My month road tripping Tasmania was one of the best of my entire Lap of Australia. Tasmania is a dream to explore – especially if you like the outdoors and hiking. Public transportation is very limited or simply non-existent in Tassie, so most people choose to rent a vehicle and road trip. After driving all over Tasmania by myself, I wanted to share my advice for a road trip here. So here you go: my top tips for road tripping Tassie!

Book your car on the ferry FAR IN ADVANCE

There is only one ferry between mainland Australia and Tasmania: the Spirit of Tasmania. Because of this, they have a monopoly and can charge whatever they like. This also means that availability is limited, and vehicle spaces will sell out. Try to book your car on the ferry as far in advance as possible – I booked 3 months in advance, but it would have been $250 cheaper had I booked 6 months in advance. You also don’t want to plan your trip and lock in specific dates, and then realize you can’t physically get your vehicle to Tasmania because all the ferries are sold out for weeks. This is particularly important during Tassie’s peak tourist season around November-February. Plan ahead and book in advance.

Do NOT miss your ferry!

Due to the limited availability of vehicle spaces on the ferry, do not under any circumstances miss your ferry. This is important for both journeys, either going to Tasmania or leaving Tasmania. If you miss your ferry, you might have to wait months for the next one. If vehicle spaces are fully booked for all ferries in a certain direction for weeks, you could be stranded for a long time.

Be sure you rent a vehicle you are confident driving

I saw a lot of bad drivers and bad driving in Tasmania, almost exclusively in rental vehicles. Some people might not drive regularly back home (wherever that may be), and aren’t used to driving in general. And a lot of people come to Tassie and hire a campervan or other vehicle they don’t know how to drive. Please don’t do this – you won’t have a very good trip as you’ll be stressed out while driving, and you’ll annoy everyone else on the road. Stick to a vehicle you are comfortable driving.

It takes a long time to get anywhere, be patient and allow extra time for drives

Don’t expect to zip around the island – Tassie isn’t that big, but it takes a long time to get anywhere. There are few dual carriageways (two-lane highways) in Tasmania, most are single carriageways with one lane in each direction. There are a lot of narrow, winding roads, going up and down and around mountains. You will get stuck behind caravans and rental vehicles – it’s impossible to safely pass other vehicles on those blind bends and winding roads. Be patient, and allow yourself extra time in your itinerary beyond what GoogleMaps suggests.

Be courteous and pull over if there are cars behind you

If you notice cars piling up in a line behind you, pull over and let them pass. It is common courtesy and everyone behind you will appreciate it. There are some slow vehicle lanes, to allow safe overtaking; use them. Sometimes it’s impossible to do this – there are no laybys or spaces to safely move off the road. But if there’s a spot to let others overtake safely, please use it.

There are so many good free camps!

I traveled around Tasmania in my Nissan X-Trail, and was very impressed with the free camps. There are simply so many amazing free spots for camping around the island! For a short list be sure to stay at Swimcart Beach Road Camping Ground (Bay of Fires), Brady Lake, and – if you like swimming – Lake Barrington Campsite. I use WikiCamps to find all my campsites.

Fuel isn’t crazy expensive, but try to fill up in larger towns

Thankfully, fuel isn’t too expensive in Tasmania compared to other Aussie outback destinations. Rural spots will always be more expensive, so try to fill up in larger towns. The only time I paid more than $2/L for ULP (91) was in Strahan. But every cent counts when you’re road tripping! I use Petrol Spy or Fuel Map to find the cheapest gas in Australia.

There aren’t many grocery stores when you go into the west/northwest – stock up on food when and where you can

As Tasmania isn’t geographically that big, you typically aren’t too far from major towns when you’re road tripping the island. The main exception to this is the west and northwest of Tassie – big supermarkets are few and far between here. You’ll likely find small IGAs or general stores, but these will always be more expensive than a main supermarket like Coles or Woolworths. Stock up on groceries in advance before heading into the west.

Don’t assume there will be (Optus) phone signal

I had Optus in Australia, so I can’t comment on Telstra coverage. But don’t assume you’ll have phone signal – this is true for most of Australia, in my opinion. But still important to remember for a Tasmanian road trip. I usually passed through somewhere with phone signal at least once per day, although often I wouldn’t have phone signal at my campsite at night. Download maps offline, be prepared, and make the most of reception if you get it!

Never, ever, drive at night

My number one rule for driving anywhere in Australia: don’t drive at night. It’s when the wildlife and weirdos come out. This is especially true for Tassie’s wildlife, as you drive through so much rural/remote areas.

Unsealed roads tend to be in (overall) good condition, unless listed as 4WD

Tassie’s roads have a nasty habit of turning into an unsealed road, with no warning. If you’re ever driven from the Little Blue Lake in the northeast to the Bay of Fires, you’ll understand. However, in general, I found unsealed roads in Tasmania to be in good condition overall, and suitable for most 2WD vehicles. There was one unsealed road that indicated it was suitable only for 4WDs, and I didn’t want to risk it in my car – so I had to turn around. But the rest of the unsealed roads I encountered on my trip in February were fine. This might be a very different story in winter, so always check local conditions before traveling!

Like anywhere in rural Australia, basic car equipment can save you

Having jumper cables, windscreen repair kit, tire repair kit, and air compressor are important for traveling in a country as big as Australia. And Tasmania, where you can be miles from anyone, is no exception. I got a punctured tire on the 16km unsealed road up to Dove Lake and the Tarn Shelf Circuit in Mount Field National Park – and of course I was alone, there was no one else in the car park, and I had no phone signal. I’ll be forever grateful that the next car that showed up 10 minutes later was a nice German couple, who had a tire repair kit and air compressor, and repaired my tire for me. I got so lucky!! But I really wish I’d traveled with that essential gear myself.

If you’re not wanting to road trip, and would rather someone else do the driving, check out some of the tours in Tasmania below!

Tasmania is such a stunningly beautiful part of Australia – I loved my time there so much. Having your own vehicle will allow you so much more freedom to see this gorgeous island. But as with any road trip, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. I hope this post helps planning your road trip to Tasmania!

Have you done a road trip in Tasmania? What would your top tips be?

You might also like my posts:

The Best Hikes in Tasmania, Australia

The Best Free Camps in Tasmania

My Top Solo Road Trip Safety Tips

49 Spectacular Places You Must Visit in Tasmania

A One-Month Tasmania Road Trip Itinerary

What I Learned About Life Living Out of My Car

Hiking the Tarn Shelf Circuit in Mount Field National Park, Tasmania

Cradle Mountain Summit: What You Need to Know About This Epic Hike in Tasmania

Australia Budget: Month 11 (February 2024)

All of my Australia posts!

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