Coffs Harbour is spread out and a car is the easy default. The main town runs from the Pacific Highway down to the harbour over a couple of kilometres, with most accommodation, the botanic garden and the supermarkets along that strip, and the marina, fishermen's co-op and jetty cafes another two kilometres east.
A local Busways network covers the town and the suburbs, with routes to the Big Banana, Park Beach, the Jetty and the airport, but services are infrequent — useful if you are not in a hurry. Taxis and rideshare are available but not abundant.
The town is bike-friendly, with a sealed cycle path that runs the length of the foreshore from the marina north to Diggers Beach; hire bikes from a couple of shops along Harbour Drive.