Gold Coast Airport Parking

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Guide to Gold Coast Airport

Gold Coast Airport (OOL), formerly known as Coolangatta Airport, is an award-winning international and domestic transport hub located in eastern Australia at the southern tip of the Gold Coast. It is one of the busiest and fastest-growing airports in the country, serving as a base for many of Australia’s major airlines and serving upwards of four million visitors per year.

Location of Gold Coast Airport

Located 62 miles (100 kilometres) south of Brisbane and only 16 miles (25 kilometres) away from the iconic beaches of Surfer’s Paradise, OOL is the busiest airport outside a state capital in Australia and is easily accessible from the surrounding regions, whether you’re driving yourself or taking one of the many express bus services available.

These services take passengers to Brisbane and Byron Bay, amongst other destinations and can be pre-booked before arrival at the airport. OOL is mere yards away from the beach in Coolangatta and its runway bestrides the border between New South Wales and Queensland.

History of Gold Coast Airport

The land on which Gold Coast Airport now sits was first developed in 1936 and consisted of three short strips providing emergency landing ground for airmail flights passing overhead between Brisbane and Sydney. However, the site started to be used for passenger flights in 1939 and regular services were put in place soon after World War II.

The subsequent decades saw rapid expansion, with the landing strips being developed and converted into taxiways and runways in the 1940s and then fully paved over in 1958 to accommodate larger aircraft. The airport’s current terminal building opened in 1981 and has also been renovated and expanded to accommodate even bigger planes and more visitors.

The airport was known as Coolangatta Airport, after the nearby suburb, until 1999. Despite being renamed Gold Coast Airport to reflect its international significance, the airport has retained its original IATA Airport code, OOL.

Having steadily increased the number of international services and airlines operating at Gold Coast Airport since the turn of the century, 2010 was a landmark year for OOL as Jetstar announced the airport as a major hub and the Australian Airports Association named it the Major Airport of the Year.

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Airport facilities

Having been consistently championed as one of Australia’s best major airports and having grown its traffic to over six million visitors a year, OOL has everything you might need, whether you’re taking a quick internal flight across the country, preparing for a long-haul international trip or just bound for the region’s famous beaches.

While the range of familiar high-street brands inside the airport have got all your travel essentials covered, OOL is also home to a variety of bars, cafés and restaurants that all take inspiration from the airport’s reputation as an international hub. Moreover, a host of luxurious and exclusive designer outlets make Gold Coast Airport one of the best shopping experiences in the region.

If you have any questions or special requirements for your time at Gold Coast Airport, more information is available here.

Facilities at OOL include:

• ATMs

• Baggage services

  • Weighing

  • Wrapping

• Business services

• Car hire

• Currency exchange

• Disabled access

  • Disabled toilets

  • Hearing loop

  • Wheelchairs

• Drinks

  • Bar

  • Hot drinks

  • Juices

  • Soft drinks

• Family facilities

  • Baby care facilities

  • Strollers

• Food

  • Cafés

  • Fast food

  • Restaurants

• Hotels

• Internet access

  • Free WiFi

  • Paid internet kiosks

• Information desk

• Lockers

• Lost property

• Lounges

• Luggage storage

• Massage chairs

• Medical help and emergencies

• Parking facilities

  • Budget

  • Long-stay

  • Pick-up/Drop-off

  • Premium

  • Short-stay

• Pay phones

• Shopping

  • Convenience stores

  • Duty free

  • High-street brands

  • Luxury goods

• Smoking areas

• Telephones

• Toilets

• Transport facilities

• Trolleys

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Gold Coast Airport hotel and parking

The area surrounding Gold Coast Airport has a wide variety of hotels that cater for all budgets, with many also offering complimentary parking upon reservation of a room. If you’ve got a flight first thing and need to be checking in before it’s light, you can park up at your hotel the night before and sleep well knowing that your car parking is sorted.

Whether you’re travelling on a budget or celebrating your holiday in style, Gold Coast Airport is surrounded by options offering everything from affordable places to rest your head to luxurious places to relax your body, including pools, spa treatments, award-winning restaurants and panoramic views of the Coolangatta region, which is famed for its breathtaking beauty.

Whilst some hotels, such as La Costa Motel and Pacific Place Apartments, are only a few minutes’ walk from the airport, many express shuttle services provide quick and convenient transport between OOL and hotels throughout the Gold Coast, so, wherever you’re staying, you can leave your car parked and get on with enjoying your trip.

The Gold Coast Airport Motel is located just 1,148 feet (350 metres) from the terminal buildings and offers short- and long-term parking packages at competitive rates, both covered and uncovered

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Top things to do in Gold Coast Airport

An international array of food and drink

As one of Australia’s premier international airports, welcoming visitors from around the world to the famous beaches of the Gold Coast, OOL’s terminal building offers an impressive assortment of food and drink that showcases the best of Australia alongside global cuisine.

There’s a range of cafés, delis and fast food outlets if you want to grab a meal on the go, as well as numerous bars and a restaurant serving a seasonal menu if you’ve got the time to sit and relax with something more substantial.

Top shopping

Whether you’re headed straight for the surf or have a sophisticated evening in the city centre to look forward to after you land, Gold Coast Airport is well-stocked with everything you might need. From holiday essentials to technological innovations and exclusive designer collections, OOL’s terminal is packed with more than 20 reputable high-street retailers as well as an extensive duty free selection if you’re after a holiday memento for yourself or a souvenir for someone at home.

A massage in minutes

Feeling run down by a relentless schedule of meetings and deadlines or just looking to start your relaxing holiday early? Gold Coast Airport’s terminal building has a number of ergonomically designed, coin-operated massage chairs that will iron out all that stress and tension so you can carry on with your work or travels relaxed and re-energised.

Find some peace and quiet

If you’re looking for somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of OOL’s terminal building to get some work done before you fly or just to sleep off your jet lag in peace, a number of airlines operate executive lounges that offer complimentary snacks, meals and drinks, as well as access to high-speed WiFi, business facilities, showers, widescreen televisions, games consoles and even a selection of classic and bestselling books.

If you want to visit the lounges at Gold Coast Airport and your ticket grants you access, it’s a good idea to pre-book your space to guarantee entry. However, if there’s room, some lounges offer single entry passes on the day for a fee. Find out what’s on offer at the lounges in Gold Coast Airport here.

Soak up some sun

Coolangatta, the Gold Coast suburb after which the airport used to be named, is an Aboriginal word meaning ‘place of good view’ and the airport boasts spectacular sights of some of the world’s most stunning areas of coastline.

If you’ve got some time before you fly, why not grab yourself a cool drink, pick a spot in one of the airport’s cafés or even on the grass outside and top up your tan before getting on the plane?

Cash back

It’s useful to remember that if you’re visiting Australia, the Tourist Refund Scheme means you can claim a refund of the taxes you pay on the goods you buy. Anything you’re carrying with you in your hand luggage or wearing onto the plane is eligible, so be sure to take it, along with the necessary documents, to the TRS facility at Gold Coast Airport to claim some money back before you fly home. You can find more information and a step-by-step guide to claiming your tourist refund here.

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Top things to do near Gold Coast Airport

Life’s a beach

Although it may seem hard to believe, some of the Gold Coast’s world-famous beaches are only 1.2 miles (two kilometres) away from the airport. Whether you’re fresh off the plane and ready to embrace Coolangatta’s colourful coastal culture, be it anything from high-octane water sports to contemplative yoga on the beach, or if you’re just looking to soak up some last-minute sun before take-off, all of it is within walking distance of the terminal building.

Surf’s up

Not only are the beaches beautiful, but the Gold Coast is home to some of Australia’s oldest and most celebrated surfing clubs. With conditions that attract surfers from around the world, there is no better place to catch a wave, whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro. Many of the clubs have fully-stocked professional-level surfing shops if you need to prep your board and there is an extensive range of rental and tuition packages available that will see you hanging ten in no time.

Sea life of all shapes and sizes

Australia’s proximity to the equator means that the surrounding warm seas are a haven for all manner of exotic aquatic animals and the Coral and Tasman Seas off the Gold Coast are no exception.

Along with the inquisitive local pod of dolphins and numerous native species of sea turtle, if you’re visiting OOL between June and November, you have the incredible opportunity to witness humpback whales as big as 52 feet (16 metres) long complete their 3,100-mile (5,000-kilometre) migration to tropical waters where they will give birth and raise their calves over the winter. What’s more, Gold Coast Airport is only three miles (five kilometres) from Point Danger and Snapper Rocks, widely considered to be amongst the best places for whale watching, with shuttle bus services running between the airport and the coast every 20 minutes.

A National Park after dark

If the beach isn’t your thing, then the 15,310-acre (6,197-hectare) UNESCO World Heritage site, Springbrook National Park, is only a 45-minute drive inland from the airport. Formed by the eruption of a gigantic coastal volcano over 23 million years ago, the park boasts an incredibly diverse and unique array of natural caves, waterfalls, flora and fauna.

It is beautiful during the daytime, but the park truly comes alive at night, so if you’ve got an evening to spare, take the chance to observe elusive nocturnal wildlife in its natural habitat and discover caves illuminated by huge colonies of glow worms on the park’s popular night-time tours.

Keep it Coolangatta

If the weather forecast isn’t looking good, The Strand is a great place to spend some time before you fly. As Coolangatta’s biggest and best shopping centre and dining destination, The Strand houses a six-screen cinema complex and over 75 shops, outlets, cafés, bars and restaurants all under one roof only minutes away from the airport, whether you take a taxi or catch one of the many local bus services.

If you’re hungry for something different, whether it’s Australian favourites, beach burritos or Vietnamese dumplings, or if you just can’t find the gift you’re looking for at the airport, The Strand is bound to have what you need.

Coastal culture

The Gold Coast Arts Centre puts the spotlight on the area’s incredible creativity with an in-house theatre and gallery, two cinema screens and an arts café. Providing you with the opportunity to see work by some of Australia’s best artists and directors alongside the produce of the region’s rising stars and carefully preserved artefacts from the area’s Aboriginal past, the Gold Coast Arts Centre is only half an hour’s drive from the airport and it is a great way to take in all the scenery and creativity that Australia’s east coast has to offer.

Heard it on the grapevine

Thanks to its temperate climate and rich volcanic soil, the Gold Coast is becoming increasingly renowned for its wine. There are numerous vineyards and wineries only a few hours from the airport and many are more than happy to take you on a tour of the vine fields, explain their histories and processes and, of course, let you sample their wines straight from the source.

Whether you’re a connoisseur or can’t tell your Merlot from your Pinot, you can spend the day finding your new favourite wine before you fly.

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Which terminal?

OOL’s main passenger terminal is used by a variety of major international and domestic airlines, such as Qantas, AirAsia X and Tigerair Australia. Gold Coast Airport serves as a base for Jetstar Airways and is an increasingly popular hub for Virgin Australia. Every commercial airline operates from the main terminal facility, with the exception of Seair Pacific, which operates from its own hangar in the airport’s general aviation (GA) area.

The airlines currently offering public flights to and from Gold Coast Airport can be found on the Gold Coast Airport website.

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How to get to Gold Coast Airport

Car

OOL is easily accessible locally via the Gold Coast Highway and nationally via the M1 Pacific Motorway. Use the postcode QLD 4225 to navigate there.

As it’s only 984 feet (300 metres) from the Gold Coast Highway that passes through all of the coastal suburbs of the city and just one mile (1.5 kilometres) north of the M1 Pacific Motorway, a major route that runs up the entire east coast of Australia, travelling to Gold Coast Airport by car is one of the most convenient ways to get there. The airport, terminal and parking facilities are all clearly signposted, so you’ll never be in any doubt that you’re driving in the right direction.

Bus and coach

Fuss-free shuttle bus services run between OOL and Gold Coast’s primary transport hub, Broadbeach South tram station, every 20 minutes from 7am to 7pm every day. Just 12 miles (20 kilometres) north of the airport, Broadbeach South station is the main terminus for the majority of bus, coach and tram services in the region so, if you’re travelling to Gold Coast Airport from further afield, aim for Broadbeach and then it’s as easy as catching the next bus bound for the terminal from there.

Train

Although Gold Coast Airport doesn’t currently have a direct rail service, the nearest station is Varsity Lakes, only a 17-minute drive north and accessible via a shuttle bus service that runs to and from the airport every half an hour. Varsity Lakes is only a few stops from Brisbane Central, the principal station on the North Coast Line, which makes it just as easy to travel to OOL by train as by any other means of transport.

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Useful tips

Arrive in plenty of time

As the closest airport to one of Australia’s most iconic holiday hotspots and the premier gateway between the east coast of Australia and the rest of the world, Gold Coast Airport sees an average of 500,000 holidaymakers and commuters every month and can become extremely busy during holiday seasons.

Even if you know the airport well, it’s a good idea to leave yourself plenty of time to arrive and check-in before takeoff. If you’re flying domestically, you should be at the airport no later than 45 minutes before departure and, if you’re flying internationally, you should aim to leave at least two hours before departure.

Check your time zone

Although OOL officially operates on Queensland time throughout the year, the runway actually straddles the border between Queensland and New South Wales. During summer, these states are in two different time zones, so depending on where you are travelling from it’s worth double-checking when you need to set off.

Which terminal do I need?

All flights, domestic and international, operate from Gold Coast Airport’s main terminal building with the single exception of Seair Pacific, which operates from its own hangar located in OOL’s general aviation (GA) facility.

What does OOL have to do with Gold Coast Airport?

Until 1992, Gold Coast Airport was known as Coolangatta Airport, named after the nearby suburb. Despite a complete rebranding, the airport retained its original IATA Airport code, OOL.

Don’t get locked out

Gold Coast Airport is not operational 24 hours a day. It opens between 4:30am and 11:00pm every day. For security reasons, the airport is locked out of hours and no passengers or other persons are allowed in the terminal. If you’re flying first thing, don’t arrive too early or you’ll be stranded outside until the terminal building opens.

Time your pick-up to avoid a fine

Gold Coast Airport has two free-to-use bays for picking up and dropping off right outside the terminal building. However, parking and/or waiting in the bays is strictly prohibited to avoid congestion and can easily result in a penalty. Keep an eye on your passenger’s estimated time of arrival and allow them 10-15 minutes to collect their luggage before you arrive to pick them up.

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Gold Coast Airport FAQs

Where are the short-stay and long-stay car parks?

OOL operates an innovative on-site Terminal parking facility only a few minutes’ walk from check-in that provides both long- and short-stay parking. The facility is clearly signposted on approach to the airport.

Do I have enough time to get between international and domestic terminals?

All domestic and international departures and arrivals are located within OOL’s single terminal building, so transferring between flights is as simple as checking in again and heading to your next gate.

Where can I find information about my flight?

Your airline should have sent you all the information you need when you booked your flights, but, if you can’t find it or your flight details change, you can check Gold Coast Airport’s real-time arrivals/departures feed to keep track of your flight’s ETA and gate number.

What special assistance is available?

Designed on a single level and incorporating every modern convenience, Gold Coast Airport strives to ensure that everyone finds their time at the terminal as enjoyable and comfortable as possible.

If you have special requirements for your visit to OOL, just let your airline know so they can make the necessary arrangements with the airport. You can find more information on Gold Coast Airport’s accessibility policy here.

If you have special requirements for your visit to OOL, just let your airline know so they can make the necessary arrangements with the airport. You can find more information on Gold Coast Airport’s accessibility policy here.

Why should I pre-book parking?

Although OOL has a range of modular parking facilities that can adapt to accommodate demand, during peak hours and holiday seasons, even these can soon fill up. Pre-booking your parking guarantees you and your car a space so you can drive straight up, park and get on with enjoying your trip.

I’ve lost something at the airport - what do I do?

If you’ve lost something in the terminal, simply head to the Information Desk or call the Duty Manager directly on +6175589 1209 during airport opening hours.

Unfortunately, Gold Coast Airport isn’t responsible for any property left on board your flight. If you have left something on your plane or your baggage hasn’t arrived, please contact your airline as soon as possible.

Is there WiFi at Gold Coast Airport?

Yes, OOL offers free and fast WiFi throughout the terminal, as well as a number of paid Internet kiosks.

Is there anywhere quiet to rest or sleep?

There are a number of executive lounges at OOL that offer complimentary food and drink, business facilities and showers, all away from the busy environment of the airport. If you’re planning on visiting, pre-book your space online to guarantee entry as they can fill up during peak hours, although some of the lounges will also welcome visitors on the day for a fee if space is available.

It’s important to note that visitors are unable to sleep overnight at Gold Coast Airport as it closed to all passengers between 11:00pm and 4:30am every day.