easy, traffic is light in Brisbane by world standards and drivers are polite. I'd go with rental car with your cargo/pax load.

heraclitus

Thanks for the advice regarding the rental car. Not having to lug bags on train/tram is a plus in my books, and if traffic is manageable then maybe I'll give it a go.