Travelling to Dreamworld using Public Transport

by Maria
(Hobart)

Can we travel to Dreamworld using public transport in the Gold Coast?

We will be staying at Broadbeach. How long does it take to travel from Broadbeach to Dreamworld?

If this is not a good option, what should we expect to pay for a theme park shuttle or transfer bus that picks us up from our accommodation for a family of 2 adults and 2 kids?

Yes, you can use public transport to go from Broadbeach to Dreamworld and return. Bus is the only option for public transport from Broadbeach, as there are no train stations in or near Broadbeach.

Dreamworld is at Coomera which is in the northern part of the Gold Coast on the M1 motorway which heads to Brisbane. By car it takes about 30 to 35 minutes depending upon the traffic. By bus it takes longer as you have to stop to pick up other people!

There are now 3 Express bus services to the Gold Coast theme parks MovieWorld, Wet n Wild, Dreamworld and WhiteWater World.

TX1 travels from destinations between Tweed Heads & Mermaid Beach, just south of Broadbeach, through to the theme parks - Dreamworld, WhiteWater World, Movie World & Wet n Wild. It does not stop in Broadbeach.

TX2 travels through locations from Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise & Main Beach to the theme parks - Movie World & Wet n Wild.

TX3 travels through locations from Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise & Main Beach to the theme parks - Dreamworld & WhiteWater World.

So to get to Dreamworld from Broadbeach, you would need to use the TX3.

Depending upon where you are in Broadbeach - you may have catch a bus from where you are (or walk) to the Express bus stop which is closest to you on their route.

There are about 5 stops for each of the Express buses, but they are not all the same! For the TX3 it stops at 3 stops near Broadbeach:

• Broadbeach South station - next to Pacific Fair Shopping Centre


• Broadbeach Mall - Victoria Ave - in the heart of Broadbeach


• Old Burleigh Rd near Wharf St - about halfway between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach

It is most important to understand that these buses will not pick you up from your accommodation!

These public buses cost about $12AUD per adult return using a GoCard or just over $17AUD for a normal paper ticket. Children are about half that price each.

The buses go pretty regularly during the morning to get you to the theme park and take between 40 to 50 minutes - however, you will need to add on time to get the bus stop (either walking or by taking another bus).

If you want to go at times when the express buses don't run, the travel time will balloon out to up to 2 hours and a couple of bus changes.

There are other ticket options depending upon what other travel you need to do in the Gold Coast, check out the link below for the travel planner and you can find more options (it is a bit complicated to try to cover it here).

I have never tried these buses from Broadbeach, so I am not sure how busy they get in the mornings and if you may have to wait to get on one because they are full. Make sure you leave plenty of time just in case.

Unfortunately, you cannot book your spot on them like a shuttle bus.

Check the timetables and bus stops on Journey Planner for Public Transport in Brisbane and Gold Coast - make sure if you use it that you select All Available Services otherwise it doesn't work for the Gold Coast.

If you put in your exact accommodation address, you may have to increase or decrease the walking distance to get it to work, but it should give you the closest bus stop details.

The planner has had an overhaul, and seems easier to use now, but it can be temperamental. It has great info and therefore worth the trouble.

If taking public transport isn't going to work for you because your accommodation is not close to a bus stop, or you don't want the extra time and trouble, there are other options.

You can check out some of the other popular options for Gold Coast theme park transfers and they are to use one of the special theme park buses or to hire a car and drive yourself.

As a comparison for the public bus services you could try Theme Park Transfers that pick you up from your accommodation (but not private residences) and take you and bring you back from Dreamworld for a family of 2 adults and 2 children for about $55 AUD (updated prices June 2015).

There are also great packages that include airport transfers, theme park and other attraction transfers. By combining you save quite a bit of money and make it nice and easy to be picked up from the airport on arrival and delivered back to the airport when you leave.

This is just one of the options, there are many more which you can check out in the transport section.

I hope this helps, if you have any more questions, please use the comment section below and I will answer them as.

Have fun and hope to see you on the Gold Coast sometime soon.

Join the conversation or just check us out...

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Please note all prices shown in Australian Dollars (AUD) and are subject to change. They are only provided as a guide. Please check all terms and conditions before booking.