Australia›From Cairns (Great Barrier Reef)›Whitsundays (Airlie Beach)
Cairns (Great Barrier Reef) to Whitsundays (Airlie Beach) by train, bus or road
About 620 km. The private car is fastest at 7.5 h; the private car is cheapest, from ₹11,770 per car (up to 4).
Fastest
Private car
Rental car on the Bruce Highway, per vehicle
7.5 h door to door
Cheapest
Private car
Rental car on the Bruce Highway, per vehicle
from ₹11,770 per car (up to 4)
Best value
Private car
Rental car on the Bruce Highway, per vehicle
cheapest at mid fares among options within 1.5× the fastest time (or 1 h more on a short ride)
Every option, compared
Door-to-door times (flights include the time at the airports). Fares are typical ranges from the cheapest seat to the premium one.
| Mode | Service | Time | Fare | Runs | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bus | Greyhound coach on the Bruce Highway | 10 h | ₹6,540–₹10,460per person | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Train | Queensland Rail Spirit of Queensland to Proserpine + shuttle | 11 h | ₹7,850–₹22,890per person | A few a week | Rome2Rio ↗ |
| Private car | Rental car on the Bruce Highway, per vehicle | 7.5 h | ₹11,770–₹20,270per car (up to 4) | Daily | Rome2Rio ↗ |
- Train, Queensland Rail Spirit of Queensland to Proserpine + shuttle: A few trains a week; luxury is a RailBed (lie-flat seat).
Booking links open the route on the country's transport booking site for trains, buses, boats and transfers, and a flight search for flights, dated about two weeks out; change the date there.
What it costs your group, one way
Fares × people; a private car is priced per car, one car per four people.
| Option | 2 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|
| Bus · Greyhound coach on the Bruce Highway | ₹13,080–₹20,920 | ₹26,160–₹41,840 |
| Train · Queensland Rail Spirit of Queensland to Proserpine + shuttle | ₹15,700–₹45,780 | ₹31,400–₹91,560 |
| Private car · Rental car on the Bruce Highway, per vehicle | ₹11,770–₹20,270 | ₹11,770–₹20,270 |
Once you’re in Whitsundays (Airlie Beach)
- Best time: May – October
- Typical stay: 3 days
- November: Better avoided: November is outside the recommended season (May – October). Against it: Stinger Season: Box Jellyfish in the Sea.
Related
Plan Cairns (Great Barrier Reef) and Whitsundays (Airlie Beach)
A day-by-day plan with this journey, the stays and the rest priced in.