How Tasmania works
Tasmania is small in map terms — you can drive from Hobart in the south to Launceston in under three hours, and the whole island is roughly the size of Ireland. But it punches far above its size in landscape: alpine national parks, the Freycinet peninsula, the wild west coast and a coastline of white-sand beaches, all packed close together. The catch is that public transport doesn't follow you into that scenery.
There are no passenger trains anywhere in Tasmania — the railways carry freight only. Town buses cover Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, and intercity coaches link the main centres, but the national parks, the east coast and the west are really only reachable by road. So the two practical ways to tour are to drive — bringing your own car over on the Spirit of Tasmania ferry, or hiring one at an airport — or to join a guided coach tour that does the driving. The sections below cover getting there and getting around.
⛴️ The Spirit of Tasmania
The Spirit of Tasmania is the vehicle ferry across Bass Strait, and for many visitors it's the start of the holiday. It sails between Geelong in Victoria and Devonport on Tasmania's north coast — you drive your car, campervan or caravan straight on at one end and off the other, which is why so many mainlanders bring their own vehicle rather than hiring.
Bring your own wheels across Bass Strait. The crossing runs as day and overnight sailings, with reclining seats and cabins, and space for everything from motorbikes to caravans. New, larger ships are entering service from late 2026, expanding vehicle and passenger capacity. Vehicle spaces book out over summer and school holidays, so reserve well ahead.
If you're flying in instead, you'll skip the ferry and pick up a hire car at the airport — but if you want your own vehicle, or you're travelling with a caravan or a lot of gear, the Spirit is the way to do it.
🚗 Driving — the main way
Self-drive is how most people experience Tasmania, and the island is built for it: short distances, spectacular scenery and a touring loop that takes in the lot. Hire cars are available at Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie airports and in the cities. The distances are friendly, though the roads are often winding and slow:
| Route | Distance | Approx. drive |
|---|---|---|
| Hobart → Launceston (Midland Hwy) | ≈ 200 km | 2.5 hrs |
| Devonport → Hobart | ≈ 280 km | 3.5 hrs |
| Launceston → Cradle Mountain | ≈ 145 km | 2.5 hrs |
| Hobart → Freycinet (east coast) | ≈ 195 km | 2.5 hrs |
| Hobart → Strahan (west coast) | ≈ 300 km | 4.5 hrs |
Tasmania has a lot of nocturnal wildlife and, sadly, a lot of roadkill — wallabies, possums, wombats and devils are most active at dawn, dusk and night. The single best thing you can do is avoid driving in the dark, slow down on rural roads, and give yourself plenty of daylight for each leg. Mountain roads can also see snow and ice in winter, so check conditions in the highlands.
Fuel is easy to find in towns but sparser on the west coast and in the highlands, so top up before long remote legs. Roads are sealed on all the main touring routes; a few national-park access roads are gravel but generally fine for a normal car in good weather.
🚌 Buses & coaches
Within the cities, Metro Tasmania runs the local bus networks in Hobart, Launceston and Burnie, using the Greencard smartcard or cash. They're handy for getting around town and out to the suburbs but don't reach the touring destinations.
Between towns, intercity coach operators — including Kinetic, which runs the main Hobart–Launceston–Devonport–Burnie corridor — connect the main centres, while Tassielink runs regional and wilderness routes, including seasonal services toward Lake St Clair, Strahan and the national parks. These are genuinely useful for car-free travellers reaching the bigger destinations, but timetables are limited and built around a few services a day, so plan around them rather than assuming a connection.
✈️ Flights
Tasmania has no shortage of flights from the mainland — the quick way across Bass Strait without the ferry. Hobart and Launceston are the main airports, with direct services from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and other capitals on Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin Australia.
| Airport | Serves |
|---|---|
| Hobart | The south — the city, the Huon, Bruny Island, the east coast and the south-west |
| Launceston | The north — the Tamar Valley, Cradle Mountain and the central highlands |
| Devonport & Burnie (Wynyard) | The north-west coast and the ferry port |
| King & Flinders Islands | The Bass Strait islands, on small regional aircraft |
Fly-drive is the most common no-ferry option: fly into Hobart or Launceston, collect a hire car and tour from there. Many visitors fly into one and out of the other to avoid backtracking.
🚕 In the cities
Hobart and Launceston are compact and very walkable — you can see much of each city centre on foot. Both have Metro Tasmania buses, taxis, and rideshare (Uber and others) for getting further afield or out to the airport. Hobart also has the popular ferry across the Derwent to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, which doubles as a scenic way to reach one of the state's top attractions. In smaller towns, pre-book taxis rather than relying on rideshare being available.
🚍 Tours & charters
If you'd rather not drive — or you're travelling as a group — a guided coach tour is an excellent way to see Tasmania. The driving, the planning and the daily logistics are handled, leaving you free to take in Cradle Mountain, Wineglass Bay, Port Arthur and the wild west coast with local commentary along the way. It's a particularly popular choice for seniors and groups who want the island's highlights without managing the winding roads themselves.
Cooee Tours arranges Tasmania touring and group charters as part of our Australia-wide program, combining the Bass Strait crossing or flights with a guided island itinerary built around your interests.