Originally Posted by itsme
Will be flying in to Cairns at night 19 days from now, leaving by car first thing the next morning. Are there any reasonable places to stay around the airport, since don't expect to linger there? If it is necessary to go into town for a hotel, does anyone have a hotel to recommend?
Do any of the hotels have regular shuttle service to/from the airport?
Any recommendations for a car rental in those parts?
Is the city name really pronounced with no hint of an "r" or is that the guidebook's attempt to imitate the locals' accent?
There are no hotels at the airport. But the city is 10 minutes away and you can get there by cab, rental car and some hotels do have shuttles. Check with the hotel. As the cab fare is usually AUD$15 or less, its not generally worth worrying about. There are a couple of hotels within 5 minutes of the airport on the way into town. If you are heading off next morning by rental car, consider picking up one at the airport on arrival and taking it to the hotel. Al the majors have city and airport offices.
Whether there is an "r" pronounced in Cairns depends on where you come from. For some locals Australia does not even have an "l" in it! Try "cans" and you wont be far off. ^