Tamborine Mountain
within an hour's drive of the Gold Coast
From the Gold Coast, follow the Pacific Highway to the Oxenford-Tamborine Road, or go through Nerang on the Nerang-Tamborine Road.
Car hire on the Gold Coast
Most Gold Coast hire cars are collected at Gold Coast Airport (Coolangatta), which has six rental brands. You can get up and down the coastal strip without a car, but the hinterland waterfalls and Byron Bay are where a car earns its keep. If you do drive in Surfers Paradise, on-street parking is managed from 9am to 7pm every day, so plan where the car sleeps.
Updated
Gold Coast at a glance
- Where to collect
- Gold Coast Airport (Coolangatta, OOL) has Avis, Budget, Redspot, Europcar, Hertz and Sixt
- Airport to Surfers Paradise
- About 30 minutes by car
- Airport to Byron Bay
- About 45 minutes by car
- From Brisbane
- Tolls apply on most roads from Brisbane Airport to the Gold Coast
- Surfers Paradise metered parking
- Monday to Sunday, 9am to 7pm, including public holidays (excluding Anzac Day), up to four hours
- Airport bus to the tram
- Route 777 links Gold Coast Airport with Broadbeach South tram station, daily 5:15am to 11:30pm
Compare cars at Gold Coast
Prices are shown in Australian dollars. Before you book, open the offer and check where that company's desk or depot is, the bond, and what the agreement says about the roads you plan to drive.
Preparing live car hire search
Collecting a car for the Gold Coast
These six brands are airport collection options at Coolangatta. They are not a list of Gold Coast city branches.
Gold Coast Airport, Domestic Arrivals Hall
- Avis
- Budget
- Redspot
- Europcar
- Hertz
- Sixt
Collecting the car
- 1
The six brands below are Gold Coast Airport options at Coolangatta, with counters in the Domestic Arrivals Hall. They are not a list of Surfers Paradise or other city depots. After the airport desk, follow your company’s directions to the car bays.
- 2
Landing at Brisbane instead? Brisbane Airport has eight rental brands and the Gold Coast is a drive south, but most access roads to the Gold Coast charge a toll, so ask your provider how tolls are charged.
- 3
If you only want a car for hinterland or Byron days, Route 777 runs from the airport to Broadbeach South tram station, where the G:link tram continues to Surfers Paradise and Southport.
- 4
Before you leave the counter, confirm any child seats you booked are fitted, since Queensland requires restraints for children up to 7.
Returning the car
- 1
Gold Coast Airport operates on Queensland time (AEST) all year, so use Queensland time for your return even if you have crossed the border into NSW during daylight saving.
- 2
The airport is near the southern end of the Gold Coast Highway and is about 30 minutes from Surfers Paradise by car, so allow for the drive back.
- 3
For an airport booking, use the rental provider's return area. Do not leave the car at the passenger kerb outside the terminal. For a city branch booking, use the address and return terms on that offer.
Drives from Gold Coast
Distances are approximate and measured along the road.
Springbrook (Natural Bridge)
38 km from the Nerang exit via Nerang-Murwillumbah Road
Both bitumen roads to the Springbrook plateau are steep, winding and narrow, and some roads can flood in heavy rain. Natural Bridge is the glow-worm viewing spot after dark.
Lamington National Park (O'Reilly's / Green Mountains)
about 40 km from Broadbeach to Canungra via Nerang, then a 36 km road up to the park
The 36 km road from Canungra takes at least 50 minutes and is unsuitable for RVs longer than 6 m or vehicles towing caravans. No fuel is available on the plateau; fuel is sold at Canungra and Nerang.
Byron Bay
about 45 minutes by car from Gold Coast Airport
Start early for the lighthouse walk and parking; the Tweed Coast beaches make an easy stop on the way.
Brisbane
Most access roads from Brisbane Airport to the Gold Coast charge a toll. Most rental cars have an electronic tag, with the toll plus a service fee charged to you, and each company handles this differently.
Guides for trips from Gold Coast
Driving around Gold Coast
Surfers Paradise parking
On-street parking in Surfers Paradise is generally managed between 9am and 7pm daily, and the heart of Surfers is in a Central Traffic Area with a three-hour limit Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Metered spaces allow up to four hours. Long-term parking is in two public council car parks within 500 metres of the beach.
Where signs are missing, limits still apply
Not all streets within a Gold Coast Traffic Area are signed, and moving your car to another spot within the area does not restart the limit. If a sign does not state the days, parking is managed every day including public holidays.
Tolls on the Brisbane to Gold Coast drive
Most access roads from Brisbane Airport to the Gold Coast charge a toll. Most rental cars are fitted with an electronic tag and the toll plus a service fee is charged to you, and each rental company has a different process, so ask when signing the contract.
Hinterland mobile coverage and fuel
Mobile phone coverage in Lamington National Park is not reliable, though you can often get a signal near lookouts, and no fuel is sold on the plateau.
Children in cars
Queensland requires children up to 7 years to be in an Australian Standard approved restraint, with a listed fine of $1,295 and 4 demerit points for each child not properly restrained.
Gold Coast car hire questions
Rental terms differ by company. Where an answer depends on your agreement, we say so.
Do you need a car on the Gold Coast?
Not for the coastal strip. Route 777 runs from the airport to Broadbeach South tram station, where the G:link tram continues to Surfers Paradise and Southport, and public transport in South East Queensland can be paid with a contactless card. A car matters for the hinterland (Tamborine, Springbrook, Lamington) and for Byron Bay, and there is no direct bus route linking a waterfall, a winery and a rainforest walk in one day, and public transport across the border is patchy.
Can I hire a car on the Gold Coast if I am under 21?
Budget's Australian terms set a minimum rental age of 21, and drivers under 25 can only rent certain groups (compact, intermediate, standard, full size passenger cars, plus compact and intermediate SUVs). Hertz rents to 21 to 24 year olds with a daily young renter surcharge, and Avis may apply restrictions and fees to drivers under 25. Other brands' rules were not checked.
Can I get a 7 seater for the Gold Coast?
Budget's terms limit drivers under 25 to compact, intermediate, standard and full size passenger cars and compact and intermediate SUVs, so under-25s are restricted to those groups with Budget. Check the age rule for the specific vehicle with the supplier before booking.
Can I book a baby seat with a Gold Coast hire car?
Queensland requires children up to 7 years to be in an approved restraint, babies up to 6 months in a rear-facing one, and a fine of $1,295 and 4 demerit points applies for each child not properly restrained. Ask for a child seat when you book.
Is parking free in Surfers Paradise?
No. Metered parking runs 9am to 7pm every day including public holidays (excluding Anzac Day) with a four hour maximum, and the council also runs two public car parks for longer stays. Check signs on arrival.
Where do I pick up a car if I am staying in Broadbeach or Surfers Paradise?
The airport rental brands collect at Gold Coast Airport, about 30 minutes from Surfers Paradise by car. Route 777 and the G:link tram link the airport with Broadbeach South and Surfers Paradise.
Nearby and often combined
Gold Coast Airport (Coolangatta)Coolangatta, on the NSW borderBrisbane AirportGold Coast and Sunshine Coast both in reachBallina Byron Gateway AirportThe nearest airport to Byron BayBrisbaneCBD pickup for South East QueenslandQueensland car hireEvery Queensland pickup, road rules and seasonsCar hire in AustraliaLicences, tolls and where to fly in, state by state
Compare Gold Coast car hire
Search live prices in Australian dollars, then check the pickup point and conditions on the offer.