Brisbane Airport to the City: Airtrain Takes 20 Minutes and Costs $23.30, With Taxi, Rideshare and Bus Options (Brisbane, QLD)

The Airtrain takes 20 minutes from Brisbane Airport to the city according to Airtrain, the adult fare to any Brisbane City station is $23.30 as of October 2026, and trains run every 15 minutes in weekday peaks and every 30 minutes the rest of the time. Brisbane Airport says a taxi to the city costs $67 to $82 one way and takes about 20 minutes outside peak periods, and rideshare is available from signed pick-up areas at both terminals.

The Airtrain is run by a separate company, not by Translink, so its fares are not the 50 cent Translink flat fare. This guide covers where to find the station at each terminal, what the ticket options are, when the first and last trains leave, and what the alternatives cost. Everything below comes from the Airtrain website, Brisbane Airport’s transport options page and Translink’s airport services page, checked on Sunday 18 October 2026.

How long does the Airtrain take and where does it stop?

Airtrain says the trip from Brisbane Airport to the heart of the CBD takes 20 minutes. Its City ticket is valid to and from all stations between the airport and South Brisbane: Eagle Junction, Wooloowin, Albion, Bowen Hills, Fortitude Valley, Central, Roma Street and South Brisbane.

The Airtrain also runs as an express service from the Gold Coast to the airport via Brisbane City, and it connects with the rest of the Queensland Rail suburban network. Airtrain says its trains have air-conditioning, free wi-fi, bathrooms, luggage space and screens showing the route.

Where is the Airtrain station at each terminal?

The stations are outside the terminals, and signs marked “trains” lead to them from the arrivals areas. The Domestic Terminal is about 2km from the International Terminal, and Airtrain says the train between them takes two minutes.

Terminal	Where the station is
Domestic	On the elevated Skywalk, reached by travelators directly in front of the terminal; a staffed ticket office is at the station
International	Level 3 of the terminal. Arrivals are on level 2; follow the signs up by travelator or lift. An Airtrain information counter selling tickets is in the arrivals hall on level 2

Trolleys are available inside the terminals and can be used on the way to the stations, but Airtrain says they cannot go onto the platforms or trains. The stations have no luggage storage. Brisbane Airport has its own luggage storage facilities.

How much does the Airtrain cost?

Translink lists fares from $23.30 for travel between the Domestic or International stations and Brisbane City stations, effective 27 April 2026. Brisbane Airport’s page gives the same $23.30 for adults to City stations, and $23.80 for adults to any other train station on the South East Queensland network. Children aged 14 and under travel free between the airport and City stations with an adult (T&Cs apply); to other stations the airport lists $0.50 for children.

Trip	Adult	Child (14 and under)
Airport to a Brisbane City station	$23.30	Free with an adult
Airport to another SEQ train station	$23.80	$0.50
City group fare, 2 or more adults travelling together	$17 each	Free with an adult
Two adults and all children, airport to City	$34 total

The group fare and the free child travel are Airtrain offers, and each comes with conditions. For the group fare, the party must include at least two adult tickets and travel together for the whole journey in both directions. The offer page says its information was correct as of 10 February 2025, and that Airtrain can change or withdraw it at any time. The Airtrain home page still advertises the $17 city fare and a 15% online discount, but check the price on the booking page before you pay, because it is a different number from the $23.30 Translink and the airport list.

For the free child fare, the adult must buy an eTicket online or a paper ticket at the same time as the child’s, at an Airtrain station or a Queensland Rail ticket counter. The offer does not apply to go card or other Translink smart card products. Children aged 5 to 14 each need a valid ticket, and children 4 and under are treated as infants and do not need one.

What are the ways to pay?

• Airtrain eTicket: buy online and you receive an email and a text with the ticket. Airtrain says it is valid for one journey on the date you booked and is accepted two days either side of that date. It does not fix a train time, so it is good for any service that day. eTickets are transferable. Airtrain accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, PayPal, Apple Pay and Google Pay online.
• Paper ticket at the station: buy at the Domestic or International station for same-day travel. The ticket offices take cash, debit cards, Visa, Mastercard and UnionPay.
• go card: tap on and off at the airport stations. Airtrain says you can buy and top up a go card at both airport stations. Adult cards need a minimum spend of $35, made up of $25 credit and a $10 deposit. Airtrain fares apply, not standard Translink fares.
• Contactless card: tap on and off with a Visa or Mastercard, including on a phone or watch. Translink says each person must use one card or device and tap on and off with the same one, or an extra fee can apply.

Airtrain says its tickets, including ones saved in Apple or Google wallets, cannot be used on the contactless gates or validators. If you have an eTicket, show it to station staff.

When you change from the Airtrain to another Translink train, bus, ferry or tram using go card or contactless payment, Translink says the usual transfer rules do not apply and a new journey begins. Airtrain tickets are valid only on train and tram services, not on buses or ferries.

When are the first and last trains?

This is Airtrain’s published frequency table:

Route	Days	First	Last	Gap between trains
Airport to Gold Coast	Weekdays	5:04am	10:04pm	15 minutes in peak, 30 off-peak
Airport to Gold Coast	Weekends and public holidays	6:04am	10:04pm	30 minutes
Central to Airport	Weekdays	4:31am	9:31pm	15 minutes in peak, 30 off-peak
Central to Airport	Weekends and public holidays	5:40am	9:31pm	30 minutes

Airtrain says the airport stations are staffed and open from 4:50am on weekdays and 5:50am on weekends until the last train, which leaves the Domestic station at 10:04pm and the International station at 10:08pm. It says Airtrain runs every day of the year, and that on public holidays trains follow the Sunday timetable unless the online timetable says otherwise. Airtrain does not run 24 hours a day, so a late flight can land after the last train. Translink’s page gives the hours of operation as 4:30am to 10pm.

Airtrain’s FAQ says the 15-minute peak service runs on weekdays only, while all Saturday and Sunday services run every 30 minutes. Always check the live timetable on the Airtrain timetable page for the date you travel. When we fetched it, the page also carried older notices about flood damage and weather suspensions, so rely on the Service Changes page for current disruptions.

Is any Airtrain station closed?

Airtrain’s Service Changes page covers the Airtrain line only. Moorooka station is closed for Cross River Rail construction and accessibility upgrades from 2 March 2026 until late 2027. For all other lines and for current track closures, Translink’s service updates are the place to look.

How much is a taxi or rideshare?

Brisbane Airport says taxis are available 24 hours a day from sheltered ranks outside both terminals. At the Domestic Terminal the rank is in front of the terminal building. At the International Terminal it is in front of the terminal on the Level 2 Arrivals Road. The airport says a trip from the airport to Brisbane City is expected to cost $67 to $82 one way, and takes about 20 minutes outside peak periods. A fee of $4.86 is added to any fare collected from the airport, and tolls are extra and paid by the passenger. The two taxi companies the airport lists are 13cabs on 13 22 27 and Black & White Cabs on 133 222.

Rideshare, including Uber and DiDi, picks up from designated areas:

• International Terminal: from Level 2, the exit to the pick-up area is at the end of the building, behind The Coffee Club. Follow the signs down the ramp and along the path.
• Domestic Terminal: the pick-up is on the central road between the taxi pick-up and the passenger pick-up and drop-off, either side of the Skywalk. Cross two crossings after leaving the terminal.

The airport says the same $4.86 fee is added to rideshare fares from the airport, and that your rideshare app gives the price estimate.

Is there a bus to the city?

There is no direct city bus listed by Translink or the airport. Translink’s airport services page says travel to and from Brisbane Airport is provided by Airtrain. The airport lists a Brisbane City Council route 590 bus, which runs seven days a week from the Skygate Centre to Toombul Interchange, where you can join the rail network for the city or other suburbs. Translink says you can travel between the airport and Skygate on a free Terminals-Skygate bus or on route 590, and that Translink fares apply on route 590 with no cash accepted. Translink’s fares page lists a 50 cent flat fare across all Translink services as of 18 October 2026.

The airport also lists the Con-x-ion door-to-door shuttle, which picks up at both terminals and serves locations across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Tickets are sold online or at a sales kiosk at each terminal. International arrivals meet the shuttle at the Visitor Information desk; domestic arrivals meet it on the forecourt towards the Virgin end of the terminal.

What is the $5 terminal transfer?

Airtrain runs a transfer between the International and Domestic terminals for $5.00 according to Brisbane Airport. Transfer time is five minutes, and you book the ticket with the Airtrain staff on arrival. If you hold an Airtrain return ticket, Airtrain says its return tickets are flexible, so you can use them to or from either terminal.

Can I cycle to the airport?

Yes, but not on every road. The airport says it is reached by a network of shared pedestrian and cycle paths, and cycling is not permitted on Moreton Drive. Bicycle parking is in the P1 and P2 car parks at the Domestic Terminal and the P1 car park (Level 5) at the International Terminal, and showers are at both terminals.

Which option suits which trip?

• One traveller to the CBD: Airtrain at $23.30, or the $17 group fare if you are with another adult and the offer is still running.
• Family with children 14 and under: the airport lists free child travel to City stations with an adult, and Airtrain advertises $34 in total for two adults and all children.
• Arriving early or late: the first train from the airport is 5:04am on weekdays and 6:04am on weekends, and the last is 10:04pm from Domestic and 10:08pm from International. Brisbane Airport says taxis are available 24 hours a day.
• Staying at the airport precinct: the free Terminals-Skygate bus, or Airtrain’s $5.00 terminal transfer.
• Heading on to the Gold Coast: the Airtrain runs express from the airport to Gold Coast stations, with a change to the G:link tram at Helensvale for Surfers Paradise and the beaches.

For help with any Translink service, the contact centre is on 13 12 30, 24 hours a day, according to Translink’s fares page.

Sources

• Airtrain — Home (checked 18 October 2026)
• Airtrain — Catch Airtrain to Brisbane City
• Airtrain — Frequency & Hours
• Airtrain — Brisbane Airport stations
• Airtrain — $17 City Fare (information dated 10 February 2025)
• Airtrain — Kids Travel FREE
• Airtrain — go card
• Airtrain — Online tickets
• Airtrain — Frequently asked questions
• Airtrain — Service changes (checked 18 October 2026)
• Brisbane Airport — Transport options
• Translink — Airport services
• Translink — Ticketing by region (50 cent fares)

Featured image: Brisbane Airport Domestic Terminal (photo: Chris Olszewski / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)

OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Airtrain, Brisbane Airport or Translink. Fares, hours and offers can change; check the official pages above before you travel.