Airport Transfer Guides — Everything Worth Knowing Before You Book
Every CGC guide, route page and comparison in one place — covering fixed-price transfers from $55 sedan to Gold Coast Airport (OOL) and from $190 sedan to Brisbane Airport (BNE), with the complete published fixed-price schedule linked below and every suburb, hotel and special-situation guide organised by topic.
From $55 to Gold Coast Airport (OOL) or $190 to Brisbane Airport (BNE) — and every guide we’ve written, in one place.
✓ Last updated
What this hub is: the directory of every CGC resource — route pages, hotel guides, comparisons and how-to guides, organised by topic with a jump menu
Start here: the published fixed-price schedule lists every suburb’s exact figure to BNE and OOL
Headline prices: from $55 sedan / $85 Carnival / to OOL; from $190 / $240 to BNE — per vehicle, GST included, locked at booking
Booking: online by card; night-before SMS with driver and rego; flight monitoring on every airport pickup
- ✔ Route pages for every suburb — BNE and OOL directions separately
- ✔ 33 hotel transfer guides covering the coast’s major properties
- ✔ Family, group, corporate and special-situation guides
- ✔ Honest comparisons: rideshare, taxi, Airtrain, hire car
- ✔ Terminal guides for both airports
- ✔ Everything links back to the fixed-price schedule
The Short Answer
Transfers start from $55 to Gold Coast Airport (OOL) or $190 to Brisbane Airport (BNE) for Gold Coast addresses — per vehicle rather than per person, with the price locked when you book. This page collects every guide we’ve written. If you’re still deciding whether to book a private transfer at all, start with how to choose an airport transfer, which compares all the options honestly, including where we’re not the answer. If you’ve decided and just need to know which vehicle, read the pricing guide. If you want the price for your exact suburb, both route directories list every stop we serve — the Gold Coast Airport route directory and the Brisbane Airport route directory. If you’re staying at a hotel or apartment tower, the hotel pickup guides give the exact collection point for each property. If you fit a specific situation — a baby, a group of twelve, surfboards, a wedding weekend — jump straight to that guide. Every quote includes GST, with the Gateway Motorway toll on BNE runs and any after-hours fee already inside the figure. No surge, ever. Standard hours 6am–9pm, with pre-booked after-hours pickups 9pm–6am. 5.0 stars from 118 Google reviews.
Pricing at a Glance
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| Vehicle | Passengers | To OOL | To BNE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sedan (Toyota Camry or Tesla) | 1–3 | from $55 | from $190 |
| Kia Carnival | Up to 7 | from $85 | from $240 |
Per vehicle, not per person. GST included. The Gateway Motorway toll on BNE runs and any after-hours fee (9pm–6am pickups) are inside the locked figure. No surge at any time; a higher rate applies only on Easter Sunday (closed on Christmas Day). No last-minute surcharge — the same rate today as four weeks out. These are the lowest figures across our service area; the price for your address depends on the distance, so check the OOL route directory or BNE route directory for your suburb and the hotel guide for your property.
Not sure where to start? Pick your question
- Should I even book a private transfer? → How to choose an airport transfer
- Which vehicle and which airport? → Airport transfer pricing guide
- What’s the price for my suburb? → OOL route directory or BNE route directory
- Where will the car meet me at my hotel? → Hotel pickup guides
- What does it cost and what’s included? → How CGC fixed pricing works
- What time will you pick me up? → How early to leave for Brisbane Airport
- How early should I leave for a Gold Coast Airport flight? → How early to leave for Gold Coast Airport — by suburb
- Heading to or from the valleys? → Tallebudgera Valley & Currumbin Valley transfers
- I’m travelling in a peak period → Holiday transfer planning
- Is it actually reliable? → Most reliable airport transfer
- Or just get a rideshare? → Private driver vs rideshare
- Or hire a car? → Airport transfer vs hiring a car
- Big group or lots of luggage? → Maxi taxi Gold Coast — groups up to 11 in one vehicle
- Fly the same route every week? → FIFO & weekly transfers
- Travelling with kids? → Child seats & QLD restraint law
- I’ve got a specific question → The FAQ
On this page
The Fleet
Groups of 8–11 take the 12-seat VW Crafter (up to 11 passengers, up to 8 large suitcases for a full group, longer boards). Anything larger runs as multiple vehicles on one reservation, each timed to its own flight.
Start Here
If you read a handful of pages before booking, read these. Between them they answer most of what people ask.
“Every guide on this page started as a question someone asked me at the kerb or on the phone — usually more than once. If it’s here, a passenger needed the answer before you did, and I wrote it down so the next one wouldn’t have to ask.”
- How to choose an airport transfer service — private, rideshare, taxi, shuttle or train, compared honestly
- Can you pre book airport transfers Gold Coast — what booking ahead actually secures
- Metered Taxi to Brisbane Airport from the Gold Coast — what the meter really costs against a locked fare
- Dreamworld & WhiteWater World transfers — Coomera park runs, timing and vehicle sizing
- Movie World & Wet’n’Wild transfers — Oxenford park runs, evening shows and Topgolf
- Sea World transfers — the Main Beach marine park, from $65 sedan / $90 Carnival
- Australia Zoo transfers — the Sunshine Coast zoo, $877.50 return from Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach
- Tropical Fruit World transfers — the Duranbah fruit farm, from Gold Coast or Brisbane Airport
- Husk Distillers transfers — the Tweed rum and gin distillery, no driving after the tasting
- Fixed price airport transfers — the full schedule by zone and suburb
- Airport transfer pricing guide — how the fixed zone pricing works and which vehicle you need
- How CGC fixed pricing works — what’s inside the quote and why it doesn’t move
- How a private airport transfer works — the five stages from booking to drop-off
- Door-to-door explained — what the phrase actually means here
- Most reliable airport transfer on the Gold Coast — how the operation actually works
- The FAQ — every answer in one place
- First-time travellers — if you’ve never done this before
Route Directories
Every suburb we serve, both airports, with the from-price for each. If you want the exact figure for your street rather than the lowest starting price, start here.
- Gold Coast Airport (OOL) route directory — every Gold Coast and Northern NSW suburb to OOL, from $55, with meet and greet on every arrival
- Brisbane Airport (BNE) route directory — every Gold Coast and Northern NSW suburb to BNE, from $190, Gateway toll inside the quote
Hotel Pickup Guides
The route directories tell you what it costs from your suburb. These tell you where the car actually stops — a different question at a resort with a porte cochère, a complex with several towers and a building whose front door faces a pedestrian mall.
- Gold Coast hotel pickup guides — the full index, covering The Star precinct, Sofitel, Hilton, JW Marriott, QT, voco, Novotel, Peppers Soul, Q1, Crowne Plaza, Sheraton Grand Mirage, Imperial, Sea World Resort, InterContinental Sanctuary Cove, RACV Royal Pines, Mercure, Mantra Legends and the Broadbeach and Surfers apartment towers
Each guide carries the pickup point for that property, drive times to both airports, from-prices for all three vehicles and whatever is particular to that address — the theme park queue on Seaworld Drive, the gatehouse at Sanctuary Cove, the tower you need to name at a multi-building complex.
Booking and Timing
When to book, what time you’ll be picked up and how the awkward hours work. The rate never changes with lead time — booking early buys availability, not a discount.
- Gold Coast to Brisbane City transfers — CBD, city hotels and Portside on Brisbane-zone fares
- Holiday and peak period planning — Easter, school holidays, Christmas and Schoolies: lead times, peak traffic windows and why the price doesn’t move
- Last-minute and same-day transfers — no surcharge, but availability is the constraint
- Early-morning and pre-dawn transfers — the 2am–6am pickups, plus the night-before checklist
- Late-night airport transfers — landing after 10pm at BNE or OOL
- Public holiday transfers — the only two days a year that cost more
- Gold Coast Airport or Brisbane Airport — which should you fly?
- What’s the QLD–NSW time difference — and can it cost you a flight?
- How early to leave for Brisbane Airport — the 2-hour and 3-hour rule, drive times by suburb and a pickup table by flight time
- How early to leave for Gold Coast Airport — drive times from every suburb
- How early to leave Surfers Paradise for OOL
When Things Go Wrong
Delays, cancellations and how to reach your driver. Most of it is handled without you doing anything.
- How flight delays are handled — monitoring and the waiting that’s included
- Flight cancelled — what happens next — the credit tiers and why timing matters
- How to contact and track your driver — no app, just a number that works
Families and Kids
Child seats, prams, mixed ages and the logistics of moving a family through an airport. The Carnival takes up to five Australian-Standards restraints, fitted and safety-checked before pickup at $35 each.
- Baby & child seats — $35 per seat — which restraint for which age, how the Queensland booked-hire exemption works and where NSW differs
- Airport transfers with kids — the main family guide
- Travelling with a baby — rear-facing baby seats, prams and pre-dawn logistics with a newborn
- Large families — five or more, vehicle sizing, multi-suitcase loads
- School holiday transfers — peak windows and booking lead times
Groups and Events
More than seven people and a weekend with a manifest attached. One booking, coordinated vehicles, one price.
- Large group transfers — the Crafter (up to 11 passengers), multi-vehicle coordination, sports squads with kit
- Wedding transfers — guest coordination across the weekend
- Schoolies week — Gold Coast — parent-bookable, no surge
Business and Conferences
Time-critical flights, delegate coordination and an invoice that works.
Specific Travellers
Guides for people whose trip has a particular shape to it.
- Solo female travellers — knowing your driver’s name before you land
- Senior travellers — easier vehicles, family-bookable
- Families with additional-needs kids — autism, ADHD and Sunflower-lanyard travel, written from lived family experience
- International students — arriving without a local SIM or card
- Magic Millions transfers — January carnival at standard fares, no surge
- GC500 race weekend transfers — 23–25 October 2026, circuit closure routing
- Gold Coast Marathon transfers — race-morning runs around the closures
- Golf trip transfers — clubs carried, resort courses covered
- Cruise passengers — the Brisbane cruise terminal and embarkation timing
International Visitors
Country guides for arrivals from our biggest overseas markets — flights, time differences, paying in Australian dollars, and what happens between the gate and the car.
- Arriving from New Zealand — Gold Coast Airport — six direct routes, in-terminal meet & greet, AUD fares
- Arriving from New Zealand — Brisbane Airport — the M1 run for Kiwis who land at BNE
- Arriving from Singapore — Singapore Airlines into BNE, Scoot into OOL
- Arriving from the UK — one-stop routes, 9–10 hour time gap, no driving after 24 hours in the air
- Arriving from China · 中文 — Shanghai and Guangzhou direct, separate English and Chinese pages
- Arriving from Japan · 日本語 — overnight Narita arrival inside standard hours, separate English and Japanese pages
- Arriving from the USA — Qantas from LAX and United from SFO; no tipping, and don’t drive on day one
- Arriving from Europe — Germany, Scandinavia and beyond — one stop via Dubai, Doha or Singapore
- Arriving from Korea · 한국어 — Korean Air and Jetstar non-stop from Incheon; separate English and Korean pages
- Arriving from Singapore — Gold Coast Airport — Scoot direct into OOL, in-terminal meet & greet, early-morning pickup inside standard rates
Luggage and Equipment
Boards, clubs, instruments and the things that don’t fit a boot.
- Surfboard transfers — what fits where and why a sedan won’t do it
Comparisons
Working out whether a private transfer is even the right call. These pages say so honestly, including when it isn’t.
- Private driver vs rideshare — the detailed two-way comparison
- Shared shuttle vs private transfer — price, pickup times and when each wins
- Airtrain vs private transfer to Brisbane Airport
- FIFO airport transfers — roster-friendly pre-dawn and late-night runs
- Airport transfer vs hiring a car — including the hybrid most trips should use
Airports and Trip Planning
Brisbane Airport handled a record 25.2 million passengers in FY26, more than one million up on the year before, per Brisbane Airport’s newsroom. The terminal guides below exist because a busy airport is exactly where a pre-arranged meeting point earns its keep.
- Brisbane Airport terminal guide — Domestic and International are separate buildings
- Gold Coast Airport terminal guide
- Things to do on the Gold Coast — a local driver’s guide: beaches, theme parks, hinterland and the hidden gems
- Things to do: Byron Bay, Tweed Coast & Northern Rivers — the lighthouse walk, valley villages, farm gates and family classics
- Things to do in the Tweed — Tropical Fruit World, Husk Distillers & the valley — fruit farm, gin distillery, free gallery, Fingal Head and the coast, with fixed OOL fares and day hire
- Private day tours — Tamborine & Byron Bay
- Medical & mobility-friendly transfers
Service Pages
The main pages, covering every route and suburb.
- Brisbane Airport (BNE) transfers — every Gold Coast and Northern NSW suburb
- Gold Coast Airport (OOL) transfers — every Gold Coast and Northern NSW suburb
- Byron Bay transfers — Byron and the Northern Rivers
- Kingscliff transfers
- Theme park transfers
- Day trip hire
- About CGC — and the full booking terms
- Contact us
- Book now
Not sure your address is covered? It almost certainly is. Call 0416 131 285 or get a quote online with your pickup address.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is an airport transfer on the Gold Coast?
From $55 to Gold Coast Airport (OOL) or $190 to Brisbane Airport (BNE) in a sedan; from $85 or $240 in the Kia Carnival (up to 7 passengers). Per vehicle, not per person — GST included and locked at booking with the Gateway toll and any after-hours fee already inside the figure. These are the lowest figures across the service area; for your address see the OOL route directory or BNE route directory.
Where should I start on this page?
If you’re still deciding whether to book a private transfer at all, start with how to choose an airport transfer — it compares every option and is honest about where a rideshare or a shuttle would serve you better. If you’ve decided and just need the vehicle and the price, read the pricing guide and jump to the route directory for your airport. If you’re staying at a hotel, the pickup guide for that property tells you exactly where the car stops.
Does the price change?
No. It’s locked when you book — no surge at any time of year, no meter, no fuel levy and no last-minute surcharge. GST is included, the Gateway toll on BNE runs is inside the figure and any after-hours fee for a 9pm–6am pickup is confirmed in the quote. A higher rate applies only on Easter Sunday (closed on Christmas Day).
Which vehicle should I book?
A sedan for 1–3 passengers with two large suitcases plus carry-on. The Kia Carnival for up to 7 passengers, up to 5 child seats, 6 large suitcases, prams or up to three boards in one or two bags. The 12-seat VW Crafter (up to 11 passengers) with up to 8 cases, more with its luggage trailer. Flag child seats, boards or anything oversized at booking and the vehicle is matched to it.
Do baby seats or child seats cost extra?
Yes — $35 per seat, itemised in the quote at booking so you see the total before confirming and fitted and safety-checked before pickup. Australian-Standards rear-facing baby seats, forward-facing child seats and boosters are all available, with up to five in the Carnival. Full detail on the child seats page.
What if my flight is delayed?
Flight monitoring runs on every airport pickup and the collection follows your actual landing at no extra charge. Waiting is included — the grace period runs 45 minutes on domestic arrivals and 90 minutes on international, which covers the bag belt and clearing the terminal; after that it’s $2 per minute.
What’s the cancellation policy?
Standard cancellations more than 24 hours before pickup receive a full credit toward a future booking; within 24 hours, no credit applies, as the vehicle and driver are reserved. If your flight itself is cancelled: full credit with more than 4 hours’ notice, 50% between 1.5 and 4 hours, none within 1.5 hours. Credits are non-refundable. Full terms on the about us page.
How do I pay?
Online by card at the time of booking — no cash and no in-car payment, so nothing is handled on the day. Corporate accounts are available by prior approval.
My pickup address isn’t listed anywhere — do you go there?
Almost certainly. Every Gold Coast suburb, the hinterland including long unmarked driveways and across Northern NSW to Byron and Ballina. The OOL and BNE route directories list the named suburbs, but the network is wider than the lists — call 0416 131 285 or put the address into the booking form and you’ll get a locked quote back.
How far ahead should I book?
The rate’s the same whenever you book, so there’s no financial reason to rush — but availability tightens in school holidays, over Christmas and New Year, at Easter and during Schoolies. Three to seven days is comfortable for most bookings; four to eight weeks for peak windows or larger vehicles. The holiday planning guide has lead times by period.
What time will I be collected?
Pickups are worked back from your flight — 2 hours at the terminal before a domestic departure, 3 hours before an international one, plus the drive, widened over peak periods. The Brisbane timing guide has drive times for every suburb and a pickup table by flight time.
Should I fly out of OOL or BNE?
If your flight leaves from one of them, that’s your answer. Otherwise: OOL is 25–45 minutes from most of the Gold Coast on a toll-free road and handles domestic and short-haul international. BNE is closer to two hours but carries the full long-haul network — and it costs more to reach. From a Gold Coast address the sedan fare runs $40 to $175 dearer depending on your suburb: smallest at the northern end around Ormeau, Pimpama and Coomera, largest from Coolangatta and the southern beaches. From Northern NSW the gap runs $170 to $250 — Tweed Heads and Kingscliff at the lower end, Byron Bay and Bangalow the widest. The gap widens again in the larger vehicles.
Where will my driver meet me?
At Gold Coast Airport, meet and greet is included — your driver meets you and walks you to the vehicle. At Brisbane Airport, an SMS reaches you before landing with your driver’s name, contact number and the exact meet point. If you’re being collected from a hotel, the pickup guide for that property names the entrance.
How much is a private transfer from Brisbane Airport to the Gold Coast?
Fixed per-vehicle fares from $190 sedan depending on your zone — Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and the central strip are $200 sedan or $260 Kia Carnival, the same price both directions, GST and Gateway toll included.
What’s actually included in the fixed price?
Everything: GST, the Gateway toll on Brisbane runs, door-to-door service, flight monitoring on airport pickups, and in-terminal meet & greet at Gold Coast Airport arrivals. The number quoted at booking is the number you pay.
Do fares surge during holidays, events or bad weather?
No. Every fare is fixed per vehicle and locked when you book. School holidays, GC500 weekend, rain at midnight — the price doesn’t move.
Do you supply rear-facing baby seats and booster seats?
Yes — rear-facing baby seats, forward-facing child seats and boosters, supplied and fitted before pickup for $35 per seat. Tell us ages at booking; you never need to bring your own.
Do you cover Byron Bay and Northern NSW?
Yes — Byron Bay, Kingscliff, Cabarita, Pottsville and the Northern Rivers hinterland. Byron Bay to Brisbane Airport, for example, is a fixed $420 sedan or $605 Carnival.
How many bags can each vehicle take?
The Camry/Tesla sedan carries up to 3 passengers with 2 large cases plus carry-on; the Kia Carnival up to 7 passengers with up to 6 large cases. Surfboards and golf clubs fit with notice at booking.
Get a Quote — from $55
From $55 to Gold Coast Airport (OOL) or $190 to Brisbane Airport (BNE). Per vehicle, GST included, locked at booking. Your driver confirmed by SMS with their name and contact number. Flight monitoring on every airport pickup, with 45 minutes’ waiting included after a domestic landing and 90 after an international one. Meet and greet included at OOL. No surge — a higher rate applies only on Easter Sunday (closed on Christmas Day). Child restraints $35 per seat, up to five in the Carnival. Door-to-door from any Gold Coast or Northern NSW address. 5.0 stars from 118 Google reviews.
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External Authority Resources
Brisbane Airport publishes terminal maps and check-in cut-off times for both BNE terminals. Gold Coast Airport publishes the equivalent for OOL. QLDTraffic reports live M1, Logan Motorway and Gateway Motorway conditions. On child restraints, the Queensland Government sets out how the rules apply to booked hire services and Transport for NSW publishes the NSW rules, which differ. Queensland Transport and Main Roads publishes the Booked Hire licensing framework under which CGC operates.
CGC Airport Transfers — airport transfer guides and resources for the Gold Coast, Brisbane Airport (BNE), Gold Coast Airport (OOL), Byron Bay and Northern NSW. Every guide in one library: the core pages, the OOL and BNE route directories, the hotel pickup guides, booking and timing, disruption handling, families and kids, groups and events, business and conferences, specific travellers, luggage and equipment and the comparison guides.
Pricing: from $55 sedan / $85 Kia Carnival / to Gold Coast Airport and from $190 / $240 to Brisbane Airport — per vehicle rather than per person, GST included, price locked at booking. These are the lowest figures across the service area; every address falls into a fixed-price zone — the full fixed-price schedule lists every zone and suburb and the OOL and BNE route directories carry the figures by suburb. The Gateway Motorway toll sits inside every BNE quote and any after-hours fee (9pm–6am pickups) is confirmed in the figure at booking. No surge, no metered fare, no fuel levy, no last-minute surcharge; a higher rate applies only on Easter Sunday (closed on Christmas Day). Brisbane Airport pickups cost the same fixed price as drop-offs; Gold Coast Airport pickups are priced separately from drop-offs because they include the airport access fee and arrivals-hall meet and greet. Payment by card online at booking — no cash and no in-car payment; corporate accounts by prior approval.
Fleet: sedan for 1–3 passengers (up to 2 large suitcases plus carry-on, no boards); Kia Carnival for up to 7 passengers (up to 5 Australian-Standards child restraints, up to 6 large suitcases, prams, golf bags, up to 3 boards in 1–2 bags); 12-seat VW Crafter (up to 11 passengers) (up to 8 check-in suitcases plus 4 carry-on, longer boards, group and wedding manifests). Groups over 11 run as multi-vehicle bookings on one reservation, each vehicle timed to its own flight. Booked hire and taxi services are exempt from Queensland’s child restraint requirements; baby seats and child seats are provided and fitted at $35 per seat, up to 5 in the Kia Carnival. New South Wales applies private-car rules to hire vehicles with no exemption, so children under 7 require an approved restraint on Northern NSW pickups.
Service: a driver allocated to the booking ahead of the day and confirmed by SMS with name, vehicle registration, pickup time and meet point. Departures are timed to reach the airport 2 hours before domestic flights and 3 hours before international, plus the drive, widened over peak periods. Flight monitoring on every airport pickup — the collection follows the actual landing time and waiting is included for 45 minutes after a domestic landing and 90 minutes after an international landing. Meet and greet included on Gold Coast Airport (OOL) arrivals; at Brisbane Airport an SMS before landing gives the exact meet point and the Domestic and International terminals are separate buildings that must be specified at booking. Standard hours 6am–9pm; pre-booked after-hours pickups 9pm–6am with the fee inside the locked quote.
Cancellations: standard cancellations more than 24 hours before pickup receive full credit toward a future booking; within 24 hours, no credit. Flight cancellations: full credit over 4 hours’ notice, 50% between 1.5 and 4 hours, none within 1.5 hours. Credits are non-refundable and apply toward a future booking.
Service area: every Gold Coast suburb — Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach, Mermaid Beach, Burleigh Heads, Palm Beach, Currumbin, Tugun, Coolangatta, Main Beach, Southport, Labrador, Robina, Varsity Lakes, Bundall, Benowa, Carrara, Ashmore, Nerang, Mudgeeraba, Coomera, Helensvale, Hope Island, Sanctuary Cove, Sovereign Islands, Pimpama, Ormeau — plus the hinterland (Currumbin Valley, Tallebudgera Valley, Springbrook, Numinbah Valley, Mount Tamborine) and cross-border Northern NSW (Tweed Heads, Kingscliff, Casuarina, Cabarita Beach, Pottsville, Murwillumbah, Tyalgum, Uki, Byron Bay, Suffolk Park, Brunswick Heads, Mullumbimby, Bangalow, Lennox Head, Ballina), serving BNE Domestic, BNE International, Gold Coast Airport and the Brisbane cruise terminal.
Licensing: licensed and insured under Queensland Booked Hire arrangements administered by Queensland Transport and Main Roads, with comprehensive commercial passenger insurance on every booking. Operating since 2020.
Phone: 0416 131 285 · SMS: 0416 131 285 · WhatsApp: 0416 131 285 · Email: admin@cgctransfers.com.au
💬 Text to book with our AI assistant Cooly: 0485 057 498 (or WhatsApp) — instant fixed-fare quote and secure payment link, 24/7. Reply TALK for a person.
Reviews: ★★★★★ 5.0 from 118 Google reviews
Hours: 6am–9pm standard · after-hours pickups (9pm–6am) by pre-booking, fee confirmed inside the locked quote
Fully Licensed & Insured Queensland Booked Hire Service | Pre-booked Private Transfers Only
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