Melbourne public transport: tickets, passes and apps

Melbourne runs on one stored-value card, myki, used on trains, trams and buses across the metropolitan network. For a visitor staying a few days, the simplest answer is a full-fare myki loaded with credit: tap on at the start of a trip and tap off at the end, and the system charges the cheapest fare that covers your travel that day.

Two things change the decision. First, the free tram zone: trams inside the CBD grid cost nothing, so if your hotel, sights and dinners all sit within it you may barely spend on transport at all. Second, the daily cap: once you have paid for a day's worth of travel, extra rides that day are not charged, which makes a separate day pass unnecessary.

A myki Pass (7 days or longer) is the other option. It only beats pay-as-you-go if you are riding most days, several times a day, and mostly outside the free tram zone. For a typical three- or four-day city visit, credit is cheaper and more flexible.

Fares are set by the state and reviewed each year, so treat the numbers below as 2026 estimates and confirm at the machine or on the official site. Fares are zoned: Zone 1 covers the inner city and most visitor areas, Zone 2 the outer suburbs, and a Zone 1+2 fare applies when you cross both in one trip.

Children, students and seniors pay concession fares where eligibility applies; visitors usually pay full fare. Weekend and public-holiday caps are lower than weekday caps, which is why a Saturday of sightseeing can cost less than a Tuesday.

Buy a myki card at staffed stations, 7-Eleven and other convenience stores, or online, then top it up at a machine, in a shop or through the app. You can also hold a myki in a phone wallet, which avoids the plastic card and lets you top up on the spot.

Tap on at the reader when you board a tram or bus, or at the gate before a train, and tap off when you leave. Forgetting to tap off on a tram or bus can mean a higher default charge, so build the habit. Inspectors do patrol, and travelling without a valid tap-on carries a fine.

Contactless bank-card and phone tap-to-pay has been rolling out on the Melbourne network; coverage and rules have changed more than once, so check whether it works on your line before you rely on it. If in doubt, a myki is the safe fallback.

Zone 1 is the inner city and the areas most visitors use: the CBD, Southbank, Docklands, St Kilda, Fitzroy and the inner suburbs. Zone 2 is the outer ring, including places such as Werribee and the outer rail termini. A trip that stays in one zone is charged as that zone; a trip crossing both is a Zone 1+2 fare.

For most short stays you will never think about zones, because the daily cap flattens the cost. Zones matter mainly if you are commuting from an outer suburb or taking a longer train trip, such as out to the Dandenong Ranges foothills at Belgrave.

Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL) has no rail link to the city. The standard options are the SkyBus express coach to Southern Cross station, a taxi or rideshare, or a pre-booked transfer. SkyBus runs frequently and drops you at the edge of the CBD, where you can walk or switch to a tram or train with your myki.

A taxi or rideshare from Tullamarine to the CBD is the fastest door-to-door option outside peak traffic and costs far more than the bus; the parent Australia page puts comparable airport runs at roughly A$50–80. Avalon airport, used by some budget flights, is much further from the city and needs its own transfer — check before booking.

If you are staying near the airport for an early flight, see hotels near Melbourne Airport.

The free tram zone is the single biggest saving for a city break: plan walking routes so tram hops stay inside the CBD grid, and only tap on when you leave it. Trams run frequently and are often the quickest way across the centre.

Trains are best for longer hops, such as out to St Kilda (via a connecting tram), the zoo or Belgrave for the Dandenong Ranges. Buses fill the gaps in the suburbs. Late-night services are thinner than daytime ones, so check the last train or tram if you are out late.

Keep your myki topped up rather than buying a new card each day, and remember that a day's travel is capped, so extra sightseeing rides in the evening cost nothing once you have hit the cap.