Melbourne: Getting there & around

Orientation

Melbourne's suburbs extend around the huge Port Phillip Bay, into the plains to the west and east and out to the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. This huge area of settlement has been necessitated by the dying but intractable goal of the Great Australian Dream - a detached home on a quarter-acre block, 2.5 children and a couple of cars in the driveway.

The city centre is about situated about 3km (1.8mi) inland, on the north bank of the Yarra River and is a neat grid of elegant (and kitsch) 19th-century architecture and self-important skyscrapers. The main north-south artery is Swanston St, running north from Federation Square and Flinders Street Station, while Bourke (a pedestrian mall for part of its extent) and Collins Sts, which cross it, are the city's other two main thoroughfares. A series of villagey districts circle the city centre.

Getting There

• bus

  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.

• car

  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.

• ferry

  Two ferries run the long (11hr) and choppy route between Melbourne and Devonport, in northern Tasmania.

• train

  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 (Southern Cross Station) and the main metropolitan station (Flinders St) are both in the city centre.

• air

  The city's airport, Tullamarine, is 22km (14mi) northwest of the city centre. A second airport, Avalon Airport, is southwest of the city.

  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.

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Getting Around

• bus

  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.

• car

  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.

• tram

  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. Remember to validate your ticket when you board a tram.

• taxi

  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.

• bicycle

  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.

• train

  Melbourne's metropolitan trainlines fan out into the surrounding suburbs and operate an efficient service. Last trains leave the city around midnight.

• Disabled Travellers

  Travellers with disabilities will find Melbourne fairly amenable. Most of the tourist attractions are accessible for wheelchairs, and trains and newer trams have low steps to accommodate wheelchairs and people with limited mobility. If you need a taxi, phone ahead for one with wheelchair access. There are also many car parking spaces throughout the city allocated for disabled drivers.

  Many new buildings incorporate architectural features helpful to the vision impaired, such as textured floor details at the top and bottom of stairs. Melbourne's pedestrian crossings feature sound cues.

  The excellent Mobility Map of Melbourne is available from the Melbourne Visitor Information Centre in Federation Square and from the information booth in the Bourke St Mall. You can also view it online at the Access Melbourne website (www.accessmelbourne.vic.gov.au).

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