Gold Coast Airport to Grafton Transfer — From $440

Updated 14 September 2026

How much is a transfer from Gold Coast Airport to Grafton?

A private transfer from Gold Coast Airport to Grafton is $440 per vehicle for a sedan, fixed price, including tolls and meet and greet.

How long does the Gold Coast Airport to Grafton transfer take?

About 2 hours 30 minutes door to door via the Pacific Highway, depending on traffic through Ballina.

Grafton is the main town of the Clarence Valley, about two and a half hours south of Gold Coast Airport on the river. It is best known for its jacarandas — some thousands of them through the streets, and a festival at the end of October that has been running since 1935, the oldest floral festival in the country. Outside jacaranda season the busiest weeks are the July racing carnival.

Pricing — Gold Coast Airport to Grafton

Prices are per vehicle, not per person, and include tolls, airport parking, meet and greet inside the terminal and flight tracking. There is no surge at any hour. Brisbane Cruise Terminal transfers are $615 for a sedan. Child seats are $25 each and are fitted before you land.

Getting to Grafton from the airport

Grafton has a railway station on the North Coast line and long-distance coaches, so unlike most towns on this run there is a public option. It is slow: the train from Brisbane takes the best part of a day and does not connect with flight times. For anyone landing at Gold Coast Airport with bags, a direct transfer is quicker than getting from the airport to a station in the first place.

The drive is the M1 to Ballina, the Pacific Highway through Woodburn and Maclean, then in along the river. Most of it is dual carriageway.

Local notes for Grafton pickups

• The old bridge. The 1932 bascule bridge still carries rail beneath the road deck; the newer crossing opened in 2019. Worth knowing which side of the river you are staying on.
• Jacaranda Festival. Late October into early November. The town fills and the streets close — book transfers well ahead and expect slow going in the centre.
• Grafton Racecourse. July carnival and the Grafton Cup; we do a lot of group runs that week, so maxi taxis go early.
• South Grafton, Ulmarra and Junction Hill price the same as Grafton.

Nearby fares

Maclean is $380, Yamba is $395, Iluka is $425, and north up the highway Woodburn is $280 and Ballina is $225. Every Clarence Valley fare is listed on our prices page, or get an instant quote for your exact address.

Frequently asked questions

Do you cover Grafton at night? Yes. Early-morning and late-night runs are common on this route — the booking form shows the exact fare for your pickup time.

Can you do a group for the Grafton Cup? Yes. The maxi taxi carries up to 11 and is $640 from Gold Coast Airport. Book early for carnival week.

Do you carry child seats this far south? Yes. Capsules, forward-facing seats and boosters are $25 each, fitted before pickup. See our child seat guide.

What if my flight is delayed? We track it. Your pickup moves automatically and there is no waiting charge.