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Lonely Planet Travel GuidesRydges and Lonely Planet guides for travellers |
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Transport
Information brought to you by Lonely Planet
Most international tourists will arrive via Melbourne's Tullamarine airport which is is 22km (14mi) northwest of the city centre. There are a few ways of getting into the city from the airport but a taxi or the 24-hour Skybus are the most convenient modes. A second airport, Avalon Airport, southwest of the city, opened in mid-2004 and the Sunbus service meets all flights that arrive there. Bus travel within Australia is fairly cheap but Australia is a big country and what you save in dollars you pay for in boredom, as journeys can be agonisingly long. Trains are more comfortable but the network is less extensive and they are more expensive. Of course, there's always the option of hiring a car and taking to the wide open road by hitting the (largely excellent) highways between cities.
Melbourne's an easy city to navigate unless you need to be in the suburbs, which can get confusing. It's designed in the classic mould: the thoroughfares fan out like the spokes of a wheel from the central business district. Public transport consists of trams, trains and buses and tends to be efficient and useful - as long as your trip is along one of the spokes of the wheel. Public transport across suburbs can be a problem.
The city's airport, Tullamarine, is 22km (14mi) northwest of the city centre. A second airport, Avalon Airport, southwest of the city, opened in mid-2004. The Skybus runs a 24-hour shuttle between Tullamarine Airport and the city with complementary connections to your city accommodation. If there's more than three of you, it's probably worth splitting a taxi. Other shuttles run through St Kilda and around the bay, and west to Geelong. Public transport between the airport and city exists, but it's sporadic and you'll have to make a couple of changes. Taxis are available from both airports. The Sunbus service meets all flights at Avalon Airport. Melbourne's airport services both domestic and international flights. While plenty of international airlines have direct flights into Melbourne, many flights still stop off in Sydney. Domestic flights run between Melbourne and all Australian capital cities, as well as to many regional centres and a few towns in Victoria.
The country's train system is less extensive than the bus network and train travel is more expensive, but it's often quicker and almost always more pleasant than slogging it out on a bus. Interstate rail services really only operate between capital cities. Major centres in Victoria are serviced by trains, and the areas that don't have train lines can be reached by V/Line (the train company) bus. The interstate train station (Spencer St) and the main metropolitan station (Flinders St) are both in the city centre.
Bus travel is the cheapest way to get around, but distances are large and it can be slow and tedious. Buses tend to travel the major highways, which can make the trip even more boring. Buses arrive in Melbourne from other Australian capitals, Victorian towns and tourist favourites like Alice Springs and Cairns. Small bus companies travel slower, more scenic routes such as the Great Ocean Road, through the Victorian High Country, along the east coast and through central Australia.
If you're driving yourself, the main highways into Melbourne are the Hume (inland) or the Princes (coastal) from Sydney, and the Western (inland) or Princes (coastal) from Adelaide. Driving is on the left.
Two ferries run between Melbourne and Devonport, in northern Tasmania.
Melbourne's generally flat terrain makes cycling a popular option for getting around, and there are good bike tracks, but watch out for those tram tracks and make sure your wheels don't get caught in them.
Melbourne's trams are a source of city pride and run on a fairly efficient and broad network within the city and the inner city suburbs. Coin-only ticket machines are installed on trams.
Melbourne's metropolitan trainlines fan out into the surrounding suburbs and operate an efficient service. Last trains leave the city around midnight.
Buses are clean and efficient and include the 'Nightrider' bus service, which runs from the city to the outlying suburbs from midnight to dawn and is aimed at getting revellers home safely.
Melbourne has a plethora of cabs, which can be hailed on the street or booked by phone. There is a designated taxi rank at Flinders Street Station.
You can hire a car from the usual car-rental places or the rent-a-bomb variety. Be aware that driving in Melbourne can be confusing, particularly with the unique hook turns necessary in the city centre; traffic turning right must often do so from the left lane to avoid blocking tram tracks. If you are driving alongside a tram, you must stop when trams pull up to a tram stop, leaving the tram doorways clear for passengers to disembark safely. If you are using Melbourne's tollway road, CityLink, in the east (South-Eastern Fwy) and west (Tullamarine Fwy), ensure you have a daypass or an electronic pass ('e-Tag'), or you may be fined.
© 2007 Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. All rights reserved.
We and our content providers ('we') have tried to make the information on this website as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs, and transportations) with the relevant authorities before you travel.
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