Melbourne Public Transport

"Melbourne Transportation

By foot

Melbourne is an excellent city for walking and you should have no problems navigating the CBD. Melbourne has a very large metropolitan area, but most areas of interest can be reached within about 20 minutes from the CBD on the train or tram. Maps can be purchased from bookstores such as Angus & Robertson taken from Federation Square  or viewed online. If you're planning on taking the train to a specific area and walking the rest of the way, a combination of the afore-mentioned site and a decent printer will serve you well.

By public transport

Melbourne has an extensive network of public transport, and connections to most of the major attractions of the city.

Melbourne’s public transport system, known as Metlink, consists of trams, trains and buses: trams service the central city and inner suburbs, trains service the city and the suburbs, and buses where there are no tram or train tracks. A single ticket (called a "Metcard") allows travel on all three modes of transport. Melbourne Trains have been known to be dirty and run-down, but in recent years, a large public transport overhaul means that clean modern trains have replaced most of the fleet.

The "Met Shop" in the Melbourne Town Hall, on the corner of Swanston St and Little Collins St provides timetables and brochures, and sells tickets, maps and travel merchandise (open 8.30am-5pm Monday to Friday, 9am-1pm Saturday). The Metlink Information Centre, ph 131638 (131MET), every day 7am-9pm, provides information and the Metlink website also provides information including maps, fares and zones and all timetables. Metcards are also available from:

* Many retail businesses (especially 7-Eleven stores)
* Train stations - less than one-quarter of Melbourne's suburban train stations are staffed. At unstaffed stations, Metcard vending machines are provided. All ticket machines accept coins and will issue a maximum of $10.00 in change. Most stations will also have at least 1 machine that will take notes but little-used railway stations may have just coin-only machines.
* Trams - all trams have a coin-only ticket machine that issues a limited range of tickets (up to a day-ticket).

Metcards are divided into "Zones", with Zone 1 covering the central city and inner suburbs (and consequently almost the entire tram network) and Zone 2 covering the middle suburbs and some outer suburbs. Until recently Zone 3 covered the remaining outer suburbs and the Mornington Peninsula however this has now been incorporated into a 2-zone system. Almost all tickets are time-based; that is, they can be used for the given period of time within the specified zone(s) from the first time you use it. The following are the most useful tickets (and some indicative costs) for travellers (fares as at March 2009):

* Two-hour (adult Zone 1 $3.70)
* Daily (adult Zone 1 $6.80)
* Weekly (adult Zone 1 $29.40)
* Sunday Saver (travel across all zones, all day Sunday; $3.10 but the ticket is not available at automatic ticket machines)
* City Saver (a single trip within the CBD only; adult $2.80)

Concession Metcards are available for all children aged under fifteen years, but concessions for older students are only available to Victorian residents who are eligible and have paid for a student concession card. Concessions are also available to holders of Victorian Seniors Cards, Victorian Health Care Cards, and Australian Pensioner Concession Cards. A concession Metcard costs roughly half the price of an adult Metcard. Children under 4 years old travel free.

Before each journey, and sometimes to gain access to the station platforms, a metcard must be "validated" by inserting it into a validation machine. On trams, the metcard must be validated after boarding the tram; however, tickets purchased on the tram (from the machine) are already validated. Note that a two-hour metcard that is validated for the first time at 6:01pm (18:01) or later is valid for the rest of the night, so if you’re heading out after 6pm for an evening’s entertainment, don't buy or validate a day ticket. Another hint to know is that 2 hour tickets do not count individual minutes, as such are rounded up the next hour to ensure that the traveler gets at least 2 hours worth of travel. This means for example, that if one validates the 2 hour ticket at 3:01pm then it is rounded up to begin counting down the 2 hours form 4:00pm. Note that you will not be allowed to leave a station with fare gates if you did not validate your ticket before you first got on the train.

If you are caught using a concession ticket without a concession card, you will be fined. The ticket barriers have a light on the top which flashes if you are using a concession ticket. It has now been written into law that your ticket can be inspected even after you have left your train, tram or bus. Fines start at $158 and can be as high as $500.

Services generally operate between 5am and midnight Monday to Saturday, and after 8am Sunday morning. After midnight on Saturday and Sunday mornings only there are NightRider buses which run defined routes to the suburbs. Metcards are now valid on Nightrider services, but you should keep in mind that daily and 2-hourly Metcards expire at 3am - if you're boarding a bus after this time, you'll need to buy or validate a new ticket. If you board a bus scheduled to depart before the expiry time on your ticket, it will be considered valid for your entire journey, even if you don't alight until after it expires.

Although Melbourne is a reasonably safe city, crime can and does occur on public transport. If you're waiting at a station at night, it would be wise to stand in the designated 'safety area'. These areas are well lit and provide easy access to the emergency intercom. Some outer suburban stations are known to be 'hang-outs' for youths and louts. Generally the stations are still safe and you will not be hassled if you mind your own business and ignore any illegal behaviour that may be occuring. It is particularly safe following sporting events at night when there are lots of people using public transport in particular families.

Melbourne's public transport system regularly experiences delayed and cancelled services, especially during peak hour. If you you have an important appointment to attend, it is advisable that you take the train, bus or tram that is scheduled before one that is supposed to take you to your destination on time.

The free City Circle trams run around the CBD perimeter, covering Flinders St, Spring St, Nicholson St, Victoria St, La Trobe St and Harbour Esplanade. It is an older style tram, easily recognisable by its maroon colour. The tram stops along the route are sign posted with City Circle. They run in both directions every 12 minutes every day except Good Friday and Christmas Day from 10am-6pm, and until 9pm Thursday-Saturday during daylight savings. Several of the trams on this service are equipped with recorded commentary about attractions passed. Tourist information is often available on board either from brochures or from a city guide person. These trams are geared to visitors and provide access to sites of interest to the tourist. They are a great introduction to central Melbourne and a free way to have a tram experience.

The free Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle bus service stops at key tourist destinations in and around the city. The buses run at 15 minute intervals between 9:30am and 4:30pm every day. A complete circuit takes 45 minutes, and there is onboard commentary.

By bike

Melbourne has an excellent network of bike paths, plus a generally flat terrain, making pedal-power a great way to take in the city. Most paths are "shared footways" under the law, although the majority of users in most places are cyclists. This means cyclists should expect to share the path with pedestrians, dog-walkers, rollerbladers, joggers, prams and tricycles. Some trails contain on-road sections (in marked bike lanes). It is legal to cycle on footpaths only when supervising cycling children or when the path is marked or signposted as allowing bikes. Helmets are required by law, and care should be taken when cycling near slippery tram tracks.

The main paths of interest to travellers are:

* The Yarra River Trail runs from the mouth of Melbourne's iconic Yarra River, through the city and onwards to Westerfolds Park in the outer suburbs.

* The Capital City Trail runs a circuit through Melbourne's inner suburbs, the Docklands precinct and the city. It's a good way to see a slice of day-to-day life.

* The Bay Trail is a pleasant trek around Port Phillip Bay, running from Port Melbourne, through the bustling beachside precinct of St Kilda, past the famous bathing sheds of Brighton, all the way to Carrum. A punt operates under the West Gate Bridge on weekends and public holidays allowing a start at Altona Meadows along the Williamstown Trail, across the punt, and joining with the Bay Trail. There is no cyclist access permitted to the West Gate Bridge.

Detailed maps of the bike path network can be found online.

Bikes can be hired from Hire-a-Bike near Federation Square at Vault 14 Princes Walk, Federation Wharf on the north side of the Yarra, ph 0417 339 203.

By car

Mid-range rental companies give good value. Try:

* Airport Rent A Car Melbourne.
* Snappy, 225 Franklin St, Central Melbourne or 79 Matthews Ave, Airport West.
* Crown, 371-379 King St, Central Melbourne or its affiliate Abel, 247 Mickleham Rd, Tullamarine.

The more pricey major chains are well-represented. These include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty.

Most hire cars should come with a detailed 'Melways' or 'UBD' street directory; which will be much needed.

Drivers should watch out for "hook turns" in the Melbourne city area. Hook turn intersections are in the vast minority and all are well-signed.

Normally, a driver would have to be in the right-most lane of a multilane street in order to legally perform a right turn. When a hook turn is indicated by a sign "Right turn from left only", the driver must go as far as practicable into the intersection, staying on the left. When the light of the street you are turning into turns green, you complete the turn. Lots of Melbournians are confused about this, but you should not complete the turn until you get a green light on the street you are turning into. The point of hook turns is to keep all turning cars away from the tram tracks, as it is an offence to delay a tram by trying to turn right across traffic. Check out Wikipedia's description of the hook turn WikiPedia:Hook_turn.

Check out CityLink's site for details of Melbourne's T-shaped tollway which links the Westgate, Tullamarine and Monash (formerly South-Eastern) freeways. It is a fully electronic road with no manual toll gates. You can buy a day pass in advance, or within 3 days of having driven down it, giving your registration and car details. You can do this by phone, internet, or at some Shell petrol stations. The registered owner of the car will get a fine in the mail if you do not buy a pass within 3 days. The tolled sections are indicated with blue and yellow signs, rather than the standard green and white. CityLink can cut a worthwhile amount of time from your journey, especially if you are driving from, say, the south-eastern suburbs to Melbourne Airport. Motorcycles are free, cars are around $11/day. Larger vehicles are more.

In progress is the EastLink tollway. Formerly called the Scoresby, then the Mitcham-Frankston freeway, it will link the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula freeways.

In the CBD, parking at meters and ticket machines can be as much as $3.50 per hour.

Motorcycles and scooters are well catered for as footpath parking is both free and legal (providing the footpath is not obstructed). Scooters are becoming very common, however for all size scooters a motorcycle license must be held."