There are three really recommendable train passes for Australia that can be very convenient depending on your needs and travel route. They guarantee a very high level of flexibility, as you can always decide at short notice where the journey should take you. Thus it is possible to comfortably control all individual highlights, to explore them and to travel on at any time. In addition, they have a very good price-performance ratio and help to explore the 5th continent in an adventurous way.
Overview of all options
Queensland Explorer Pass
The Queensland Explorer Pass enables unlimited use of the entire QueenslandRail network for a period of 1 or 2 months. This also includes certain connecting trips by bus. This means that you can get from Brisbane to Cairns and even the outback towns of Mount Isa, Longreach and Charleville without having to buy different types of tickets. This is what the Spirit of Queensland , The Inlander , Spirit of the Outback and The Westlander trains stand forto disposal. While the Spirit of Queensland is by far the most popular train, many travelers still use the Inlander to travel from the east coast to Mount Isa. Many adventurers occasionally fall back on the Spirit of the Outback and the Westlander to explore the really remote outback.
Queensland Coastal Pass
The Queensland Coastal Pass is ideal for anyone who wants to travel freely, flexibly and comfortably to all the highlights of the east coast by train for 1 to 2 months. The Spirit of Queensland bullet train runs Brisbane – Cairns and back 5 times a week. On the way it stops at important places such as Cooroy (near Noosa), Maryborough (near Fraser Island), Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Mackay, Proserpine (near Airlie Beach & Whitsunday Islands) or Townsville (near Magnetic Island). In addition to the regular train journey, it is also possible to use all the QueenslandRail buses that connect the coastal towns with the train stations. These include, for example, Airlie Beach or Hervey Bay.
Discovery Pass
With the Discovery Pass you have the option to use the well-developed network of NSW TrainLink in all directions with the modern trains XPT and Xplorer to be used without restriction. This means that numerous interesting locations in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the ACT can be reached quickly and easily. Examples include Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane or Broken Hill. In addition, the company’s comprehensive bus network can also be used to the full for the entire booking period. Again, this is important to reach places like Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise (Gold Coast) or Port Macquarie. Both economy seats and premium seats (1st class) are available. A special feature of this train pass is that it can be booked for 2 weeks, a month, three months or even a whole year.
Notes & Tips
Important in advance: Please note that it can take a few days from the booking to the issue of the ticket or passport, as the availability is checked first, then the payment has to be made and only then the ticket is issued. In addition, the usual opening times from Monday to Friday must be taken into account. So the following applies: The earlier you book, the safer you can take your train journey to your desired date (however, usually 5 – 7 days are sufficient)!
- The first trip is booked in advance – all further routes can be spontaneously determined on site.
- The booking of the pass includes an economy class seat.
- A higher class can be purchased on site for an additional charge (if available).
- The first route must be covered no later than 6 months after purchasing the train pass. This starts its validity and thus the booked period.
- Even when traveling by train in Australia, very high discounts are sometimes possible with an international student ID or a VIP Backpackers Discount Card.
