How Public Transport works in Melbourne
Melbourne is a city of around 5 million people, and sits around the large bay known as Port Phillip Bay. When we first arrived in Melbourne, we didn't have a car so here are our tips for getting around Melbourne using trams, trains, and buses 😀
I'll be talking about public transport options for all of Melbourne, so if you're unsure of what this means first check out our definitions for all areas of greater Melbourne.
Costs for public transport
Luckily, Melbourne has an integrated public transport system all run by Public Transport Victoria.
This means that you will use the same ticketing system (ie myki cards, more below) and be charged at the same rates regardless of whether you are riding on a train, tram, or bus. If you come from a city which has multiple transport providers and where you have to juggle multiple ticketing systems - you may find this more convenient.
So - how much you pay for travel is the same whether you are on a train, tram or bus. The only variables for your fare cost are:
Which "zone" or area of the city you are travelling in
How long you are travelling for
Whether you have any concessions, which make you eligible for a discount.
Public Transport Zones 1, 2, and 3 and the Free Tram Zone
Public Transport in Melbourne is divided into "zones", which are different areas covering the entirety of greater Melbourne. The same zones apply to all modes of public transport.
The Free Tram Zone covers the Melbourne CBD, and all tram rides in this zone are completely free! You don't even need a myki card.
Zone 1 covers basically the inner suburbs of Melbourne, up to about 15 km from the CBD in all directions.
Zone 2 are all the suburbs after Zone 1, from about 12 - 25 km from the CBD in all directions.
Zone 3 is even further out, and starts to enter what might be considered Regional Victoria.
These zones do not have clear-cut boundaries. Many locations will be included in both Zone 1 and 2 for example.
The zones are used to calculate your fare costs when travelling. You will be charged depending on whether you travelled on both Zone 1 + 2 together, or only in Zone 2.
As an example:
full fare for 2 hours in Zones 1 + 2 is $5.30 and for Zone 2 only is $3.30. Concession fares are half of these.
full fare for the full day in Zones 1 + 2 is $10.60 and for Zone 2 only is $6.60. Again, concession fares are 50% discounted.
How long are you travelling for?
Public transport fares in Melbourne only come with 2 durations - either a 2 hour fare or a daily fare.
For a 2 hour fare, you can hop on and off any public transport within that 2 hour period. So, you can easily catch a tram, followed by a train, and a bus for example.
Daily fares are similar, except they apply for the whole day. They are always priced as 2 x 2-hour fares, so if you are travelling more than this that's the maximum you pay.
You do NOT need to decide whether you are getting a 2-hour or daily fare, if you travel more than twice in a 24-hour period you will simply be automatically capped at the maximum (which is the daily fare).
Concession fares
There are only 2 fare types for all public transport - you are either on a full fare or a concession fare.
Concession fares are discounted fares for certain groups of people within the community.
You will need some "proof" that you are eligible for a concession fare, such as having:
a Victorian Health Care Card
Australian Pensioner Concession Card
Seniors Card
School identification for children from 5 to 18 years old (children 4 years old and under travel for free all the time).
Concession fares are always half the price of full fares.
Generally speaking, anybody can buy a myki card (more below) with concession fares, but you may be asked to show proof of your concession status if you are asked by a ticket inspector.
Myki cards
Before we talk about trams, trains, and buses, I'll touch on (those who geddit, geddit 😆) myki cards and how they work.
Myki cards are plastic cards about the size of a credit card, which are the only form of ticketing for public transport in Melbourne. They function as a store of value, which can be "reloaded" with any dollar amounts, and every time you use public transport the trip fare is deducted from this credit balance.
Where to buy and reload Myki cards
If you are travelling on public transport at all, you must buy a Myki card - there's simply no way to travel on public transport in Melbourne without it.
You can buy myki cards either from:
ordering online, if you can wait the 2 weeks for it to arrive
many train stations will have vending machines
many shops (usually 7-Elevens) in the city
if you have an Android phone, you can also add a digital Myki card to Google Wallet. This is not currently available for iOS at time of writing.
The physical myki card costs AUD $3 (child, senior, or other concession) or $6 (full-fare). Note that this isn't a credit balance which you can use for travel, this is purely for the cost of having the card itself.
In order to actually use your Myki card, you will need to have a positive credit balance on them. You do so by topping up (ie reloading) at many of the same places you can buy a myki at. The main difference is that for iPhone users, you can top up using the PTV (Public Transport Victoria) app.
How to use myki cards
Once you have your physical myki card, you can use them for all public transport options in Melbourne.
To do so, usually when you first enter the train station or board your tram/bus, there will be a small scanner where you "tap on" your card. Then, when you leave the train station or leave the tram/bus, you repeat this process and "tap off" your card.
The initial tap on just verifies that you have a valid myki card with a sufficient balance. You are not actually charged yet at this point. Melbourne does have regular ticket inspectors, so make sure to tap on if you don't want to receive a fine!
When you tap off, then your myki balance will be charged depending on how long and how far you travelled. If, for some reason, you forget to tap off, then the system charges you the maximum fare for the route you are on, eg either a ride to the end of the train line, or the fully daily fare instead of a 2-hour fare.
Most trips should cost you between AUD $5 - $11 for full-fare adults and $2 - $6 if you have any form of concession.
Consider getting a myki pass for consecutive days
Many people use their myki cards using their credit balance, meaning they get charged on every trip they take on public transport.
However, if you are travelling frequently or commuting everyday, it may be worthwhile to get a myki pass. These are eligible for travel on consecutive days, and end up being cheaper if you are travelling frequently in this period.
Myki passes are available for a number of days:
A 7 day pass costs between $33 - $53 for full fare and $16.50 - $26.50 for concession.
You can choose any number of days between 28 to 365 days, at a daily rate of $4 - $6 for full fare of $2 - $3 for concession.
If you choose more than 325 days, you automatically receive up to 40 days free. That is, the most you pay in a year is for 325 days.
As you can see, myki passes are about 40 - 50% cheaper than buying daily fares if you travel on consecutive days.
Trams
Melbourne is one of the few cities in the world with a tram network, and these are a fantastic mode of transport for locals and visitors alike. In Melbourne, trams are mostly found in the CBD and inner suburbs and are rarely extend beyond ~10km from the city center.
How to catch a tram
You can catch a tram from any designated tram stop, which are usually between 100 - 300 meters apart on most routes.
Many tram stops will have a small map or listing of stops on the route. A particular stop may be used by multiple tram routes, so be careful which tram you get on.
All tram routes are identified by a number and a destination, such as "the number 72 tram to Camberwell". When it's heading in the opposite direction, this becomes "the number 72 tram to Melbourne University". These route identifiers are displayed as a big sign on the front and back of most trams.
Simply wait at the stop until the tram approaches and the driver will stop for you to board. Tap on your myki card, and you're all set!
Advantages of Trams
Trams are a cross between trains and buses, and are long vehicles which run on defined tracks on the road. I love them because they tend to be more frequent than both trains and buses and are perfect for short rides!
Their advantages:
More frequent than trains and buses, many routes will have trams running every 10 - 30 minutes.
Stops are close together, so you'll often be able to get off very close to your destination
Spacious - you will often be able to get a seat, even with any luggage, except for the CBD trams during peak office hours
Disadvantages of Trams
The 2 main disadvantages of trams are:
They tend to only be found in the Melbourne CBD and inner suburbs. If you are looking to travel further out, the tram network stops around 10km from the city.
Trams make frequent, short stops, so they tend to be slower for travelling longer distances. If you're going further, check whether a train may be more suitable.
Trains
Many Melbourne locals will commute from their homes in the suburbs to work in the CBD during the day, and often do so using the train network.
The trainlines in Melbourne are arranged as a "City Loop" which run around the edges of the CBD, and with spokes radiating outwards in all directions from this City Loop.
Each "line" is usually identified by the last station on the line. So somebody referring to "catching the Glen Waverley line" might be getting off the train at any of the stations along that train line.
Most lines will circle the City Loop before starting their journeys to the outer suburbs.
Stations tend to be 1 - 2 km apart on most lines, so you may end up having to walk or transfer to a bus/tram to get closer to your destination. Many train stations do have free car parking available though, so you may be able to drive and then catch a train to the city.
Advantages of Trains
Many commuters use the trains because:
They are the fastest mode of transport for long distances
They run mostly on a predictable timetable, and unlike trams and buses are not usually affected by varying traffic jams.
Trains are often more stable than trams and buses, for those who like to read or work during their commute.
Disadvantages of Trains
The downsides of using the trains are:
They can get crowded / standing-room only, especially on the way to the CBD in the mornings and departing the city center from 4 - 6pm.
The stations are spread out, possibly requiring you to walk or transfer to another mode of transport.
Buses
Melbourne is also serviced by an extensive bus network, covering most of the inner and outer suburbs.
Buses are probably the slowest mode of transport, and often take long, circuitous routes meandering through the suburbs of Melbourne.
However, they do reach many places you can't get to via train or tram, so sometimes they can be your only option.
Just like trams, bus routes are identified by a number and a destination. For example, "the 285 bus to Doncaster".
Rideshare
Ridesharing can be a convenient option to get around the Greater Melbourne area, and Melbourne is well-served with two popular rideshare services with plenty of drivers.
The 2 services are Didi and Uber, and both are available from Android and iOS app stores.
As an example, for the cheapest travel option on each platform you can expect to pay:
On Didi ~AUD $1.30 per minute or ~AUD $2 per kilometre. So a 13 km ride in the inner suburbs might take 25 minutes, costing $30 - $40.
On Uber ~AUD $1.50 per minute or ~AUD $2.20 per kilometre. The same ride on Uber might be $35 - $45.
Both platforms have frequent promotions, surge pricing, and different travel options (true ridesharing, private cars, extra large cars, etc) so it pays to check prices on both.
On the whole, Didi tends to be a little cheaper and Uber tends to have more drivers and categories of rideshare.
To book a ride, simply register and make a booking from the respective mobile apps. Payment is made by registering a credit card on the app, you will not be able to pay using cash or in-person when taking your ride.