You can easily explore Melbourne and its surroundings without a car by using the city's free tram zone, public trains, and booked day tours. Top experiences include riding the City Circle Tram, visiting the St Kilda Pier penguins, and taking a day trip on the Puffing Billy Railway.
Getting around Melbourne as a tourist is a breeze, thanks to its extensive and well-connected public transport system. With options that include trams, trains, and buses, you can easily navigate the city and its surrounding areas without the need for a car.
Discover Melbourne's best-kept secrets off the main tourist tracks, including the underground Spring Street Cheese Cellar, the retro Japanese coffee house Omo in Merriman Lane, and the floating river bar Ponyfish Island.
Yes, trams are still free in the Melbourne CBD within the designated Free Tram Zone, which also covers Docklands. You do not need a myki card or to touch on if your entire trip starts and ends inside this zone.
The best time to visit Melbourne is during the shoulder seasons of March to May (autumn) and September to November (spring), when temperatures are mild, crowds are smaller, and seasonal events are abundant.
Ticketing and transport passes. To use public transport in Melbourne, you'll need a myki card. This can be used on all trains, trams and buses, as well as on some regional services. You can purchase a myki card from train stations, ticket machines and some convenience stores.
Where is the free hop on hop off tram in Melbourne?
In Melbourne CBD's 'Free Tram Zone' all trams are free. The Free Tram Zone is bordered by Spring Street, Flinders Street and La Trobe Street. Routes running along Victoria Street, William Street and Elizabeth Street surrounding Queen Victoria Market and the Docklands area are also in the Free Tram Zone.
To get to the Twelve Apostles from Melbourne city, you can drive, join a guided bus tour, or take public transport. The distance is about 275 kilometers via the scenic coastal route.
How to get to Hanging Rock from Melbourne without a car?
Melbourne to Hanging Rock train services, operated by V/Line, depart from Southern Cross Station. Train or bus from Melbourne to Hanging Rock? The best way to get from Melbourne to Hanging Rock is to bus which takes 1h 8m and costs $25 - $45. Alternatively, you can train, which costs $30 - $45 and takes 1h 11m.
Melbourne's free City Circle Tram (Route 35) runs approximately every 12 minutes, while regular public trams inside Melbourne's wider Free Tram Zone run every 7 to 10 minutes during peak times.
Melbourne tram fares are free inside the central Free Tram Zone, while regular travel outside this zone costs a flat 2-hour or daily capped rate using a myki card. Fares are temporarily halved through December 31, 2026. ·dollardreams.au
No, trams are not free before 7am in Melbourne. The early bird free travel rule before 7:15am applies only to metropolitan trains, not to tram or bus services.
Is it cheaper to tap your card on the train or buy a ticket?
Tapping your card is usually cheaper than buying a standard single paper ticket, but it depends on discounts, capping, and advanced booking. Tapping works best for standard adult fares and daily caps, while paper or digital tickets are better if you hold special discounts.
In Melbourne, travel within Zones 1+2 costs $5.70 per day for a Full Fare and $2.85 for Concessions. A single 2-hour myki Money fare is $3.30 (Full) and $1.65 (Concession). Always "touch on" to validate your ticket, and remember that travel on all trams within the central Free Tram Zone is completely free. ·rfsch3084
Mobile Myki is a way of paying Myki fares using a mobile phone. It is available on phones with recent versions of Android (5.0 and higher) that have NFC (Near-Field Communication). NFC is used by the phone to communicate with Myki readers so you can tap on and off as you travel.
Melbourne offers free tram travel on City Circle Tram Route 35 and across the entire Free Tram Zone covering the Melbourne CBD and Docklands. You do not need a Myki card or a ticket as long as your entire journey starts and stops within this designated zone.
Can I use a debit card instead of myki in Melbourne?
Yes, you can use a debit card instead of a Myki on Melbourne's public transport network. Contactless tap-and-go payments are available for full-fare trains, trams, and buses using a Visa or Mastercard debit card (or a linked smartphone/smartwatch).
