Airport Transfers
Private airport transportation from Cairns Airport (CNS) in Queensland to hotels and apartments in Cairns, the Northern Beaches, Palm Cove and Port Douglas, booked before you land.
Pre-booked private transportation takes you directly from Cairns Airport to your hotel, resort or vacation rental.
After immigration, baggage claim and customs, continue outside the terminal to the meeting area named in your confirmation. Your vehicle is reserved only for the passengers on your reservation: unlike a shared shuttle, it makes no extra hotel stops for other travelers, and the price is per vehicle, not per person.
Our airport transportation in Cairns takes you from T1 or T2 to hotels and apartments in the city center and on the Esplanade, the Reef Fleet Terminal for boats to the Great Barrier Reef, the Northern Beaches from Trinity Beach to Clifton Beach, Palm Cove and Port Douglas.
Cairns airport transfers start in the arrivals hall: at T1 International your driver waits as you come out of customs and biosecurity, and at T2 Domestic after baggage claim. We track your flight, so the pickup follows your real landing time, and the price for your vehicle is fixed before you fly, from a sedan for two to a van for a family or group with luggage.
Each Cairns airport transfer goes door to door to your hotel, apartment or vacation rental in Cairns, on the Northern Beaches, in Palm Cove or in Port Douglas. Heading on to Mission Beach, the Atherton Tablelands or the Daintree? Enter your address in the booking form to see whether a transfer is offered for that route.
Our Cairns airport shuttle is a private van for your party only, not the shared coach that stops at hotel after hotel on the way to Palm Cove and Port Douglas. It leaves as soon as you have your bags, with room for suitcases, strollers, dive gear and golf clubs, and suits families and groups.
From private sedans to group vans. One fixed price per vehicle, whatever your party size.
Illustrative
Private Sedan
1 to 4 passengers
Private, non-stop transfer. All taxes included.
Illustrative
Luxury SUV
Up to 6 passengers
Comfortable VIP SUV with premium features.
Illustrative
Private Van
Up to 8 passengers
Ideal for families and groups with luggage.
Illustrative
Group Van
Up to 16 passengers
Our largest vehicle. Room for up to 16 passengers and their luggage.
Cairns Airport (CNS) is in Aeroglen, north of the Cairns city center, and North Queensland Airports runs it. It has two terminals about 200 m apart: T1 International for flights from Asia, New Zealand and the Pacific, and T2 Domestic for flights within Australia, including Qantas, Virgin Australia and most Jetstar services.
At T1 you pass passport control, where eligible ePassport holders can use SmartGate, collect your bags, then go through customs and biosecurity, where officers and detector dogs check declared items, before coming out into the arrivals hall. At T2 you collect your bags and walk straight out to arrivals.
Queensland uses Australian Eastern Standard Time (UTC+10) all year with no daylight saving, so Cairns is one hour behind Sydney and Melbourne from October to April.
Visa or ETA. Every visitor except New Zealand citizens needs a visa or travel authority before flying, such as an ETA or an eVisitor for many European passports.
Arrival card and biosecurity. Fill in the paper Incoming Passenger Card and declare all food, plant material and animal products; if unsure, tick yes. Undeclared items can bring biosecurity penalties.
Two terminals. T1 handles international flights and T2 domestic ones, and Jetstar uses both, so check which terminal your flight uses.
Australian dollars. The currency is the Australian dollar (AUD), and card payments are accepted almost everywhere.
Terminal, immigration and customs details for Cairns Airport
1
Immigration, baggage claim, then customs. Representatives can't enter those areas.
2
At the meeting point in your confirmation. Check the company name before getting in.
3
No other stops, no other passengers.
At CNS
Meet in the arrivals hall
Pre-booked drivers usually meet passengers in the arrivals hall of T1 International after customs and biosecurity, or of T2 Domestic after baggage claim.
At CNS
Curbside pickup zones
The pickup zones directly outside T1 and T2 are for immediate pick-ups only; vehicles cannot wait there, so drivers who are early wait in the parking lots or the free Standby Zone.
Don't accept a ride from someone claiming to know your booking.
Check the company name and reservation details before getting in.
One-way arrival
CNS Hotel
From the airport to your hotel, resort or rental.
One-way departure
Hotel CNS
From where you're staying back to Cairns Airport.
Round trip
CNS Hotel
Both journeys on one reservation. Give both flights, the return pickup address and the passengers for each. Staying at more than one hotel? Give the full itinerary.
Transportation can also be booked from your hotel, resort or vacation rental to Cairns Airport. Your pickup time covers the drive plus check-in, security and border procedures, and your airline's instructions come first. Give the correct departure time and terminal when you book.
2 h
before a domestic flight
3 h
before an international flight
We monitor the arrival of the flight on your reservation, but can't find you on a different one. Tell customer service if any of these change:
About one checked suitcase and one carry-on each; the right vehicle depends on the total volume. Tell us about golf clubs, surfboards, bikes, strollers or extra bags.
Request them when booking, with the child's age and size. Availability and any fee are confirmed on your reservation.
Give the wheelchair's size, weight and whether it folds, so a suitable vehicle is assigned.
Ask for authorization before booking and tell us about the animal and its carrier.
Visa or ETA
Every visitor except New Zealand citizens needs a visa or travel authority, such as an ETA or eVisitor, before flying to Australia.
Declare food
Declare all food, plant and animal products on the Incoming Passenger Card, as undeclared items can bring biosecurity penalties.
Phone off
Keep your phone switched off in the international arrivals area until you have cleared customs.
Australian dollar
The currency is the Australian dollar (AUD); a currency exchange is in the T1 baggage claim area and an ATM is in arrivals.
Check your terminal
International flights use T1 and domestic flights use T2, so check which one your flight uses.
Queensland time
Cairns stays on UTC+10 all year with no daylight saving, so it is an hour behind Sydney and Melbourne from October to April.
Traveling with a large group, planning a destination wedding, or organizing transportation for a corporate retreat or conference? We offer larger vehicles and multi-vehicle coordination for groups of any size, including multiple pickup points and scheduled transfers timed around your event. Contact us with your group size and itinerary and we'll put together transportation that keeps everyone moving together.
“Absolutely fantastic service! My driver was early, courteous, and the car was immaculate.”
Sarah L. · March 2026
“The ride was comfortable and quick. Quality service that's well worth it.”
James H. · February 2026
“I use airporttransportation.com whenever I travel. Consistently reliable, and their drivers are top-notch.”
William C. · February 2026
“Booking was simple and the price was clear. No surprises at the airport. Highly recommended.”
María G. · January 2026
24 h
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup, with a full refund. Later cancellations aren't refundable.
Changes
Contact us to change the flight, hotel or pickup time. Deadlines are in the reservation policies.
No-shows
Waiting time, no-shows and extra stops follow the reservation policies you accept at checkout.
Book your transfer online in a few minutes using the form above. If your plans change, contact us as soon as possible to modify your pickup details or cancel your reservation, response times and any applicable fees depend on how close to your pickup date the change is requested.
In the arrivals hall. At T1 International your driver waits as you come out of customs and biosecurity; at T2 Domestic, after baggage claim. Check the company name against your confirmation before getting in.
Cairns Airport is about 7 km (4 miles) north of the city center, usually around 10 minutes by car. Palm Cove is about 25 km north, roughly 25 minutes, and Port Douglas about 66 km north, roughly an hour.
Yes. Your driver takes you straight to your resort, hotel or apartment in Port Douglas, with no stops at other hotels on the way.
Yes. We drive to hotels and vacation rentals in Palm Cove and along the Northern Beaches, including Trinity Beach, Kewarra Beach and Clifton Beach.
Yes. We drive you to the Reef Fleet Terminal in central Cairns, where boats leave for the reef, Green Island and Fitzroy Island. Give us your departure time when you book, so the pickup leaves a comfortable margin for check-in.
Mission Beach is south of Cairns, Kuranda is in the hinterland, and the Daintree and Cape Tribulation lie north of Port Douglas across the Daintree River ferry. Enter your address in the booking form to see whether a transfer is offered for that route; if it is not, contact us before you fly.
International flights arrive at T1 and domestic flights at T2, about 200 m apart. Jetstar flies both domestic and international routes, so check your ticket and give us your flight number and terminal when you book.
Yes. Give the full street address, any gate or building access details and a contact number, so your driver can find the entrance.
Yes. Your pickup is booked for your flight's arrival time, whatever the hour, and your driver follows the flight.
There is no need. Booking ahead gives you a confirmed vehicle and a meeting point before you land. If someone approaches you in arrivals, check the company name against your confirmation before getting in.
We monitor the flight on your reservation, so your driver waits for the actual landing. If your flight number, date or airline changes, or your flight is canceled, tell customer service so the pickup can be moved.
Yes. Book a one-way departure or a round trip from your hotel or rental, and give your flight number and departure time and whether you fly from T1 or T2, so the pickup is set for check-in and security.
Not all year. Queensland does not use daylight saving, so Cairns stays on UTC+10 and is one hour behind Sydney and Melbourne from October to April.
No. Airport Transportation is a private transfer service that books rides from CNS; we are not the airport or its operator. For terminals, airlines and other ways to get around, see our Cairns Airport page.
We provide private transportation from any airport to any hotel at the best price, and we are licensed with complete insurance liability.
Airport Transportation provides private transportation only, in vans, luxury SUVs, or semi-buses.
Prices on our website are per vehicle, not per person, based on a range of passengers.
Regular vans carry up to 9 passengers, semi-buses up to 16, and luxury SUVs up to 6 passengers.
Walk all the way out of the airport. You'll see representatives holding boards. Look for the Airport Transportation logo or your name.
Commonly Toyota Hiace, Volkswagen Transporter, Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Chevrolet Tahoe, and Chevrolet Suburban.
Yes. We carry insurance with complete liability for all passengers while using our services.
Baby seats are provided with prior notice, subject to availability, one seat maximum per vehicle.
You can book any time in advance; we suggest one week to one day ahead. Same-day reservations are available.
PayPal is our main payment method; a cash option is also available when booking through our website. Credit cards are accepted through PayPal.
Yes. For your comfort all our units have air conditioning.
During booking we ask for your airline and flight number so we can track delays and wait for you.
Yes, you can add an extra stop to your service during the booking process.
No. Prices are set per passenger range or per vehicle, not per age.
Yes. Cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before your pick-up and you are refunded in full. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before service are not refundable.
Yes. While their English may not be native-level, drivers have the skills to communicate with passengers.
Tips are not mandatory but are highly recommended; drivers earn them through service quality.
All prices are in USD. Via PayPal you can pay in almost any currency; cash payments accept USD only.
We can transport domestic pets kept in cages that fit in a normal vehicle.
Yes. There is plenty of room for one suitcase and one carry-on per person.
Every private transfer includes a professional, licensed driver; an insured, well-maintained vehicle; real-time flight monitoring; meet-and-greet service at arrivals; and door-to-door service with no hidden fees added after booking. Your fixed price covers the full route to your destination.
Choose the vehicle for your party and luggage, add your flight, and review the full reservation before you pay.
Book a transfer