Located at the intersection of the Pacific and Bruxner Highways, Ballina is just two and a half hour's drive south of Queensland's capital Brisbane and is 740km north of the New South Wales capital Sydney. Ballina offers easy access by car, plane, bus and train. Driving in and around Ballina is easy and hire cars are available both locally and from the airport.
If you have your own transport while visiting, the Highways are the quickest and most direct route to drive to Ballina. If you're arriving from the north or south, the recently upgrded Pacific Highway offers a comfortable scenic drive while those arriving from the west or a little further inland will take the Bruxner Highway to Ballina. It's important to remember to stop for rest breaks about every two hours, especially if you're driving a long distance.
If you're arriving in Ballina by plane, the Ballina Byron Gateway Airport is conveniently located just 5km from the centre of downtown Ballina. Jetstar, Qantas' low cost subsidiary airline, and Virgin Australia operate regular daily services to the Ballina Airport, with car hire available at the terminal. Alternatively you can catch a taxi into town or arrange airport transfers as part of a holiday package.
For those on a budget, getting to Ballina by bus is a popular option thanks to regular daily services offering an affordable, comfortable and convenient way to travel. There are a number of bus companies that offer regular services to Ballina including from Brisbane and Sydney including Premier Motor Service and Greyhound Australia. Greyhound is one of the more popular companies, with most of their services dropping you at the door of your accommodation.
CountryLink is another alternative, offering popular rain transport that is both affordable and reliable. Trains depart from a number of locations throughout Brisbane and New South Wales to Ballina.
