Townsville Airport (TSV) coach transfers
Townsville Airport at Garbutt is 10 to 15 minutes from the city. Nowhere at the terminal is marked for coaches, and security rules at the kerb are strict, so plan the arrival with care.
A restricted parking zone
Commonwealth security rules make the whole airport a restricted parking zone. Parking in front of the terminal is banned, and a vehicle that stops anywhere not designated for it risks a ticket. Set-down and collection are in the signed public zone right outside, and the driver stays with the vehicle.
Until the flight lands, the driver can sit in a holding area a few minutes' drive from the terminal, free for 30 minutes. A coach will not fit the car parks, which are built for ordinary cars.
Teams and match days
If a team is heading to Queensland Country Bank Stadium, note the bus rules there. A bus with 22 seats or fewer can load inside the Dean Street car park without a booking. Bigger coaches go to a charter bus zone on Dean Street, Central Park side, around a 400 m walk to Gate A, and that zone needs booking. Major event days have no public parking on site.
Where the driver meets you
- Townsville Airport does not publish a coach pick-up point; passenger set-down and collection is allowed in the signed public zone directly outside the terminal, where drivers must stay with the vehicle.
Where coaches wait
- The airport does not publish a coach staging area; a free 30-minute holding area a few minutes from the terminal is for drivers waiting to collect passengers.
Drive to the CBD
- about 9 km by road to Flinders Street in the city centre, about 10-15 min in light traffic
Around Townsville
Flinders Street is about 9 km away. Most hotels are on The Strand or in the city centre. For Magnetic Island, most groups take the passenger ferry from the Breakwater terminal, about 20 minutes, and use island transport. A vehicle on the car ferry from Ross Street needs a booking confirmed with the ferry operator.
Billabong Sanctuary, about 20 minutes south, makes an easy first afternoon. Reef HQ is closed for a rebuild. Signs on the Wallaman Falls road say it is unsuitable for buses, and whether Mount Spec Road to Paluma suits a bus is for the operator to confirm.
Long runs
Townsville to Cairns is about 350 km. Plan that run, and any like it, around the Heavy Vehicle National Law limits on how long a driver may work before a rest.
Questions
Is there a shuttle for late arrivals?
Yes. A shuttle meets the main flights and goes to city hotels and the Magnetic Island ferry. There is also Translink route 222, once an hour, to the city bus hub.
Can the coach wait at the kerb?
No. Until the group is ready the coach stays in the holding area, then moves to the signed zone.
Is Charters Towers a day trip?
Yes. It is about 136 km, 1.5 to 1.75 hours each way.
Cities
Vehicles
- Full-size coach — 45-57 seats
- Midi coach — 25-35 seats
- Minibus — 13-24 seats
- Executive Sprinter van — 10-11 seats
- Executive car (sedan or SUV) — 1-3 seats
- Wheelchair-accessible minibus — Varies by layout; wheelchair positions replace seats seats
Request a Townsville Airport coach
Send the flight, team or group size, and the hotel or venue. A partner operator quotes.
Request a quote or call +61485016608