Australia is privileged to enjoy one of the most civilised and hassle-free taxi systems in the world. The various transport departments around the country keep a tight rein on who can drive and what they drive. Cairns itself has a fleet of computerised, late model vehicles of various seating capacities and cater for disabled passengers. They all accept cash, cabcharge and plastic. Port Douglas also has a reliable fleet of taxis and limousines that operate 24-hours a day. Complaints about being driven the long way round are virtually non-existent. All the smaller, regional centres have a taxi service of some sort. The more isolated and sparsely populated your pick-up point is, the more important it is to book your taxi well in advance. This is particularly the case if you are going to the airport for an international flight. A taxi from Cairns Airport to the centre of town will cost you less than $AU10. If you use a taxi between 6am - 8pm weekdays or between 6am -1pm on Saturday, the flagfall is $AU2.00 with a charge of $1.04 per kilometre after that. Any other time, including public holidays, the flagfall is $3.10. There is a booking fee of 80 cents if you book a cab by phone. Taxi drivers don't expect tips but if you tell them to keep the change, they are unlikely to refuse! Taxis in Australia are a smoke-free environment. Limos With more than a dozen limousine services operating in the Cairns - Port Douglas region, the area is well covered and competitive rates always available. In fact, it will only cost you a few extra coins to forget catching a cab and, instead, take a stretch limo from the airport to your Cairns city accommodation. Comparatively, however, the 70km Cairns - Port Douglas journey will cost almost twice the price if you take a luxury limo. The more economic option is to take a mini-van operated by a limo company which generally ranges in price from $AU23 - $27 per passenger. The price goes up if you require their services before 6am. Limo companies accept credit cards and cash.