Minibus Hire Across Australia

Canberra Minibus Hire for School Tours, Wineries and the Snowy

Canberra is compact, but its national institutions are spread around the lake and across several suburbs. A group without its own transport can lose half the day waiting, and a minibus or small coach with a driver links everything up.

The national institutions

Claiming the PACER rebate for a school group? Your itinerary needs at least three of the four set institutions: Parliament House, the Museum of Australian Democracy, the War Memorial and the National Electoral Education Centre. With a driver waiting outside each one, three or even all four fit into a day.

The War Memorial lets buses use its Schools' entrance just to set down and collect; what bus parking there is sits along the east side of Treloar Crescent, and a map with arrival instructions comes from the Memorial's bookings team ahead of your visit. At the National Library, groups are set down right out front, and buses park on the far side of Questacon.

Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view
Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view

Cool-climate wine and country towns

The Murrumbateman wineries and the village of Bungendore are each about 35 minutes out, and Braidwood is roughly an hour. Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, about 45 minutes away, is a lovely half day with the kids.

Floriade, Canberra's spring flower festival, fills Commonwealth Park every year and is well worth a stop if your visit falls in spring.

Flying into Canberra

Places your group will want to see

  • Mount Ainslie Lookout — Views down Anzac Parade to Parliament House
  • National Zoo and Aquarium — Yarralumla
  • National Arboretum Canberra — West of the city centre
  • National Museum of Australia — Acton Peninsula
  • National Library of Australia — Parkes Place West
  • Questacon — National Science and Technology Centre, King Edward Terrace
  • National Gallery of Australia — Parkes Place, Parliamentary Triangle
  • Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House — Parliamentary Triangle
  • Australian War Memorial — Campbell, at the head of Anzac Parade
  • Parliament House — Capital Hill; guided tours of both chambers

Where groups usually stay

  • Canberra Airport hotels
  • Kingston / Manuka
  • Barton / Parliamentary Triangle
  • Braddon
  • Civic / City Centre

Snow and sea

Jindabyne and Thredbo sit somewhere between two and a quarter and two and three quarter hours away. In the snow season, which runs from the June long weekend to the October one, any two-wheel-drive vehicle on the main roads through Kosciuszko National Park has to have chains on board, so check yours will. For the coast, Batemans Bay is about two hours away.

Flying in

From the airport terminal it's only around 8.5 km into Civic, 12 to 15 minutes by road, and the ACT has no toll roads. The airport doesn't publish a coach pick-up point, so your meeting spot is confirmed with you before the day. Some groups fly into Sydney instead, which is roughly three hours away by road.

Your questions

Can we fit the PACER visits into one day?

Three of the four in a day is very doable with your own vehicle. Book each institution's session times first, then build the pickups around them.

Can a minibus take us to Thredbo in winter?

Yes. Allow around two and three quarter hours, and confirm the vehicle carries the snow chains the national park requires.

Is Canberra a good wine weekend?

It is. Murrumbateman's cellar doors are about 35 minutes from the city, so an afternoon of tastings fits easily around a day of sightseeing.

More trips we can arrange

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