Air Travel to Gold Coast Australia

Air travel to Gold Coast Australia is via either Brisbane Airport or Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta. You will need to weigh up which is the most suitable airport for you.

JetStar flights to the Gold Coast are popular as it is a local Australian low cost airline and division of QANTAS.

How Do I Choose Which Airport For The Gold Coast?

When planning your air travel to Gold Coast Australia choose the airport which gives you the best combination of:

• Cost of airfare based on your budget
• Cost of transfers to your accommodation
• Class of service - first and business class are not available on all domestic flights particularly into the Gold Coast Airport
• Flight availability, frequency, arrival and departure times
• Location of your accommodation - northern, central, southern or hinterland Gold Coast
• Where you are coming from - within Australia or from Overseas

When booking flights in or out of the Gold Coast or Brisbane I like to make it simple for myself!  I tend to search the main domestic airlines websites directly (Qantas, Jetstar and Virgin Blue). It can take a bit of time, but then I am happy I have the best options.

I used to use the look for it all in one place websites, but I have not found one that I am consistently happy with and comfortable to recommend.

Airport Information

Brisbane International and Domestic Airport and Gold Coast International and Domestic Airport pages include:

• Airport Facilities and Services
• Airlines using each airport
• Direct destinations
• Airport transfer options

General Tips for Air Travel to Gold Coast Australia

Air travel to Gold Coast Australia is the most common form of transport for visitors, both international and domestic. Most international visitors are quite surprised by the distances between cities in Australia - so don't think you can easily drive from Sydney to the Gold Coast - it is a good 10 hour car trip, not including rest stops!

Domestic flights from the major Australian cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin or Perth are available to both Brisbane and Gold Coast Airports.

Gold Coast Airport is also within easy driving distance of areas in northern NSW including Byron Bay - approximately 1 to 1½ hours.

Brisbane Airport is approximately1 to 1½ hours drive south to the Gold Coast, 2½ hours to Byron Bay and 1 hour's drive north to the Sunshine Coast. The Sunshine Coast regional domestic airport is at Maroochydore.

Sometimes when arriving late at night into Brisbane Airport you may want to consider staying at a local hotel and then travelling down to Gold Coast in the morning. Here are two resources that may help you.

• Brisbane Airport Hotels information
• Brisbane Airport Night Arrivals Information and Tips

Important Information About Air Travel To Gold Coast Australia From Overseas

Unless you hold an Australian or New Zealand passport you will need some kind of Visa when travelling to Australia. ETA Visas are Electronic Travel Authority Visas for business and tourist purposes which will save you time and hassle.

You can apply online if you are from an ETA Visa approved country. The online application process is fast, simple, secure and available 24/7.

Requirements for overseas visitors to Australia are quite strict.

It is best to learn about visa, quarantine and customs regulations before travel. The following links to Australian Government websites cover most of the main topics for travel to Australia.

Each link opens in a new window.

Australian Immigration and Visa Information
Australian Visa Information and Requirements for Visitors.

Guide for Travellers to Australia
Great guide covering all the basic information about what you can bring into Australia and what items have restrictions.  This is really important information for overseas visitors I highly recommend you read this as there may be some items you are not aware of.  This information does change so if you have been here before it is still worth reading to avoid embarrassment on arrival.
Australian Customs Information and Requirements for air travel to Gold Coast Australia

Australian Customs Information
Arrivals, departures, quarantine, customs, duty free and other useful information.
Australian Customs website

Tourist Refunds on Goods and Services Tax (GST) and Wine Equilisation Tax (WET)
Overseas visitors buying items in Australia to take home, may be eligible to claim the GST or WET back upon departure. GST is Australia's version of Value Added Tax or VAT - similar schemes operate in other countries. This information explains how and what you can claim.
Tourist Refund Scheme.

More Holiday Planning Information

There are plenty of reasons to make the Gold Coast your next holiday destination and there is more than enough to keep you busy... or relaxed.

Here is where you will find more information to help plan your trip.

• Gold Coast Travel Planning Guide for a birds eye view of what to consider for your Gold Coast holiday including information on Gold Coast major events.
  
• Month by Month Guide with one page per month of the year, you can easily discover what is going on each month.
  
• Australian school holidays information about the school holidays in Australia which differ from State to State.
  
• Gold Coast family holidays has hints and tips for families travelling to the Gold Coast with children.
• Discover Gold Coast attractions to suit everyone! From man-made attractions to the totally natural attractions that this part of Queensland has to offer.
  
• Gold Coast car rentals and transport options for getting around south east Queensland.
  

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