You can go by bus and tram, shuttle, taxi or rideshare (a car with a driver booked through an app, such as Uber). By public transport, bus 777 goes to Burleigh Heads, and from there the G:link tram continues to Surfers Paradise, with a flat fare of 50 cents. By car it is about 30 minutes.
We use Surfers Paradise as the "centre" because it is the destination the airport mentions. Everything was seen on 5 November 2026 on the airport's or the operator's website. The city is in the Gold Coast page.
The terminal closes at night. The airport says it is open from 4:00 to 23:00 every day and that you cannot stay inside overnight.
What are the options and how much do they cost?
There are four, listed in alphabetical order, without ranking them:
| Option | Adult price | Journey time | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 777 and tram | 50 cents, the Translink flat fare | About 21 minutes by bus. No figure for the tram | See below |
| Con-x-ion shuttle | Not published on these pages | Not published | Desk 10:00 to 17:00, with a machine the rest of the day |
| Taxi | Not published | About 30 minutes by car to Surfers Paradise | Ranks at the terminal |
| Rideshare | Not published | About 30 minutes by car to Surfers Paradise | Areas at the terminal |
How do the bus and tram work?
It is a journey with a change at Burleigh Heads:
- Bus 777: leaves the airport and makes few stops, through Palm Beach, to Burleigh Heads station.
- G:link tram: continues to Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise and Southport. Its trams already run between Helensvale and Burleigh Heads.
Translink, the Queensland public network, showed these 777 departures for 6 November 2026: 5:10, 5:40, 5:55, 6:10 and 6:25. The first reached the last stop, Stockland Burleigh Heads, at 5:31, about 21 minutes later. We could not see the full timetable or the last bus of the day.
Translink warns of changes to buses and trams from 7 September 2026, to connect the coast. If you have an earlier timetable, it may no longer be valid.
What if I am going to Brisbane or Robina?
Bus 760 goes to Varsity Lakes and Robina. At Varsity Lakes there are trains to central Brisbane, according to the airport. The page gives no times or prices.
How do you pay for public transport?
You pay with a go card, a contactless bank card or your phone. The airport details it like this:
- Go card: bought and topped up at WHSmith, in domestic arrivals. Translink can be reached on 13 12 30.
- Contactless payment: Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. You must tap on and tap off.
- Go Explore: a card with unlimited travel per day. The page does not give its price.
Translink charges 50 cents on buses and trams in South East Queensland, in all its zones. The tram company confirms that figure. Translink gives no end date and does not explain how a transfer is counted, so we do not know whether this journey costs 50 cents or A$1 in total.
How does the shuttle work?
Con-x-ion runs transfers from the airport, with a desk open from 10:00 to 17:00 and a machine outside those hours. Its home page mentions door-to-door transfers and a timetabled line between the airport and the Gold Coast, but gives no price from this airport to Surfers Paradise.
How much does a taxi or rideshare cost?
The airport does not publish a figure for either. It does say that Surfers Paradise is about 30 minutes by car.
- Taxis: the ranks are at the south end of the terminal, near international arrivals. Companies: 13 cabs (13 22 27) and Black and White Cabs (133 222).
- Uber: marked area at the south end, just outside domestic arrivals.
- DiDi and Shebah: by the kerb, near departures, with signs.
What have we not been able to confirm?
These details are missing:
- Total journey time by bus and tram. The pages we opened give only parts.
- Exact price with a transfer. Translink does not explain it on that page.
- First and last bus of the day. We only saw the next five departures.
- End of the 50-cent fare. Translink gives no date.
- Shuttle, taxi and rideshare prices. They are not published on the pages we opened.
What comes after the airport?
Next is usually somewhere to sleep and a phone. These guides cover it:
Sources
All opened on 5 November 2026.
- Transport options, Gold Coast Airport (company)
- Home page, Gold Coast Airport (company)
- Route 777 timetable, Translink (official)
- 50-cent fares, Translink (official)
- Home page, G:link (company)
- Home page, Con-x-ion (company)