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Coming & Going
Melbourne
Coming & Going
AIR
Melbourne is served by Avalon and Melbourne airports.
Avalon Airport
Melbourne's newest airport is Avalon (tel (03) 5227 9100; website www.avalonairport.com.au), 55km southwest of the city centre near Geelong. At this stage Avalon only handles JetStar flights to Brisbane and Sydney. Sunbus (tel (03) 9689 6888; website www.sunbusaustralia.com.au) runs a bus service linking Avalon with Melbourne city with stops at Spencer Street and Franklin Street bus stations. The one-way far is $14.
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne International Airport (tel (03) 9297 1600; website www.melair.com.au), is in Tullamarine 21km north of the city centre. This airport handles all international flights and most domestic flights.
The Tullamarine Freeway and Citylink tollway lead from the airport to the northern fringes of the city centre, hitchhikers can try their luck at the traffic lights just before the freeway entrance at the airport.
Skybus (tel (03) 9335 2811; website www.skybus.com.au) runs frequent airport bus services to the Spencer Street coach terminal in the city centre. The Skybus runs 24 hours with services every 15 minutes during the day and it costs $13 one-way. Between 7am and 6pm Skybus provide a complimentary shuttle service between the Spencer Street and Franklin Street coach terminals and to backpackers hostels in the city centre.
A taxi from the airport to the city centre costs between $40 and $45.
BUS
Melbourne has two bus terminals.
The Spencer Street Coach Terminal is situated next to the Spencer Street train station and handles Firefly and V/line buses.
The Franklin Street Coach Terminal is a few streets north of Melbourne Central Station on Franklin Street, near RMIT University and is the terminus for McCafferty's/Greyhound buses.
TRAIN
All long-distance train services terminate at Spencer Street Station at the western edge of the city centre.
FERRY
The Spirit of Tasmania leaves Station Pier in Port Melbourne every night at 9pm for Devonport, Tasmania. Tram 111 runs between Station Pier and the city centre.
HITCHHIKING
It is pretty easy to get a lift out of Melbourne as just a few roads carry the majority of traffic heading out of the city.
For lifts to Sydney, take a train to Upfield and walk to the Hume Highway. This is a great hitching spot – virtually all traffic heading to Sydney and Canberra passes this point.
If you're heading to Adelaide, Ballarat or the Grampians, take a train to Deer Park, then walk up Station Road to the Western Highway and try your luck there.
An easier option is BUG Ride (website http://australia.bugride.com), BUG's own web-based ride sharing service, which allows travellers to both offer lifts and search for rides throughout Australia.
