Tasmania east coast road trip: outline guide

By the Travel & Explore team · Last checked 23 October 2026

This trip suits travellers who want a coastal and hinterland drive with time for national park walks and stops along the way. It works best if you can return the hire car somewhere other than where you collected it, which you must confirm with the hire company first.

The route

Discover Tasmania presents the Great Eastern Drive as its east-coast road trip, and says the drive takes in Wineglass Bay (Discover Tasmania).

When to go

Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania says the waters off the Freycinet Peninsula are regularly visited by whales, particularly humpback whales, during the winter months. The same page says Freycinet National Park is a popular place to camp, particularly in the summer months (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania).

Getting there and the car

Flying in and hiring a car is one option. See fly-drive or your own car for how the two options compare.

Before you pay for the final night, confirm the exact return location, the opening hours and the connection to onward travel. If one-way hire is not available, you will need a version of the route that returns to the start, with the extra driving and accommodation that it brings.

When you collect a hire car, the company may ask to see your licence information. GOV.UK says you can create a 'check code' up to 21 days before your trip, and that insurance is included with a hire car, so check what it covers with the hire company (GOV.UK: driving abroad).

Driving there as a UK driver

You need to take your Great Britain or Northern Ireland driving licence with you to drive abroad. Check that it is still valid before you go (GOV.UK: driving abroad). GOV.UK also says you might need an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in some countries, so check whether one is needed for Australia before you travel.

Freycinet and the park roads

A valid parks pass is required for entry to Tasmania's national parks (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania). The park's page does not say which pass applies to Freycinet, so check when you book.

To reach the main park entrance, turn off the Tasman Highway onto Coles Bay Road, about 12 km south of Bicheno. The park asks drivers to avoid driving in its reserves at night where possible, and to watch for wildlife on the road (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania).

Walks in the park are often on steep granite and loose gravel, so sturdy footwear is recommended. The Wineglass Bay walk is listed as 2.5 to 3.5 hours return, 6 km, grade 3. Drinking water is scarce in the national park, so refill bottles at the visitor centre, Honeymoon Bay or the Wineglass Bay walking tracks car park (Parks and Wildlife Service Tasmania).

Before you book

• Choose your east-coast base, Swansea or Coles Bay, after you have checked how each one changes your travel times and access.
• Confirm the one-way return location, the opening hours and the onward connection.
• Read the hire terms, including whether one-way returns are allowed and what the insurance covers.
• Check which parks pass applies before you visit a national park.
• Pick park walks that suit your group and the conditions on the day.
• Keep a spare day for weather, road conditions and park access.

For the wider planning steps, see the road trip research checklist. The driving abroad checklist lists the documents and kit to check for each country. For the rules on licences abroad, see driving licence and IDP abroad. More guides are on the worldwide road trips hub.

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