Frankston, Melbourne: neighborhood guide

Frankston sits at the top of the Mornington Peninsula, where the electric train line ends and the bay curves away south. It is a working town with a beach, a pier, a small arts centre and a growing set of painted walls from the Big Picture Fest. Locals call it the gateway to the peninsula, and that is the honest description: most travellers pass through on the way to Sorrento, Phillip Island or the hot springs, rather than making it the point of the trip.

The waterfront is the centre of gravity. A promenade runs along the sand, with the visitor information centre on Pier Promenade, cafes near the pier, and the sand sculpting exhibition that runs from December to April. Behind it, the Frankston Arts Centre and the library anchor a compact grid of shops and restaurants that is walkable in 15 minutes.

The suburb spreads out from there into quiet residential streets. It is not a laneway-and-bar district like the CBD, and it is not a wine region like the peninsula further south. Treat it as a beach town with city trains.

Stay in Frankston if your plan is the beach and the peninsula. You get sand within walking distance, cheaper rooms than the city, and a direct train if you want a day in Melbourne. It also works for a night before an early ferry or a Phillip Island trip.

Skip it if this is your first visit to Melbourne and you want the food, sport and laneways. The train ride is about an hour each way, and you will spend two hours a day commuting. Base in the CBD or the inner suburbs and visit Frankston as a day trip instead.

It is also a poor fit if you are relying on walking everywhere. The station, beach and shops are close together, but the galleries and gardens at Langwarrin are a drive or a bus ride away.

Eating clusters around the station and the waterfront. The strip near the pier is the most convenient for a beach day: cafes, fish and chips and casual restaurants, busiest on summer weekends. Around the station and the Playne Street area you find the everyday mix of bakeries, Asian takeaway and pubs that a suburban centre supports.

For a wider choice, the Mornington Peninsula is 20 to 40 minutes south by car, with wineries and restaurants in Mornington, Red Hill and Sorrento. If you are staying in Frankston without a car, plan on the town centre and the waterfront.

Prices are suburban rather than city-centre: a cafe breakfast and coffee is the cheapest reliable meal, and a pub main is a mid-range option. Book ahead on summer weekends and during the January Waterfront Festival.

The train is the simplest way in. The Frankston line runs from central Melbourne to Frankston station, and the Stony Point line continues south towards Hastings. Journey time from the city is roughly an hour (check).

By car, the M3 Frankston Freeway links the suburb to Melbourne's eastern suburbs, and the M11 Mornington Peninsula Freeway (Peninsula Link) runs south towards the peninsula. From the CBD, the usual route is the M1 Monash Freeway, then Eastlink, which is tolled. Allow 50 to 70 minutes outside peak times (check).

From Melbourne Airport, bus route 901 runs to Frankston via Dandenong, and a private airport shuttle is faster but costs more (check). Once you are here, the station, beach and shops are walkable; taxis cover the rest, and buses run to Mornington, Hastings, Flinders and Portsea (check).