Destination guides > Australia > Victoria > Melbourne > Local transport
Melbourne
Local transport
Melbourne’s public transport system is operated by several companies collectively known
as Metlink and is comprised of buses, trams and trains.
BUS
Buses take you everywhere that isn’t covered by trams or trains, although it is unlikely
that you’ll need to travel by bus.
One bus you are likely to use is the Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle. This is a free bus
that runs every 15 to 20 minutes between 9.30am and 4.30pm stopping at 11 points of
interest. Stops include NGV International, Federation Square, Melbourne Museum, Lygon
Street, Melbourne University, Queen Victoria Market, Southbank and the Shrine of
Remembrance.
TRAM
Most travellers find trams the most useful way to get around the city. They slowly rattle
down the major streets and cover most inner city neighbourhoods. Trams are particularly
useful for travelling between the city centre, South Melbourne and St Kilda.
The best deal is the free City Circle tram, which runs a circular route around the city
centre along Flinders, La Trobe, Spencer and Spring Streets.
TRAIN
Trains are a good way to get to the outer suburbs. The five stations on the underground
city loop serve as the core of Melbourne’s extensive suburban train network of 232
stations. Taking a train is a handy way to get out to the choice hitchhiking spots on the
edge of town, for catching the Phillip Island ferry at Stony Point, for visiting friends
or going to job interviews in the suburbs.
FARES
The Metcard ticketing system allows you to transfer between these three modes of
transport within a two-hour, daily, weekly or monthly period. The Melbourne area is
divided into two fare zones, with virtually everything of interest located within Zone
One.
Two-hour tickets are valid for two hours from the next full hour. For instance a ticket
purchased or validated at 10.55am expires at 1pm, but if you wait 10 minutes and validate
your ticket at 11.05am it will not expire until 2pm. Two-hour tickets are valid until 2am
the next morning if validated after 6pm.
A limited range of tickets is available from buses, trams and at the machines at some of
the smaller train stations. The full range of tickets is available from major train
stations and many convenience stores. Note that some ticket machines only accept coins.
Refer to the following table for ticket prices:
| Zones | two hour ticket | daily pass | weekly pass |
|---|---|---|---|
One |
$3.50 |
$6.50 |
$28 |
Two |
$2.70 |
$4.60 |
$19.20 |
One & Two |
$5.50 |
$10.10 |
$47.40 |
The two-hour and daily tickets are cheaper if you buy a multi-trip ticket that bundles
either 10 two-hour tickets or five daily tickets. This is often the best ticket option if
you’re staying a while in Melbourne, but don’t need to use public transport every day.
Prices for these tickets are as follows:
| Zones | 10 X two-hour ticket | 5 X daily ticket |
|---|---|---|
One |
$28 |
$28 |
Two |
$19.20 |
$19.20 |
One & Two |
$47.40 |
$47.20 |
Another option is the City Saver ticket, which is good for a single trip within the city
centre and some inner city neighbourhoods. This ticket costs $2.60 or $20.90 for 10 City
Saver tickets.
Myki
Myki is a new ticketing system similar to London's Oyster card, which is in the process of being introduced. Myki currently only works on Metro trains in Melbourne, but will be rolled out to buses and trams during 2010.
A blank Myki card costs $10, which can be used to buy travel at a cheaper rate than a regular Metcard. Fares are capped to a daily maximum of $5.88 for travel in zone one and $9.92 for travel in zones one and two.
The Myki card is a good travel option if you're planning on spending considerable time in Melbourne. However it won't be really useful until it can be used for bus and tram travel.
Myki also works on local bus transport services in regional Victorian cities including Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong and the Latrobe Valley. By the end of 2010 it will be able to be used for travel throughout Victoria including V/line coaches and trains.
DRIVING
Melbourne is one of Australia’s more challenging cities to drive in as you will be
sharing the road with trams.
Whenever a tram stops at a tram stop you must also come to a complete stop and wait until the tram leaves the tram stop before you start moving again, so people can alight safely. This is not necessary at many of the tram stops in the city centre which have a barrier called a Safety Zone or when you are travelling in the opposite direction to the tram.
If you’re driving in the rain, avoid braking on tram tracks. They can be very slippery.
Citylink & Eastlink
Melbourne has a couple of toll roads that are a quick way to get in and out of the city.
The Citylink (tel 13 26 29) tollway runs from Tullamarine Freeway at Bell Street to the Westgate Freeway and also from the city centre to the Monash Freeway up to Toorak Road. The Eastlink (tel 13 54 65 (13 LINK)) tollway runs north-south in the eastern suburbs between Ringwood and Frankston. The electronic payment system ensures that there are no queues at tollbooths and is a convenient system for residents, but for visitors to Melbourne it is much less convenient. Residents using Citylink or Eastlink affix an electronic device to their windscreen (called an eTag on Citylink and a Breeze Tag on Eastlink), which automatically debits the toll from their account.
If you’re just visiting Melbourne, it is inconvenient and expensive to buy an eTag and it
is a better idea to buy a 24-hour or weekend Citylink pass for $11.55 that allows you to
use Citylink for either a 24-hour period during weekdays or all weekend. Passes are
available from Citylink offices, Post Offices and from machines inside most Shell service
stations around Melbourne. You have until the following morning after driving on Citylink
to pay for your Citylink pass. Passes can also be ordered by calling 13 26 29 or online
at www.citylink.com.au. There are heavy fines if you do not pay. A one-way pass for
travel on Eastlink costs $4.96, you can pay for an Eastlink pass at post offices and
Coles Express service stations or by phoning 13 54 65 (13 LINK).
There are alternate routes if you want to avoid the tolls. Going to the airport from the
city centre, you can avoid Citylink by getting on the West Gate Freeway at Power Street
or Kings Way and heading west and then taking the Western Ring Road north to the
Tullamarine Freeway. If you’re heading to Gippsland, Phillip Island or the southeastern
suburbs, you can get to the Monash Freeway via Toorak Road. You can avoid Eastlink by
taking either Springvale or Stud Roads instead.
