Driving to Cairns Airport is undoubtedly the easiest way to get there. You can park right outside of the terminal building, and then walk straight to check-in. And regardless of how early or how late your return flight touches down in Cairns, you’ll be able to collect your car swiftly and drive home with ease. But for many people, parking at Cairns Airport is not an everyday activity. You might be a little worried about how to find the car park, how much you will need to pay, whether you can do this online, and what happens if your flight is delayed. That’s why we’ve put together this short article, containing plenty of tips about parking at Cairns Airport, so you can park your car safely for the lowest price possible.
Each car park at Cairns Airport has a different rate structure, which means that the lot which offers the lowest price for a 24 hour stay may not be the cheapest for three days. Short term car parks typically charge by the hour for the first day, and then price each subsequent 24 hour block at the same rate. Long term car parks usually employ a sliding scale, meaning that the longer you stay, the lower the daily rate will be.
For example, if you wanted to park for one day at the T2 Long Term Car Park, you’d pay $29.00, but if you planned on parking for seven days, you’d pay $77.00 in total - or $11.00 per day. If you’ve booked the holiday of a lifetime and want to park for a month, you would be charged $162.00 - that’s only $5.23 per day! You can check the rates for different stay lengths below:
| Car Park | 1 Day | 3 Days | 1 Week | 2 Weeks | Rating | Distance to Terminal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 Budget Parking | $28.00 | $45.00 | $77.00 | $88.00 | 9.6 | 2 min on foot |
| T2 Long Term Parking | $29.00 | $48.00 | $77.00 | $106.00 | 9.6 | 5 min on foot |
| Premium Covered Parking | $33.00 | $58.00 | $184.00 | $359.00 | 9.3 | 2 min on foot |
These days, it’s the norm to research and complete travel bookings online. Whether you're purchasing flight tickets, hotel stays, travel insurance, lounge access, or international roaming, all of these services can be booked online, and often for a lower rate. Airport parking is no different; rates are lower online and pre-booking in advance will secure you the best deal. If you leave it until the last minute, especially during holiday periods, you might find that the spaces closest to the terminals have already sold out and prices have increased for the remaining bays.
Booking your parking right after you book your flight tickets will save you money in the long run, not to mention the stress of trying to find an empty space during the school holidays. The last thing you want to be doing before a long-haul flight to Bali is to circle around the T2 Long Term Car Park, hoping that a space will become available.
The weather around Cairns Airport can be unpredictable at the best of times, but that doesn’t mean that you need to worry about damage to your car. If you’re parking during the wet season from November to March, when tropical monsoons and cyclones can and do strike, consider paying a little extra for covered parking. This will protect your vehicle from weather related damage, and potentially save you from needing to organise expensive repairs.
While the additional upfront cost may be off-putting to some, it’s worth bearing in mind that the average price of a windscreen repair callout is $70.00 to fix a chip or crack (when smaller than a $2 coin), while windscreen replacements cost between $200.00 and $400.00. If you have a newer car, with features such as rain sensor infrared technology, you could be looking at anywhere from $800.00 to $1200.00. Ouch!
The barrier entry/exit system that is in-place at all three of the official Cairns Airport car parks can cause confusion. This is because it was primarily designed for drive-up customers, who will need a parking ticket to confirm their entrance and exit times and calculate the correct rate. If you have already pre-booked your parking online you won’t need a parking ticket, so you shouldn’t tap your credit card. If you do this, you will be charged twice for parking.
Instead, you will need to press the ‘Help’ button by the barrier, so that you can talk to a member of staff. You then tell the staff member on duty that you have a pre-existing booking which you made online, and you quote the booking number that’s on your confirmation email. We recommend that you either download a copy to your mobile or print one off at home. This serves as your proof of purchase, and will help the car park staff to advise you correctly. Remember to keep hold of your booking confirmation - you will need to quote your reservation number again to exit the car park.
The only time that you might need to use your credit card when you have pre-booked, is if you overstay your booking period. When this happens, you will be asked to pay the difference upon your return. If you’re going to be delayed for more than 24 hours, we suggest getting in touch with customer service for help.
In many respects, pre-booking a parking space is similar to pre-booking a hotel room. A parking bay is reserved in your name, with the expectation that you will keep your car there during the period specified. In order to guarantee that you can use this parking bay, the car park notes a reduction in capacity and adjusts accordingly. It won’t advertise or sell that space on to anyone else. This is akin to a hotel preventing a room from being booked out twice during the same dates, by no longer accepting more reservations than they have rooms.
If a guest pre-booked, but then doesn’t turn up to the hotel, the hotel might charge them for the cost of the stay. This is because the hotel lost the ability to advertise the room to other individuals the moment the booking was made. Some car parks employ a similar policy, and will not refund for last minute cancellations. On this basis, it’s worth purchasing insurance if you think that you might need to cancel your trip. That way, you will get your money back if you need to cancel your booking before your planned arrival time. And, like with every purchase you make online, you should always read the terms and conditions before you pay.
You can book at any of the official Cairns Airport car parks right here on our website, to ensure a smooth start to your trip away. Just enter your travel dates into the search bar above, and our handy search tool will reveal the lowest rates available for your planned trip. You can also access detailed information about the individual Cairns Airport car parks, their opening hours, addresses, parking instructions, and read real customer reviews. Simply click on the names of the car storage facilities to learn more about them.
Booking with Flyparks is easy and straightforward. You don’t need to create an account - we only need your travel details to get started. Payment can be made through our secure online checkout, which accepts Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal, and your booking confirmation will be ready to download within minutes. If you notice a problem, or want to amend your reservation, you can get in touch with our friendly customer service team, who are always on hand to help.
All costs cited in this article are approximate and subject to change. The rates quoted were taken based on advanced online booking, with estimations made in February 2020. For the weekly rate, we chose a full 8 day period covering the weekend, and for the fortnightly rate, a 15 day period.
