Located about eight miles west of the city, Townsville International Airport is the main airport in this region of Queensland and is served by Qantas, Virgin and several smaller regional carriers. Facilities at Townsville International Airport are fairly limited but include currency exchange, cafés and bars, a newsagent, gift shop, baby changing room, and car rental. There is also an airport taxi rank with free phone access onsite.

Although it is referred to as an international airport, Townsville Airport hasn’t flown an international route for years and flights mainly come in from Sydney, Brisbane, Mackay, Cairns and Hamilton Island throughout the day. The flight time from Sydney is around four hours; two hours from Brisbane; and just over an hour from Cairns. Macair also fly to Townsville International Airport from Mt Isa. For sightseeing in the Townsville region, plane and helicopter charters also go from Townsville Airport to destinations all over.

Transport from the airport to Townsville is provided by a useful airport shuttle bus and metered taxis which both leave from outside Arrivals. Those who hire cars have a simple 10-minute drive to get to town. Townsville International Airport is represented by major and local car hire firms and vehicles can be booked ahead of time online where generous discounts are usually the norm.

The city centre is easy to get about on foot with most people tending to congregate around the main tourists areas, such as Flinders Mall and the Strand. For those who would like to travel farther afield, however, or prefer the convenience of public transport, the Sunbus network covers most of the town.

Sunbus operate every day of the week and has seven main lines that service all areas of the town, with the majority of services leaving from Flinders Mall. Townsville's Hermit Park Bus Service also runs services from the city centre to Bushland Beach, while Detours Coaches run useful tours of the main attractions in and around Townsville.

Taxis are also readily available with stands at all the important parts of the city, such as the airport, the bus and train stations, and at Flinders Mall and the Stand. Taxis operate 24 hours and are metered. Those who plan on hiring a car should book online ahead of time and then pick it up at the airport. International and national car hire companies also have offices in the city.

For travel to Magnetic Island and Palm Island, Sunferries run regular and vehicle ferries throughout the day. The trip to Magnetic Island only takes about 20 minutes via fast cat ferry.