When it comes to travelling between Cairns Airport (CNS) and Port Douglas, you’ll find an overwhelming amount of information in favour of airport shuttle bus transfer services being the easiest, cheapest, and most effective means of travel.
While there are certainly many advantages to booking a Cairns airport shuttle in advance, what are the potential drawbacks? Is there anything that might catch you off guard and cause some frustration?
In this article, we’re going to take an honest look at airport shuttle bus transfers, highlight some of the potential problems that may arise, and talk about ways to overcome them. Here’s what you need to know…
The cons of airport shuttle bus transfers between Cairns & Port Douglas
So, while airport shuttle bus transfers receive largely positive reviews, what are the potential drawbacks? It can’t all be plain sailing, surely? Here’s what to expect and what you can do to alleviate any potential problems:
1 – You can’t pick and choose who you share the shuttle bus with
Unless you book a private airport transfer service, you will be sharing the bus with strangers. While this is typically a non-issue, if you are feeling especially exhausted after a long flight and are hoping for a quiet and uneventful last leg of your journey, you might not be so lucky.
For example, you could be stuck next to a family with young children or babies who could be restless thus disturbing your journey.
Similarly, you may end up sharing the bus with a group of excitable young lads. While the professional driver will certainly do their best to keep any rowdiness to a minimum, there’s no policing talking and laughter.
How can you overcome these potential problems?
- You can book a private Cairns Airport Shuttle service and have a vehicle all to yourself.
- Bring earplugs or noise-cancellation headphones and hope for the best.
- Or suck it up as the journey is a short 1-hour drive and they’ll soon be out of your hair.
2 – If your flight is delayed and you touch down in Cairns Airport after hours
If your flight is delayed significantly and you end up arriving in Cairns Airport after the usual shuttle bus services have stopped running, you will find yourself in a complicated and frustrating situation. Naturally, as the airport shuttle service companies do not control the weather or have any influence over flight cancellations, they will be under no obligation to refund you the money.
So, what are your options in this scenario?
- Any reputable Cairns airport transfer service will book you onto the earliest possible airport shuttle service (this might mean waiting in the airport until the first shuttle bus of the morning).
- Alternatively, you can be upgraded to a private airport transfer, however, this will be subject to availability and you will be required to pay the difference.
- You can cancel your booking altogether and find alternate transportation, however, this will invariably end up costing you far more money.
3 – Not ideal for emergency travel
If for whatever reason you have to cut your journey short and need to get from Port Douglas to Cairns Airport immediately, there’s a good chance that you will have to find an alternative method of transportation. Again, an airport shuttle service provider will be under no obligation to reimburse you for factors that are beyond their control.
Is there anything that can be done in this situation?
- Contact your Cairns airport transfer company and update them on your situation. You may just get lucky and be able to snatch up a spot on a scheduled shuttle bus due to return to Cairns Airport from Port Douglas.
- It is highly unlikely, but you may be able to get some of your deposit back under special circumstances. Bear in mind that this is speculation and largely unlikely.
- The most likely outcome is that you will need to forfeit your deposit and book an emergency taxi to the airport.
4 – There may be various stops before your accommodation
As the best airport shuttle bus services offer door-to-door drop off at most booked accommodations, you may have your journey extended while you wait for other passengers to be dropped off at their destination, before you.
What can be done to overcome this?
- Again, you can book a private transfer service if you don’t want to wait on anyone else and enjoy direct travel instead.
- Research accommodation in advance and make an effort to book yourself into a hotel that is likely to receive first drop off / last pick-up.
5 – A lack of control
There will be no unscheduled stops between Cairns Airport and Port Douglas. This lack of control can be frustrating for some people – particularly if you love to explore. The only real way to overcome this is to rent a hire car and make the journey yourself, at your own pace.
6 – Potential health risk
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, understandably, many people still feel uneasy about travelling. While Australia has relaxed its entry requirements and no longer demands proof of COVID-free testing or vaccination, the likelihood of getting infected now is significantly lower. In any case, you should take the necessary precautions to protect yourself if this is a concern of yours.
How can you overcome this?
- The best airport transfer services have very well-maintained vehicles that are thoroughly cleaned after each trip.
- Make sure you bring anti-bacterial gel and wear the appropriate PPE (i.e., a face mask).
- The only alternative is to book a private airport transfer service instead.
Final thoughts
As you can see, there are very few drawbacks to booking an airport transfer service from Cairns to Port Douglas. The fact is, most of these issues are minor and can easily be avoided.
All in all, if you want a quick, convenient, and highly affordable means of travel from the airport to your booked accommodation in Port Douglas you can’t go wrong with a reputable airport shuttle bus transfer service.
