Airtrain connects to the city from the airport every fifteen minutes during peak times and stops at Central, South Bank, Fortitude Valley and Roma Street stations. An adult fare to the city stations is $15 and a return ticket is $28 and can be purchased at Airtrain stations. There is a 10% discount for purchasing online for one-way or return journeys, but only if you are starting at the airport. Travel time to the city stations can be up to 30 mins. Trains start running between 5AM-6AM. The last trains leave the city around 7pm and the airport about 8PM. It is possible to take the Airtrain direct to the Gold Coast, although it is necessary to connect to a bus service at Nerang Station to reach Surfers Paradise, or at Robina Station to reach Coolangatta.
CoachTrans also provides transfers via shuttle bus to Brisbane City accommodation and to the Gold Coast. Adult fare (one way) to Brisbane City is $14, and an Adult fare (one way) to the Gold Coast is $39. Fares are cheaper if you buy a return ticket. You can end up waiting up to an hour if you try to book when you arrive at the airport, so pre-booking is a must and no refunds are allowed. Travel time varies depending on the number of passengers on the bus and traffic; it could be anywhere from 20-60 minutes.
A cheaper public transport alternative is to use the Brisbane Airport Courtesy Bus to DFO/Number 1 Airport Village, and transfer to the 308 bus (direction Chermside) to Toombul Interchange, where you can catch a train to the city. This costs under $3 with a go card, off peak; and under $5 for a single ticket.
A taxi from the aiport to Brisbane central costs approximately $35 (). A good option for getting into the City can therefore be for two or more travellers to bundle the cost of a taxi to Brisbane Central. Always ask a set price before agreeing to a taxi ride, however, and be sure to tell the driver how many people he/she is taking to avoid sudden price hikes with detail changes. It is additionally useful to find a local returning home to avoid drivers taking advantage of foreigners. Brisbane locals are invariably friendly and happy to skirt the system for convenience and cost savings. From Brisbane Central or Roma Street station a traveller can get to just about anywhere else in Brisbane.
Additionally, the airport also hosts all major car rental companies.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Brisbane
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Brisbane - updated May 2024
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Brisbane Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
