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Voykit pocket guide · Australia
Melbourne
Naarm
Give Melbourne 3–4 nights: stay in the CBD or Fitzroy for walkable food and trams, and keep one full day for the Great Ocean Road or Phillip Island.
Melbourne is Australia's second-largest city and its food, coffee and live-music capital, built around a compact grid of laneways, trams and Victorian-era streets. It is also the gateway to Victoria: the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island and the Grampians all start here. Most first trips use it as a 3–4 night city base with one day out of town.
- Country
- Australia
- Local name
- Naarm
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (cool and damp); late Dec–Jan school holidays are the busiest and priciest
- Stay
- 3–4 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- AUD
- Money
- Currency is the Australian dollar (AUD, A$). Contactless cards and phones are accepted almost everywhere, including public transport in the big cities; some small cafes are card-only.
- Daily spend
- Budget A$90–150 excl. bed · Mid A$150–260 excl. bed · High A$260+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telstra has the widest outback coverage; Optus and Vodafone (TPG) are cheaper and fine in cities and along highways.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 000 · From mobiles 112
- Plugs
- Types I · 230 V · 50 Hz · Angled two- or three-pin Type I, shared with NZ, Fiji and China; sockets have their own switch — turn it on.
- Tipping
- Cafés and casual meals: Nothing; a tip jar is optional.; Restaurants: Not expected; 10% for very good service in a nice restaurant if you wish.; Taxi / rideshare: Round up or nothing.; Tours and guides: Optional; A$10–20 for a great day guide.; Surcharges: Weekend and public-holiday surcharges of 10–15% are legal if shown on the menu.
- Water
- Tap water is safe in cities and towns; in remote places use signed drinking taps. Carry plenty on any outback drive or walk.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets in parks, beaches, shopping centres and petrol stations (servos); the National Public Toilet Map app lists them.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Flat white | A$4.50–6 |
| Counter lunch or banh mi | A$12–20 |
| Pub main course | A$25–40 |
| Draught beer in a pub | A$8–14 |
| Tram or train ride (Myki) | A$5.50–11 (check) |
| Taxi or rideshare, 5 kmTaxi or rideshare, 3.1 mi | A$18–28 |
| Museum or gallery entry | Free–A$15 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MEL · Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)
- 22 km north-west of the CBD; SkyBus to Southern Cross, about 30 min14 mi north-west of the CBD; SkyBus to Southern Cross, about 30 min
- AVV · Avalon Airport
- 55 km south-west near Geelong; SkyBus to Southern Cross, about 50 min34 mi south-west near Geelong; SkyBus to Southern Cross, about 50 min
Typical fares
- SkyBus MEL → Southern Cross
- about A$24 one way, 30 min (check)
- Taxi MEL → CBD
- A$75–100
- Myki daily cap
- A$11 weekday, A$7.60 weekend (check)
Get around
Trams, trains and buses run on the Myki card; the CBD has a free tram zone, and a daily fare cap applies across the network. Trams are the fastest way around the inner suburbs; trains reach St Kilda's neighbours and the airport is bus-only. Driving is easy outside peak hours but parking in the CBD is expensive.
See and do
Known for
- Laneway street art and coffee
- Queen Victoria Market
- Melbourne Cricket Ground and the AFL
- Australian Open and the Melbourne Cup
- Great Ocean Road day trips
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Great Ocean Road and the Twelve Apostles | Tour coach or hire car via the Princes Highway and B100 | 12–14 h by coach; 3 h each way by car |
| Phillip Island penguin parade | Tour coach or car via the Bass Highway, about 140 kmTour coach or car via the Bass Highway, about 87 mi | 2–2.5 h each way |
| Yarra Valley wineries | Tour coach or car via the Maroondah Highway, about 50 kmTour coach or car via the Maroondah Highway, about 31 mi | About 1 h each way |
| Mornington Peninsula | Car or train to Frankston then bus | 1.5–2 h each way |
Sleep
- CBD
- Trams, Southern Cross Station and the laneways on foot; best for a first visit with no car.
- Fitzroy and Collingwood
- Inner-east bars, cafés and boutiques; 10–15 min by tram from the CBD.
- St Kilda
- Beach, cake shops and nightlife; 25 min by tram, quieter for families.
- Southbank and Docklands
- Riverfront apartments and casino; good for groups, less street life.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Thank you | Thanks |
| How much is it? | How much? |
| Can I pay by card? | Card okay? |
| Where is the tram stop? | Where's the tram? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake or 'G'day' / 'How are you going?'; first names from the start; avoid: Formal titles; long answers to 'how are you'
- Rounds: Buy your round ('shout') when drinking in a group; avoid: Leaving before your shout
- Queues: Queue patiently; sitting in the front seat of a taxi when alone is common; avoid: Pushing in — it is noticed
- Country: Listen to Welcomes and Acknowledgements; use local place names when offered; avoid: Touching artefacts or photographing ceremonies without permission
- Beach: Swim between the flags; respect lifesavers' instructions; avoid: Swimming at unpatrolled beaches alone
- Humour: Expect teasing and understatement; laugh along; avoid: Taking dry sarcasm literally or boasting
- Walking and driving: Keep left on footpaths and escalators; wave thanks to drivers who let you in; avoid: Stopping on the road to photograph kangaroos
Scams and watch-outs
- Weather changes fast: carry a layer and a light rain jacket even on a warm forecast.
- Myki must be touched on and off on trains and buses; inspectors fine on-the-spot.
- Some CBD bars and clubs enforce dress rules (collars, closed shoes) after dark.
- Summer heatwaves can push past 40°C: plan indoor stops for the middle of the day.
Melbourne is a safe big city by day and on the tram network. The real risks are pickpockets around Southern Cross and Flinders Street at night, drink-spiking in CBD clubs, and summer heat.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Melbourne yet. Suggested stay: 3–4 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Laneway street art and coffee
- Queen Victoria Market
- Melbourne Cricket Ground and the AFL
- Australian Open and the Melbourne Cup
- Great Ocean Road day trips
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Melbourne: www.visitmelbourne.com/
- Public Transport Victoria: www.ptv.vic.gov.au/
- Melbourne Airport: www.melbourneairport.com.au/
- Wikivoyage: Melbourne, revision 5331518 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5331518
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
MelbourneNaarm
Can you take me to this address?
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
The US consulate is in St Kilda Road; the UK, Canada and New Zealand have consulates in the CBD (check addresses).
Tipping is not expected; wages are high.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/melbourne). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.