Short Stay Parking

One-minute walk from T1 and T2 for same-day trips

Short Stay Parking at Cairns Airport sits directly next to the terminals, with about a 1 minute walk to T1 and T2. This is the on-airport option people use for quick work trips, same-day returns, and pickups where you want the car close and don’t mind paying more than off-site Cairns lots. It’s all open-air, right by the main terminal frontage, so you’re at check-in within a couple hundred metres of locking the car.

Official day rate runs around $30.00 per day, with a weekly price listed at $210.00, but the drive-up board for the open T1/T2 car parks shows $32 for 6–24 hours, $53 for 1–2 days, and $74 for 2–3 days. That’s why one Google reviewer called the parking “convenient but very expensive if you just rock up on the day” after paying more than expected for a short stay. If you need more than 24 hours, do the maths before committing to the boom gate.

The first 0–10 minutes are free in the open T1/T2 areas, and regulars treat that like curb-side pickup: wait off-site, roll in when the flight lands, grab your person, and exit before the 10‑minute mark. Another reviewer mentions the walk from the main car park to the terminal is “only a couple of minutes” and “fine even with bags,” which matches the 1 minute walk estimate from these bays to the doors of T1 and T2.

Complaints focus on price, not distance: lots of reviews call CNS on-airport parking “overpriced” compared to off-site Cairns operators that shuttle you to T1 and T2. Local Facebook groups say the same and consistently tell people to pre-book any on-airport stay to dodge the steepest drive-up short-stay rates. If you see yourself staying more than a single calendar day, check off-site weekly pricing as a sanity check.

Tip: Pre-book Short Stay if you’ll be parked for 6–24 hours; if you’re only grabbing someone, use the 0–10 minute free window instead of paying full short-stay drive-up rates.