Melbourne is a lively, upbeat and most happening metropolitan city in Australia. Melbourne transport is well structured. It is easy to access the city centre from Melbourne International Airport.
Melbourne is the city where I flew off for Tasmania Cruises. So let me tell you how the Melbourne transport works.
Melbourne is not a small but a metropolitan city. It takes much time to figure out where to stay, how to transfer from an airport and what are things to do in the city.
Here is a deal:
You will save money and time by learning how Melbourne’s transport system works.
In this article, first, you will find the best area to stay in the city. You will then find ways of how to transfer from Melbourne International Airport to the city centre as well as Port Melbourne.
Relevant Contents:
Where to Stay in Melbourne, Australia: Find Best Hotels in the Best Areas
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital of the Australian city of Victoria. The city is the second-largest metropolitan city of Australia, accommodating approximately 5 million populations. It is the major industrial and economic hub of Australia.
The prosperity of Melbourne is highly associated with the discovery of gold, which sparked a gold rush in the mid 19th century, in Victoria.
The rapid growth of the population happened more than Sydney in Melbourne, and the city becomes a major part of Australia for gold, extended its development along the Port Phillip Bay area.
One of the most popular Oceania Cruises is Tasmania. Located in the south-western part of Australia, Melbourne is the closest city to sail to Tasmania. Port of Melbourne has the second largest cruise ship terminal of Australia, and it shares the terminal with Tasmania cruise ships.
Melbourne Central Business District (CBD) is located in between Melbourne International Airport (aka. Tullamarine Airport) and Port Melbourne. The main metropolitan rail terminus is Flinders Street station and its main regional rail and road coach terminus is Southern Cross station. The city also has the largest urban tram network in the world.
Where is the best place to stay in Melbourne?
One of the best places to stay in Melbourne is the Central Business District (CBD), specifically in the area “between the Melbourne Museum and Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne”.
Hi-end restaurants, stylish pubs, cafes, as well as brand shops, are all lined up on Spring Street, Collins Street and Russell Street. It is the district of the central transport hub of Melbourne. You can easily access any places you would like to explore.
Melbourne International Airport
to the City Center and Port Melbourne
If you prefer the less commercialised atmosphere and quieter place with reasonable accommodation rate, Port Melbourne area is the best.
The detailed accommodation information of both CBD and Port Melbourne area will be shown in my different post shortly later.
Why Melbourne CBD is the best to stay?
- Central train stations and frequent buses
- The most elegant and richest places of Melbourne
- Southbank for the inspiration of arts
- Queen Victoria Market and can mingle with local Melbournians
- Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
- Active urban nightlife
Things to do in CBD
- Explore Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne
- Visit St, Kilda and fully admire beautiful sunset at a waterfront district
- Walk along Yara River, which lies in the central city, and enjoy the reflections of urban landscapes on the surface.
- Find Flinders Station, probably the most Instagrammed train station in Australia
- Join Melbourne’s famous active street live music
Melbourne International Airport Transfer to Central Melbourne
Getting CBD from Melbourne Airport (MEL)
(Cost on November 2018)
Melbourne Airport (MEL, aka. Tullamarine Airport) is the second busiest airport in Australia. Melbourne Central Business District is located about 23 km distance and takes about 30 minutes to drive from Melbourne Airport.
Melbourne Airport General Tips
- Take only a registered taxi and ask the approximate taxi price to your destination. Drivers do not approach you but are waiting at the airport taxi rank.
- Uber and rideshare service is legal in Australia, but they are not permitted to pick up visitors from the airport. It is better not to use them.
- Make sure you have cash at hand. Most of the Melbourne public transportation does not take a credit card to pay.
- Click currency converter for the transport rate.
1. SkyBus
SkyBus goes from Melbourne Airport to Southern Cross Train Station in the city centre. It runs every 5 minutes in a busy time for 24 hours a day and every single day of the year.
The fare is 23 AUD but a return ticket is only 33 AUD. You can save 16 AUD for each person.
On top of the return ticket discount, SkyBus Melbourne online booking is 17 AUD.
From Southern Cross Train Station, you can get a taxi ride or purchase Myki travel card and take Melbourne’s public transport system for your accommodation.
SkyBus stop is located just outside Terminal 3 for international visitors and Terminal 1 and Terminal 4 for domestic visitors. The ticket offices are located nearby the SkyBus pickup bus stops and can easily find them.
2. Taxi in Melbourne Airport
Taxi ranks are located across from the terminals. Melbourne CBD is approximately a 30-minute fare. The estimated taxi fare is 60 AUD to 70 AUD.
Note: a taxi surcharge information
Melbourne Airport takes an access fee of 3.65 AUD from all pickups of an airport taxi rank. The access fee is paid by the passenger to the taxi driver and is included in the taxi fare. However, there is no airport charge for drop off.
3. Melbourne Airport Rental Cars
Something I would like to do in my next visit is to get a rental car and capture the beautiful landscapes with my lens. Hiring a rental car from Melbourne Airport is the best way to take in all the amazing experiences Victoria can offer.
The world-famous coastline, The Great Ocean Road, is located just nearby Melbourne. Find the standing 12 Apostles and be close to native’s wildlife. I dream of an unforgettable moment of what the scenic landscape will bring me.
Recommended places to visit outside the city and for scenic landscapes are:
- Mornington Peninsula, to wine and cheese tasting in the
- Yarra Valley for wine and cheese tasting
- Torquay for stunning beaches
- Arapiles an unforgettable camping experience under the stars
Please do let me know if you ever visited or will visit the places above. I would love to know what you experienced.
Car rentals at Melbourne Airport are located as opposed to Terminal T2, International departures and arrivals.
Each car rental company is accessible via the walkways from the terminals and returns through the At Terminal T123 car park.
Melbourne Airport Transfer
to Port Melbourne
1. SkyBus
Catch Skybus from the airport to the city at a cost of 23 AUD per adult and get off at Spencer Street bus stop. Walk to Southern Cross station for 5 minutes.
Then hop on a tram 109 to go to Beacon Cover/ Station Pier station. Then walk to Station Pier for 10 minutes or catch a cab.
Or catch a cab from Southern Cross to Station Pier. A cab would be no more than 20 AUD from Southern Cross to Port Melbourne. In total it takes 50 minutes from the airport to the port.
2. Tram
Buy a public transport pass, Myki, to use tram, trains and public buses. A Myki Visitor Pack costs 15 AUD including 9 AUD travel money.
The 109 tram service operates between Station Pier and the city centre. The nearest tram station from Station Pier is Beacon Cover/Station Pier. For more information, visit the Public Transport Victoria website.
3. Taxi
Melbourne Airport to Station Pier costs about 80-90 AUD and 40 minutes ride if traffic is smooth. If you are a group of 3 or 4 people, taxi is cheaper than Skybus.
Getting Port of Melbourne from Airport
Port Melbourne is located in the south-east of Melbourne International Airport. It is the nation’s busiest seaport. Sharing the port with the ferries to Tasmania, Port Melbourne is one of the busiest cruise ship ports in Australia.
The cruise ships are docked at ‘Station Pier’ of Port Melbourne, and where you set sail to the Pacific Ocean. The Station Pier cruise terminal is located about 5km away from the Central Business District (CBD). The port is safe and is filled with friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
The Location of a Cruise Ship Terminal,
Station Pier, in Port Melbourne
Port Melbourne Address: Waterfront Place, Port Melbourne VIC 3207, Australia
Station Pier is connected to public transport in 10 minutes by walk and can access the Melbourne city centre in 15 minutes by 109 tram.
Find restaurants and cafes nearby the Beacon Cover/Station Pier tram station. Get a free ‘cruise ship arrivals guide’ at the cruise terminal and buy Myki card at Beacon Cove Food Store, just next to the tram station. Enjoy your day out in the city centre.
Port Melbourne Parking Information (No public parking, only commercial)
Bonus Tips: Port Melbourne Visitors Information
Visa: Travellers to Australia (other than those from New Zealand) need to apply for either an Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)
eVisitor for European visitors which is linked to your passport.
Currency: Australian Dollars (AUD) Go to a currency converter.
Internet: Free wi-fi access at the end of the Station Pier. The Beacon Cove Food Store and Cafe by the pier have free internet for their customers.
Public Holidays: Change the year you visit
How do you find Melbourne’s transport system? Please leave a comment and let me know what you experienced while you stayed in the city. I would love to hear from you.
If you are looking for the best accommodation in Melbourne, please visit:
Where to Stay in Melbourne, Australia: Find Best Hotels in the Best Areas
Or need more time to learn Melbourne Transport?
Bookmark this Melbourne Airport Transfers to the City Centre and Port Melbourne or Pin this article by “clicking Pinterest red tab below” for later reading. Thank you!
Leave a Reply