By air: Gold Coast Airport (OOL), formerly Coolangatta Airport, sits at the southern end of the strip and handles direct flights from most Australian capital cities, plus a growing range of international routes including Singapore, Auckland, Bali, and Tokyo. It is smaller and less crowded than Brisbane Airport, 80 km to the north, and often cheaper for domestic flights. Budget carriers Jetstar and Virgin Australia dominate the domestic routes.
From Brisbane: Most international visitors arrive through Brisbane Airport, which offers several onward options. The AirTrain rail service connects the airport to Gold Coast stations via a transfer at Helensvale (total journey about 80 minutes). Direct airport transfers by coach run to all major Gold Coast resorts and take 60–90 minutes depending on traffic and stops. Driving takes about 60–75 minutes via the Pacific Motorway (M1).
By road: The Pacific Motorway from Brisbane runs the length of the Gold Coast's western fringe, with exits to each beach suburb. Traffic on the M1 can be very heavy on Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings, particularly in school holiday periods. The Bruce Highway from the north feeds into the same motorway system.
By rail: The Queensland Rail Beenleigh–Gold Coast line extends from Brisbane as far south as Varsity Lakes, with stations at Helensvale, Nerang, Robina, and Varsity Lakes. A light rail (G:link tram) runs from Helensvale station through Surfers Paradise to Broadbeach and provides the main public transport spine on the northern strip. No rail service reaches Coolangatta; a bus is needed for the southern end.