Getting Around Melbourne on Public Transport

There are so many things to see and do in Melbourne and public transport is an easy way to travel around to the city’s best attractions, sporting venues and shopping precincts.

Trains, trams and buses offer comprehensive public transport services extending from the central business district to the suburbs in all directions.

Train and tram services operate between 5am and midnight, Monday to

Thursday, with extended hours to around 1am on Friday and Saturday nights.

On Sunday, trains and trams operate 7am to 11pm.

Many of Melbourne’s bus routes run from 6am – 9pm Mon – Fri, 8am – 9pm Saturday and 9am – 9pm Sunday.

Public Transport Victoria

To help make your travelling easier, Public Transport Victoria (PTV) is your central stop for information on public transport services, fares and tickets. Up-to-date information is available via our website and journey planner, call centre and mobile applications.

For public transport information in Victoria visit ptv.vic.gov.au orcall 1800 800 007 6am – midnight daily.

Journey planner

Enter your origin and destination into PTV’s online journey planner for travel anywhere in Victoria and you’ll be provided with a tailored travel plan including maps, connections and estimated travel times.

You can use the journey planner at the Melbourne Visitor Centre at Federation Square, the PTV Hub (corner Swanston and Little Collins streets), or by visiting ptv.vic.gov.au

PTV Hubs

For face-to-face customer information visit a PTV Hub on the corner of Swanston and Little Collins streets or at Southern Cross Station for all your public transport travel needs.

Tickets

myki is Melbourne’s ticketing system. myki is a reusable smartcard that can store either myki money (dollar value) or a myki pass (travel days) and these are used to pay for your journey.

Public transport travel is simple to use in Melbourne as myki gives you flexible travel between the three modes of public transport.

You can buy and top up a myki at any Premium Station, 7-Eleven store or independent retailer where you see the myki sign, at a PTV Hub on the corner of Swanston and Little Collins streets or at Southern Cross Station, at myki machines (full fare card sales only) located at all metropolitan train stations and selected accessible tram stops and bus interchanges.

You can also buy or top up your myki online at myki.com.au or by calling 1800 800 007 (allow 24 hours to process top up).

A full fare MYKI card costs $6 and a concession myki (senior, concession, child) costs $3.

When traveling with myki, it’s important to touch on at a myki reader at the beginning of your trip and touch off at the end of each leg of your journey. Failure to travel with a valid ticket could lead to a fine.

For more information about myki visit myki.com.au or call 1800 800 007.

Zones

Fares for travelling on Melbourne’s trains, trams and buses are separated into two zones: Zone 1 for inner-city and Zone 2 for the middle and outer suburbs. Tickets need to be valid for each zone that you travel in. However, when travelling in a zone boundary overlap, the ticket can be valid for either zone.

Use the public transport maps to check what zones you are planning to visit and make sure you have a ticket that covers your entire journey.

Travelling to regional Victoria

V/Line provides convenient, comfortable and reliable train and coach services to a wide range of destinations across Victoria. High frequency services run to Geelong, Ballarat, Bendigo, Kyneton, Seymour and Traralgon. An extensive network of regional town buses also operates across the state.

If you are travelling to regional Victoria, call 1800 800 007 or visit ptv.vic.gov.au for all your transport information.

Getting around for free

City Circle Tram

The City Circle Tram uses Melbourne’s iconic W-Class trams offering you a historical tram experience, while automated commentary announces points of interest along the way. Free City Circle Trams travel the perimeter of the CBD every day between 10am and 6pm Sunday to Wednesday and 10am to 9pm Thursday to Saturday except Good Friday and Christmas Day.

Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle

The free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle bus stops at 13 key destinations around the city, including Federation Square, Queen Victoria Market and the Royal Botanic Gardens. It runs every 30 minutes between 9.30am to 4.30pm every day except Christmas Day (on Labour Day and ANZAC Day it runs every 30 minutes between 1pm and 4.30pm). Copies of the Tourist Shuttle brochure are available online and from the Melbourne Visitor Centre at Federation Square. melbourne.vic.gov.au/shuttle

Airport Shuttle

The SkyBus is a direct service from Southern Cross Station to Melbourne Airport. The buses depart every 10 minutes in both directions, and stop at both terminals 1 and 3.

For more information skybus.com.au

Melbourne Visitor Centre

You’ll find a wide range of free brochures, maps and event guides with plenty of suggestions on what to see and do across the state at the Melbourne Visitor Centre.

Here you can use the Public Transport Victoria (PTV) website and print your public transport information. A phone link to the PTV call centre is also available. The centre is located opposite Flinders Street Station at Federation Square, on the corner of Swanston and Flinders streets.