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How to Get from Airports to the Gold Coast
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How to Get from Airports to the Gold Coast

Delegates will be arriving at Brisbane International, Brisbane Domestic, or Coolangatta (Gold Coast) Airports. Because delegates may arrive on any of a large number of different flights at any of three different airports, we are unable to have staff on hand to help you. However, instructions on how to reach your Gold Coast accommodation will be available at all airports and the basic information is provided below.

Arriving at Coolangatta (Gold Coast) Airport

Airport Shuttle services operate from the Gold Coast Airport to most registered holiday accommodation on the Gold Coast strip. The counters are located at the baggage collection area for all domestic flights and at the Customs Hall exit for international flights.

Freedom Pass is a complete Gold Coast transport package for anyone holidaying on the Gold Coast.

The Freedom Pass includes:

• A door to door return Airport transfer*
• Unlimited door to door theme park transfers
• Unlimited use of the Surfside bus network, 24 hours a day. This includes the use of our new Theme Park Express buses if they are your preference over the door to door services.

The Freedom Passes are available in 3, 5, 7, 10, or 14 days. Please note, they are valid for consecutive days from, and including, the arrival date.

Both Airport Transfers (on their own) and Freedom Passes (including Airport Transfers) can either be prebooked or purchased at the Airport upon arrival.
Email: Reservations@gcshuttle.com.au
Tel: + 61 (0)7 5574 5111

* Door to door may mean the nearest safe pickup point.

Arriving at Brisbane Domestic Airport, or Brisbane International Airport

The Domestic and International Airport terminals in Brisbane are located in different buildings that are separated from each other by a considerable distance (approximately two kilometres). Delegates arriving at either of these Brisbane airports have the choice of taxi, coach, or train service to the Gold Coast. They are serviced by different railway stations, but on the same line, although the instructions to reach the Gold Coast are the same in each case.

Taxi services operate from special ranks on the roadway outside the exit from the luggage collection area (or immigration and quarantine services in the case of the International terminal building). All Australian taxi’s operate on meters, and virtually all take payment by credit card. A one-way taxi fare to the Gold Coast should be approximately $A160 and there should be an airport official on hand (at the Domestic Terminal at least), who will organize taxis for hirers in order of their arrival in the queue.

Coach services are operated by Coachtrans, which picks up passengers at both the Domestic and International airport terminals. The service meets all flights and a single trip to the Gold Coast costs $A35 one way and $A65 return. Tickets are purchased from the Coachtrans desk inside the terminal building and need to be presented to the driver on boarding. The Coachtrans buses offer a door-to-door service to all Gold Coast accommodation.

AirtrainConnect provides a meet and greet on arrival at Brisbane domestic and international airports for all pre-booked passengers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Passengers are met at the baggage collection area by a friendly Customer Service Officer who assist with luggage and escort them to the train.

Trains depart (on average) every 30 minutes and after a cool, calm 85 minute air-conditioned journey to the Gold Coast, customers are greeted by their chauffeur and transferred directly to their Gold Coast destination.

These services operate from 06:30 am to 07:00 pm and any transfers booked outside these hours will be completed in an Airtrain- Con-x-ion mini coach directly from the airport to the door of their Gold Coast accommodation.

The standard price is $37 for a single journey, but Airtrain offers a 10% discount on all fares for conference delegates – you must book this service in advance.

Book online here
Tel: + 61 (0)7 3216 3308

In all cases, irrespective of whether you are traveling by taxi, coach, or train, please have Australian money or a credit card since the taxi drivers, coach companies, or railway station will not accept foreign currency to pay for the journey.

A range of international and Australian companies provide Hire cars available for pick-up at all three airports. See the company reception desk inside the terminal building. For those on a strict budget, some cheaper-priced hire car companies operate from sites in the city.

All visitors to Australia (with the exception of New Zealand citizens) will require a visa to enter the country. As visas may take up to 3 months to approve, it is imperative to apply for your visa as early as possible.

Participants of an event or conference in Australia will generally need to apply for a subclass 456 Business (Short Stay) Visitor visa. Please note that applications for this Visitor visa can only be made at an Australian visa office overseas.
See: Office and Contact Details Outside Australia

Electronic Travel Authority eligible passports
The following passport holders are able to access Australia's Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) issuing system. An ETA is issued by computer between the Department of Immigration and travel agents, airlines and specialist service providers.

* Holders of Taiwan passports can only be processed for an ETA if resident in and applying in Taiwan.

** Holders of UK passports which indicate their nationality to be British National (Overseas) can only be processed for an ETA if resident in and applying in Hong Kong.

ETA applications can be made through the Department's Internet address: www.eta.immi.gov.au

If an overseas participant is eligible to obtain an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) they may apply for either a Short or Long Validity Business Visitor ETA.

Additional information on the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs' Electronic Travel Authority system can be found via the following links.

The Electronic Travel Authority Fact Sheet 55
The Department of Immigration www.immi.gov.au/eta/

If you require an invitation letter to secure a visa or other permission to attend the meeting, please contact the secretariat on iaae@hoteliersint.com.

Driving to the conference venue from the Brisbane airport takes around 1.5 hours, most of it on motorway. All major international car-hire firms have a representative at Brisbane Airport. Bookings can be done on-line through the respective websites.
Avis
Hertz
Europcar
Budget

The conference organisers recommend that all delegates purchase travel insurance including cover for non-refundable registration fees.

For a Foreign Exchange Currency Converter please click on the link below.
http://www.xe.com/ucc/

Time Zones

To check out time zone differences please click on the link below.
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Australian Phone Numbers and Addresses

To locate individual and institutional phone numbers and addresses in Australia please click on the link below.
http://www.whitepages.com.au/wp/busSearch.jhtml

International travellers can claim back the GST (goods and services tax) and WET (wine equalisation tax) they have paid on goods purchased in Australia that they are taking with them when they leave the country. The tax can be claimed back at international airports and seaports under the Tourist Refund Scheme (TRS) subject to conditions such as an AUD$300 minimum purchase from one store. Details on the TRS are available at www.customs.gov.au under the Travellers heading. Please note that this scheme is not applicable to conference registration fees or accommodation.

Tourism images courtesy Tourism Queensland

26th Conference of the International Association of Agricultural Economists
12-18 August 2006 | Gold Coast, Australia