Melbourne Airport (MEL): visitor guide

Melbourne Airport sits at Tullamarine, roughly 23 km north-west of the city centre, and everything is on one site: T1 for Qantas domestic, T2 for international, T3 for Virgin Australia and T4 for Jetstar and Rex. T2 is the long walk from the others, but all four are connected on foot indoors, so a domestic-to-international connection is a walk of 5–10 minutes rather than a bus ride.

If you are connecting, allow at least two hours between a domestic arrival and an international departure, and three if the bags are checked through separately. The airport is the second-busiest in Australia after Sydney and the main long-haul gateway for Victoria, Tasmania and the Great Ocean Road.

There is no train. The SkyBus is the default for solo travellers: it runs from outside each terminal to Southern Cross station on the edge of the CBD, takes about 30 minutes in normal traffic and costs A$20–25 one way (2026 estimate), with a return fare slightly cheaper per trip. From Southern Cross you can walk into the CBD or tap onto a tram or train with a myki card or phone wallet.

A taxi from the rank outside T1, T2 or T3 costs A$60–80 to the CBD (2026 estimate) and takes 30–45 minutes off-peak; the same trip by Uber, DiDi or Ola is usually similar, with pickup points signposted in the car parks. Two or more people travelling together will normally find a taxi cheaper than two SkyBus tickets. Airport-to-city fares are metered and tolls are added, so the total can land at the top of the band in heavy traffic.

Driving yourself is only worth it if you are heading out of the city: the Tullamarine Freeway runs straight to the CBD and to the ring road for Geelong and the Great Ocean Road. Parking at the airport is expensive for long stays; most travellers leave the car at home.

SkyBus runs through the night, so a 02:00 arrival is not stranded; services are less frequent overnight, so expect a wait of up to 30 minutes. Taxis and rideshare operate around the clock from the ranks and the signposted pickup zones, and the fare band does not change much after midnight, though a surcharge can apply on public holidays.

If you land after the last convenient bus and are travelling alone, the taxi is the safer choice. If your flight is delayed past 01:00, check the SkyBus timetable before committing to a wait.

Each terminal has at least one lounge, and access rules follow the airline rather than the airport: Qantas Club and Qantas international lounges in T1 and T2, Virgin Australia in T3, and the international carriers in T2. Pay-per-visit access is sometimes sold at the door or through lounge passes, but availability and prices change, so confirm with your airline before you count on it.

If you have a long layover without lounge access, the T2 area has the widest choice of cafés and seating, and the walk between terminals is short enough to move around rather than sit still.

All the major brands — Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Thrifty and Sixt — have desks at the airport, mostly in the T1–T3 area and the T4 car park, with pickup from the adjacent multi-storey car parks. Book ahead for the Great Ocean Road and Tasmania in summer and school holidays, when automatic cars and one-way hires sell out.

Check the contract for unsealed-road exclusions before you plan any outback or forest detour, and remember fuel is around A$2 a litre (2026 estimate). One-way fees between Melbourne and Sydney or Adelaide are common; compare them before booking.