About Melbourne
Melbourne is one of the most liveable cities in the world offering amazing art galleries, world-class dining, major sporting events, and numerous other hidden charms, both ancient and modern. It is the most populous city and the capital of Victoria, the southeastern Australian state.
Things to do
The city center is rich in modern buildings, plazas, great restaurants, and cool rooftop bars - all of them being conveniently located by the Yarra River. There is also Federation Square - a contemporary venue for culture, arts, and various public events. National Gallery of Victoria is located nearby and offers a huge number of noted artifacts. While in the area, you can also check out the awesome Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium or Arts Centre. Queen Victoria Market is a longtime market where you can buy food, clothes, and many other things.
Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria is an amazing place where you can see diverse exotic and native plants. A bit farther away from the center is the Royal Melbourne Zoo from the Victorian era. If you’re interested in water sports or want to go swimming, check out the popular St Kilda Beach or colorful Brighton Beach. Port Philip is the perfect area for sailing and fishing activities. Those who have time to explore the area around the city should visit the magnificent Dandenong Ranges National Park or William Ricketts Sanctuary.
Melbourne Airport
Informally known as Tullamarine Airport, Melbourne Airport is the second busiest one in entire Australia with more than 30 million passengers each year. It is also the primary international airport that serves the Melbourne metropolitan area located 14 miles from the city center. Numerous direct flights are available to both domestic and international destinations. The airport code is MEL.
It comprises four terminals and offers many services to its passengers. So, while waiting for your flight or an airport passenger, you can check out various shops or have a drink in some bar. You can find whatever you need - pharmacy, accessories, food, souvenirs, books, and more. Free WiFi is available to everyone and in each terminal. MEL Airport also offers disabled access in many areas throughout the airport as well as in the car parks. Here's a great resource if you're wondering what cities are close / driving distance to Melbourne MEL Airport
How to get from Melbourne Airport to CBD?
There are many ground transportation options at Melbourne Tullamarine Airport: Melbourne Airport Shuttle, Ridesharing, Taxi, Limo Service, Public Transportation, and Rental Cars. To choose the best airport transfer, you have to set your priorities and find the best option that suits your needs. We’ve listed all the information you need below.
There are many ways to get from Melbourne Airport to CBD Melbourne. One of the best and the cheapest is using any Melbourne Airport shuttle since they offer rates as low as A$10. Airport taxis and Uber are also an option, but they are much more expensive. Public buses have a similar price to the cheapest airport shuttle, but they can be slower. The trip from MEL to Central Business District takes about 30 minutes via taxis or direct shuttles.
Melbourne Airport Shuttle
There are countless airport shuttle operators in Melbourne, and we’ve listed their rates and contact information below to help you book the most convenient ride. Pick one of the following Melbourne Airport shuttles and enjoy your stay in Victoria’s capital.
Starbus Airport Shuttle offers affordable Melbourne Airport shuttle vans to the city center and many other suburbs. Their service is door-to-door and the rates are competitive. Starbus shuttle runs every day between 5 AM and 10 PM. See the following list to find out their rates.
The pickup location: You can see the pickup location map here.
Book your ride online and start your trip without worries. If you need further assistance, call Starbus at +61 3 8378 8700.
Jetbus provides inexpensive Melbourne Airport shuttle bus to the city - Melbourne City Express. They operate every day, and you can get a ride at any time. This is one of the cheapest shuttle buses and a great option for those who want to reduce their expenses.
- The one-way fare from MEL to the city is only **A$10 = $7. **
- There are some family discounts as well, so you can take up to 4 children and pay only A$15 for all of you (or A$30 if there are two adults).
Reserve your shuttle bus ticket online or call 1300 538 287 if you have additional questions.
Stream Shuttle can get you from Tullamarine Airport to any house, hotel, or conference hall in the area. Easily reserve their door-to-door shuttle online and you won’t have to worry about anything. They offer a shuttle ride from Melbourne Airport to Melbourne CBD for $19 per person. If you want to book a ride to another location, click here and fill out the form.
If you need any help, call Stream Shuttle at +61 4 3557 4469.
Warrnambool Airport Shuttle provides daily rides from Melbourne Tullamarine and Avalon Airport to Port Fairy and vice versa. You can also use this shuttle to get from MEL to Avalon Airport, Camperdown, Terang, and Warrnambool. Look at the following list to discover their one-way rates:
The pickup location is at the Terminal 4 Multi-Story Car Park (on the Ground Floor).
If you have more questions, call this Melbourne Airport shuttle at 0455 896 506.
South East Airport Shuttle is another shuttle operator serving MEL Airport that offers door-to-door rides. They can pick you up from the airport take you to any suburb in the area. They have flat rates, and you can check them out in the list below.
You can see the entire rate list here.
If you have any question, call this Melbourne Airport shuttle at 0400 11 33 99 or send an e-mail at [email protected].
Con-x-ion is a reliable shuttle bus service that offers a door-to-door transfer from many Australian airports, including MEL. This is a very convenient Melbourne Airport shuttle bus, but it is more expensive than other shuttle bus operators. Their rates are as follows:
- Melbourne Airport to CBD: $29
- Melbourne Airport to St. Kilda: $43
The pickup location: After collecting your luggage, please proceed to Terminal 2 International Arrival Area.
Book your ride online now or call 1300 856 531 if you need more information.
Redy2Go offers dependable and fast airport transportation. It is one of the best private Melbourne Airport shuttle providers that can take you to any hotel or other destination in the area. You can get a private sedan service from Melbourne Airport to the city for approximately $85.
Have more questions? No problem, call 1300-2GO-NOW and a representative will gladly give you all the answers.
Gippy Shuttle can pick you up from various locations and towns (including Morwell, Newborough, Yarragon, Longwarry, etc.) and take you to Tullamarine Melbourne Airport. They have a maximum of 11 passengers and offer discounts to groups and families. You can see the pickup location map here.
Find out all about the rates on their website or call (03) 5611-3455 if you have any question.
Rideshare
Rideshare drivers at MEL Airport are allowed to pick up travelers from two locations:
- Lane 3 of the forecourt - for International, Qantas, and Virgin Australia passengers;
- Level 2 inside the Terminal 4 Ground Transport Hub - for TigerAir, Jetstar, Rex, or AirNorth passengers.
The drop-off is allowed anywhere along Departure Drive and the Terminal 4 Transport Hub drop-off zone located on level 1.
Uber is a popular app-based transportation company authorized to pick up and drop off at Melbourne Airport. TNCs are sometimes cheaper than shuttles, but this is not the case in Melbourne. Therefore, we recommend booking a Melbourne Airport shuttle instead of Uber.
Nevertheless, we’ve listed Uber lowest estimates below to give you a glimpse of their prices and allow you to compare the rates:
- Melbourne Airport to CBD Melbourne: A$48-61
- MEL to St. Kilda: A$61-77
- MEL to Essendon: A$28-35
Note that there is a $4.48 fee for every trip from the airport.
Airport Taxi & Limo
One of the fastest airport transfers is a taxi cab, and you can easily find one at Melbourne Airport. Taxi ranks are situated across from the airport terminals (see the map here). The airport access fee of $3.65 applies to all rides from the airport taxi rank (there is no charge for drop-offs). You can also pre-book a taxi that will pick you up from the outdoor section of the Terminal 1, 2, or 3 car park.
The approximate taxi rate from Melbourne Airport to Melbourne CBD is $60 (including all fees).
If you're traveling to Melbourne for some special occasion or business event, you can hire a car or limo chauffeur to pick you up and take you to your destination. This is one of the most convenient and comfortable airport transfers, and that’s why it is more expensive. They are allowed to meet you at any terminal, and you must pre-arrange the ride since there are no limo service desks at MEL.
We’ve listed some of the best Melbourne limousine companies below:
Public Transportation
Public Transport Victoria (PTV) runs several transportation services that serve MEL Airport and pick up passengers from the Terminal 4 Ground Transport Hub (see the map here).
SkyBus is one of the best airport transfers for those who need an affordable ride from Melbourne Airport to CBD Melbourne. Shuttle buses run every 10 minutes every day. They also provide direct services to Southbank, St. Kilda, Docklands, and more.
- The one-way rate from MEL to Melbourne CBD and Southbank is $19.75. If you purchase your ticket online, you could save some money.
- The online rate for a ride from Melbourne Airport to St Kilda is $19.50.
Routes 478, 479, and 482 run from MEL Airport to Airport West and Sunbury.
Route 901 - SmartBus provides frequent 20-minute rides between Broadmeadows Station and the airport.
These four routes are myki-ticketed services. To find out all about this kind of ticket, click here.
Rental Cars
Renting a car from Melbourne Airport is the best way to explore all the amazing places Melbourne has to offer. All rental agencies are situated on the ground floor of the T123 car park. There are 6 major companies:
- Avis
- Budget
- Europcar
- Enterprise
- Hertz
- Thrifty
Find out information about their rates here.
USD
