FAQs

Around 20 mins after all bags removed from your baggage carousel.

The usual wait time at Cairns Airport is 20 minutes or less after all bags are cleared from your arrival baggage carousel, and we deliver on this in line with Airline arrivals. We schedule airport pick ups according to airline flight arrival times. Approx. 84.9% of planes (eg SYD to CNS, MEL to CNS, BNE to CNS) arrive on time: Australian Government Department of Infrastructure, Regional Development and Cities. Flights are on time if they arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival. Every effort is made to have passengers on the way to Port Douglas within 20 minutes of all bags being cleared from your arrival baggage carousel.  This means if you arrive at 11:50am, and are off the plane and at your carousel at 12:10pm, and all bags are collected by all passengers by 12:30pm, you will be on the way to Port Douglas by 12:50pm or sooner.  In some cases there may be small delays (bags may be delayed from the plane) and we ask passengers for understanding when we deal with issues around airline arrivals beyond our control. We aim to be responsive to you, and your fellow passengers, if you or they are affected by small delays.

Around 2 to 2.5 hours before your flight from Cairns Airport.

While the journey  from Palm Cove to Cairns Airport usually takes 35 mins, roadworks and traffic conditions around the busy Smithfield shopping precinct often adds time. We will work out the best pick up time, based on your flight and traffic conditions, to have you comfortably at the airport for your check-in. We will automatically text the mobile on your booking OR email the email address associated with your booking the day before your departure around midday with your exact pick up time. Refer to your confirmation for more details once booked.

Around 20 mins. We generally only collect pre-booked passengers.

Meet your booked shuttle and leave 20 minutes or sooner after checked bags have been cleared from your arrival baggage carousel. We do not wait for the bus to ‘fill’ and are on the way as soon as booked passengers are on board. Your shuttle driver meets you at carousel 1 with your name on a sign. If you do not see your driver, please wait at carousel 1 as the driver may be taking another passenger to the shuttle, or is on their way after dropping passengers at departures . All our bookings can be managed by the domestic terminal shuttle desk beside carousel 1.

Yes

We can also collect you from Cairns Esplanade or CBD accommodation and take you to Port Douglas & vice versa. This is a separate service to our Port Douglas direct service.

Flights leaving Cairns at 6am must use private transfer.

To catch a 6am flight (or earlier) you would need to leave Port Douglas around 3:45am, which is our after hours time and is delivered as private transfer only. The journey takes 60-70 mins if no problems on Captain Cook Highway (eg landslips on highway, accidents, diversions). Standard hours seat in shared shuttle service commences from Port Douglas at 6am daily and is suitable for any flight departing Cairns Airport after 8:30am, so please contact us for availability for transfers required before 6am.  Note Virgin closes 45 mins before departure, Jetstar 40mins, Qantas 45 mins. After hours departure when available start at $280 for 1-5 people, as it is a private transfer no other passengers. You can book that together with standard hours arrival on the booking form. EG. 2 adults standard hours arrival $90 + early morning $280 departure = $370.

We actively monitor flights for both early and late arrivals.

In addition to mobile apps and the Cairns Airport website information drivers waiting at the airport drivers’ lounge have special screens to see exactly when flights have landed and when they are at the gate.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If your standard hours flight is delayed into our after hours time 7pm until 6am, we can still pick you up however there will be an after hours adjustment for private transfer rates.  We are readily able to move you to another shuttle within standard hours 6am to 7pm, but flights that arrive 3-4-5-6 hours late (eg 5pm flight lands at 11pm) have huge cost impacts for our drivers and shuttles.

We ask that you understand that flight delays that extend into the evening beyond 7pm are beyond our control, and we cannot offer standard hour services rates during 7pm to 6am. If you do expect significant delays, it is important that you please contact our office on 0481 755 740 between 8am and 5pm or the direct number for your shuttle to find out what options you have, and we can advise options for you. We will do the same and try and contact you. It is important we make contact before you arrive many hours late because midnight pick ups are not an automatic option. So please use your time while being delayed leaving Sydney or Melbourne and contact us so we can go through your options.

OPTIONS: Our usual process is to offer standard hours arrivals who arrive during after hours two options:

Option 1: Upgrade to after hours service which is delivered as a private transfer + $50 night fee.  Currently 1-5 pax after hours is $280 one way to Port Douglas, and 6-13 pax is $360 one way to Port Douglas. We will credit your entire standard hours transfer value to your after hours transfer.
Option 2: We will provide you 100% refund. Note this will be made back to the credit card you paid with or by online banking. Either way the refund is not instant as credit card refunds made take 3-4 business days to reappear on your card. That is due to the card issuer not Cairns Port Douglas Shuttle. If refund by online banking we need your BSB and account details and that will either be instant if OSKO payment (depending on your bank and you account settings) or 1 business day. We thank you for your understanding.

Yes. Child booster seats (B) and front (FFR) or rear facing (RFR) baby seats are available if requested at time of booking.

Child seats are available but are not compulsory on our Queensland buses over 13 seats. We usually use 13 seater Toyota HiAce or 20 seater Toyota Coaster. Cost is $9 each way per seat ($18 return transfer). If needed please add to your booking so they can be installed and ready for your departure. It is generally not possible to add child seats after you have arrived. These are usually Baby Love brand and 1-2 years old.

All quotes valid 24 hours. Quote requests are replied to within 2-3 hours between 8am – 5pm daily.  Confirmations are usually sent within 2-4 hours of payment between 8am – 5pm daily.

Quotes include a payment link and a unique CAS reference number for you to pay with. Once we receive your payment we will usually send your shuttle confirmation doc within 2-4 hours. Quote requests and payments for quotes received after 5PM are processed the next morning when our office opens at 8am (Brisbane time) or sooner if we’re still online.

When using our book and pay forms payments are processed by the CairnsAirportShuttle.net affiliate you are allocated to , OR when using our quote system payments are processed directly by CairnsAirportShuttle.net.

Either way you receive a CairnsAirportShuttle.net approved booking reference and at all times can contact CairnsAirportShuttle.net direct about your booking, or to organise a refund (subject to cancel fees), or to change travel dates. Every booking confirmation also provides direct contact details for your shuttle. All bookings with CairnsAirportShuttle.net may also approach the domestic airport shuttle desk beside the arrival baggage carousels. We work closely with this desk. Please always use your unique ID when contacting us.

Around 60-70 minutes from Cairns Airport to Port Douglas.

Depending on traffic and which end of Port Douglas your accommodation is located. The drive is approx. 20-25 minutes through the northern suburbs of Cairns (past sugar cane fields) 30-35 minutes along the coast (a world heritage listed drive) and the last 10 minutes past sugar cane and into Port.

We generally use Hyundai iMax (7 pax), Toyota Hiace (13 pax), or Commuter (20 pax). For your comfort we also use luxury 57 seater coaches in peak times.

Our vehicles are popular with all shuttle companies here. Seats max 13 -20 passenger seats. Fully air conditioned, 100% seat belts, and reclining seats.

Split bookings are not possible to have people departing at different times or different days on the same booking. Group discounts not eligible when attempting multiple departures on one booking. We do not recommend scheduling one pick up for flights arriving separately.

Split arrivals or staggered departures require additional pick ups and drop offs for each booking. This means more shuttles, drivers and airport access fees are involved with any booking that requests split arrivals and staggered departures. Delays at any part of the process like planes from different cities scheduled to arrive together but actually arrive hours apart obviously impact your plans, and others travelling with you. The most common example of this is when flights from Sydney get delayed for many hours due to heavy storm activity at Sydney Airport.

All return bookings (eg Cairns Airport to Port Douglas to Cairns Airport) are only eligible for one airport pick up, and one accommodation drop off on arrival. On departure all bookings are eligible for one accommodation pick up and one airport drop off per booking.  The best idea is to use our shuttle booking form and book each group separately. You will travel together with your friends or family if flights arrive as scheduled.

The only exception to this policy is if you’re arriving at similar times and are prepared to wait for others in your group – let us know in the OTHER COMMENTS section of your booking. We will attempt to group your arrivals together if on time, and if a plane is significantly delayed we will transfer you and allocate the delayed group the next available shuttle or offer the delayed group alternatives.

Yes. Thala Beach is the only possible stop between Cairns Airport and Port Douglas.

Thala Beach Resort is 50 mins north of Cairns, and 10 mins south of Port Douglas. If we have shuttle transfer bookings for Thala Beach we will pick up, or drop off, at Thala Beach Resort. This usually only affects 1-2 Port Douglas direct services per week. Due to the location so far from Cairns we include it as part of Port Douglas. The cost for Thala Beach transfers is the same as Port Douglas transfers. Many passengers also enjoy the slight 5 min diversion to see the amazing location of Thala Beach Resort, and youngies and oldies alike enjoy driving through the field of Coconut trees that surround this magical location.

If you are staying at Thala Beach Resort, or would like to go there for lunch or dinner, we do offer a service between Port Douglas and Thala Beach Resort for $25 per person one way. As Thala Beach Resort is 10 mins from Port Douglas it is well outside local shuttle services, and we deliver Port Douglas <> Thala Beach Resort as a private transfer service only at $25 per person each way. Thank you for your understanding.

Paul and Vish are not drivers. We’re a booking service offering a friendly service with local knowledge.

Paul has driven the beautiful coastal road between Cairns Airport and Port Douglas 100s of times as a shuttle bus driver and spent loads of time talking to different drivers of different services operating up here. With that experience and now with over 7 years creating, owning and operating CairnsAirportShuttle.net our service is all about taking the hassle out of the booking process, the multiple options, fare differences, different rules and importantly helping visitors avoid unwanted detours when you just want to go direct to your accommodation on arrival. You’re in Far North Queensland! It’s time to get to your accommodation, get by the pool or hit the beach, and find a cooling drink. We provide good prices, good information and connect you with the best Cairns to Port Douglas shuttle services so you can focus on anticipating and enjoying your Port Douglas holiday.

The team of drivers working for our affiliated services are all experienced locals with accredited passenger transport drivers authority issued by the Queensland Government Department of Transport and Main Roads.

Yes! On arrival you can contact the airport shuttle desk about any of our bookings: just quote the unique ID from your booking confirmation. 

The airport desk has limited ‘walk up’ seats available in 2022 and basically after 6pm there are next to no services available from any shuttles that haven’t been pre-booked before your arrival. So for any arrivals it is now crucial that passengers book in advance both for price saving and avoiding long waits.  Book ahead now.

​It’s common for some international Air NZ flights from Cairns to leave from the Cairns domestic terminal.  

International flights to NZ often go via Sydney or Brisbane, and so usual domestic check in time applies. Paul and Vish know from experience going to NZ from Cairns that you will usually go domestic to Brisbane or Sydney or Melbourne. Your luggage goes ahead of you having been checked in at Cairns. Then you will transit yourselves from the Brisbane or Sydney or Melbourne domestic airport to the International Airport and complete customs there. This is general advice only and so please look closely at your ticket and flight instructions.

Yes we can help.

Our primary service is direct Cairns Airport to Port Douglas to Cairns Airport with no stops. However, we can drop you into Cairns Esplanade/ CBD, and pick you up from Cairns Esplanade/ CBD  for additional flat rate $20 to each booking. See the eligible drop off area. For drop offs into Cairns we will first quickly drop passengers to the airport at the north end of Cairns (takes 5-10 mins) , and then go into the City.  For pick ups from Cairns Esplanade accommodation the reverse happens where we will pick you up, and then collect passengers from the airport as we head north. Pick ups usually take a little longer at 15-20mins, but you are welcome to stay seated in our air conditioned van.  Sometimes the shuttle will just be Cairns accommodation drop off (like yourself) and will bypass the airport, or direct from the CBD to Port Douglas if no airport passengers are collected on that leg.  As the airport is at the northern end of Cairns  all shuttle companies will drop passengers to the airport before drop offs in Cairns CBD, and vice versa when heading north.

We drop you at, and collect you from, the door of your accommodation in almost every part of Port Douglas. 

Our service does not provide option to wait while passengers collect keys from booking agencies and then transfer on to accommodation. Your single drop off can be one or the other. This saves others waiting in your shared shuttle undue delay in commencing their holidays. Accommodation drop-off exceptions due to access are: Beachfront Mirage as this is a gated community and we drop you at the gate, and Murphy Street (approx. 53-69 Murphy Street is very difficult for a shuttle + trailer to reverse out of – so we may drop you on the corner of Owen and Murphy – for the short 20-80m walk to your accommodation).

Our standard airport service does not service Cape Tribulation, or anywhere north of Port Douglas.

We usually only offer service between Cairns Airport and Port Douglas. For any connections north of Port Douglas that do wish to use our shuttle service to Port Douglas, most welcome! We usually drop off and pick up from your Port Douglas accommodation, or Wildlife Habitat at the southern end of Port Douglas. Your Daintree accommodation or car hire then takes you further North: Daintree/ Cape Tribulation: CairnsAirportShuttle.net is not aware of any service that operates from Cairns Airport to Daintree, or from Port Douglas to Daintree accommodation. Hiring a rental car in Port Douglas is a common solution;  Newell Beach: We can organise 1-5, 6-13, or 14-20 pax private transfer only from Port Douglas to Newell Beach; Silky Oaks: Ask the accommodation about transport options, which may include them picking you up from Port Douglas as above, or car hire; Mossman: There are some shuttles that can take you to Mossman Gorge and Mossman Township, and outside the local shuttle area. Ask your accommodation about whether a shuttle or taxi will best suit your needs.

Unfortunately not but we do have services that help.

This helps us reduce the price for every single passenger on our service.  We do not charge extra for mobility aids or wheelchairs. We do operate a direct service between Cairns Airport and Cairns, with no stops in Palm Cove which saves every passenger approx. 30 minutes.

No problem, but we do add $20 extra per booking

As indicated on our booking form and to provide our drivers with a fair rate for working Christmas Day we apply $20 per booking (irrespective of how many people in the group) for that day. We welcome your Christmas Day booking, and thank you in advance for your support for our drivers.

Passengers are not permitted to drink alcohol or eat food or consume any non water beverage on public passenger vehicles in Queensland. The following common courtesies are for the comfort and enjoyment of your travelling party and all passengers on our shuttles, limousines or private transfers. Queensland Government fines and cleaning charges can result if these courtesies are not followed.

1. Bottled water is permitted to be consumed on our shuttles, however all other food and beverages are not permitted to be consumed on our shuttle service. This Queensland food and beverage restriction on public passenger vehicles is in the Transport Operations (Passenger Transport) Regulation 2018 (Qld) s 232(2). Thank you for your help to keep our shuttles clean and tidy.

2. A cleaning charge of $175 INC GST applies to any non-water spillages or mess in the shuttle that in the assessment of the driver needs to be professionally cleaned. This cleaning charge applies to spillages of carbonated beverages like Coke, Pepsi, Fanta and the like. Spillages of sunscreen, perfume or of non-carbonated beverages like orange juice or apple juice, and foods like yoghurt, sandwiches, kebabs, pies and any type of food spillage will also attract the cleaning charge. Any bodily fluids including vomit, urine, faeces will automatically attract the cleaning charge independent of the driver’s assessment. If cleaning is required we will provide an invoice for payment due within 7 days. Your assistance is appreciated.

3. Please take any rubbish with you.

4. Animals are not permitted on our shuttle service, unless they are an approved guide, hearing, or assistance animal.

5. Smoking is not permitted on our shuttle service. This includes electronic cigarettes.

6. Passengers are required to use earphones when listening to music or watching videos on a personal device, and keep the volume at a reasonable level.

7. For the comfort of all travelling passengers musical instruments are not permitted to be played on our shuttle service.