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For other places with the same name, see Melbourne (disambiguation).
Yarra River and Melbourne skyline

Melbourne is Australia's second largest city, and the capital of the south-eastern state of Victoria, located at the head of Port Phillip Bay.

Melbourne is Australia’s cultural capital, with Victorian-era architecture, extensive shopping, museums, galleries, theatres, and large parks and gardens. Many of its 4 million residents are both multicultural and sports-mad. Melbourne continues to be a magnet for migrants from all over the world, and consistently ranks as one of the world's most liveable cities.

Reasons to visit Melbourne include to attend major sporting events, to use it as a base for exploring surrounding regions such as Grampians National Park, The Great Ocean Road, and to visit Phillip Island to view the penguin parade. Many UK visitors come to Melbourne for tours of filming locations of soap opera Neighbours.

Districts

Central Melbourne

Central Melbourne
  City Centre (CBD, Southbank, Docklands)
Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) and historical core north of the Yarra River, including the new, cosmopolitan Docklands to the west and the Southbank entertainment precinct on the Yarra River.
  St Kilda
Sunny beaches and a great restaurant, bar and nightlife scene.
  Inner south (Port Melbourne, Albert Park)
Includes the old ports of Melbourne, the historic Clarendon Street town centre and famous Grand Prix circuit.
  Inner north (Carlton, Parkville, North Melbourne)
The University district, as well as Lygon Street, famous for Italian culture and cuisine.
  Inner east (Fitzroy, Richmond, Collingwood)
Working-class and Bohemian quarter, with some trendy boutiques and pubs full of character.
  Stonnington (Toorak, Prahran, South Yarra)
Expensive, upper-class neighbourhood of Melbourne, with high-end shopping and dining.

Greater Melbourne

Melbourne Southbank
  Eastern suburbs (Boroondara, Box Hill and Glen Waverley, Manningham, Ringwood and surrounds)
Stretching from almost inner suburbs of Kew, Hawthorn and Camberwell in Booroondara to the outer cities like Maroondah and the Dandenong Ranges.
  Northern suburbs (Brunswick and Coburg, Hume, Nillumbik, Northcote and Ivanhoe)
Covering suburbs like Tullamarine, Broadmeadows, South Morang, Epping, Bundoora and Nillumbik Shire.
  Southern suburbs (Brighton and Caulfield, Dandenong and surrounds, Frankston)
Spread along the coast of Port Philip Bay and covers areas like Brighton, Elwood, Sandringham and the cities of Frankston and Dandenong. Its main attraction is the beach along the bay.
  Western suburbs (Footscray, Flemington and surrounds, Sunshine and Melton, Williamstown and surrounds, Wyndham)
Includes areas like Altona, Williamstown, Point Cook, Footscray in Maribyrnong, Werribee in Wyndham, Caroline Springs, Sunshine, Melton, Keilor and Sydenham.

Understand

Climate

Melbourne
Climate chart (explanation)
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
 
48
 
 
26
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48
 
 
26
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50
 
 
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20
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24
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °C
Precipitation+Snow totals in mm
Imperial conversion
JFMAMJJASOND
 
 
 
1.9
 
 
79
58
 
 
 
1.9
 
 
78
58
 
 
 
2
 
 
75
56
 
 
 
2.3
 
 
69
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2.2
 
 
62
48
 
 
 
1.9
 
 
57
44
 
 
 
1.9
 
 
56
43
 
 
 
2
 
 
59
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2.3
 
 
63
46
 
 
 
2.6
 
 
67
49
 
 
 
2.4
 
 
72
52
 
 
 
2.3
 
 
76
55
Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation+Snow totals in inches

The city's climate has a notoriety for its changeability, often referred to as "four seasons in a day". Its climate can be described generally as temperate, with warm summers and cool winters. During the summer of December to February, temperatures hover around 26–30°C (79–86°F), but it is not out of the ordinary for the city to swelter through heatwaves of over 40°C (104°F). Humidity is rarely an issue, with mildly comfortable nights down to about 16°C (61°F). With approximately 600mm of rainfall annually, Melbourne gets only half as much rain as Sydney. October is typically the wettest month.

Winter (June–August) is usually cool with a mix of clear, sunny weather and cold & damp conditions. Temperatures in winter can range from chilly overnight lows as low 2 °C (36 °F) to daytime highs as high as 19 °C (66 °F) at times. Light snow has been recorded in and around Melbourne during the winter months only a couple of times over the last century, although the hills east of the city however usually see a snow shower or two every winter. You should consider visiting Melbourne in the autumn and spring — temperatures during these periods are usually very pleasant, without being unbearably warm with daytime highs are usually in the 20s °C (70s °F).

With such wild and unpredictable weather, it can be difficult deciding what to wear when planning a day out in Melbourne. A common tip is to wear layers of clothing, that can be removed or worn as the day goes on.

History

St Michael's Uniting Church built in 1866

The British settlement of Melbourne commenced in 1835 when settlers from Tasmania "purchased" land on Port Phillip Bay and the Yarra River from the local Aboriginal tribes. The streets of central Melbourne were carefully laid out in 1837, with some streets 30 metres wide. The settlement was named "Melbourne" after William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne, the British Prime Minister at that time. The first British lieutenant-governor, Charles La Trobe, arrived in 1839 – his Cottage still stands and can be visited in the Kings Domain. The year 1851 was a landmark for Melbourne — the colony of Victoria was separated from New South Wales and very soon after, gold was discovered in Victoria, sparking a huge gold rush. Aspects of the gold rush history can be seen at the Gold Treasury Museum, housed in the Treasury Building built in 1858. Gold was the catalyst for several decades of prosperity lasting through to the late 1880s and examples of the ornate Victorian-era structures built during this time still stand. In 1888, the property boom collapsed and Victoria suffered the depression of the 1890s. Throughout the gold and building booms, Melbourne managed to retain its many spacious parks and gardens which remain to this day.

In 1901, the British colonies of Australia became a self-governing federation and Melbourne became the temporary capital of Australia, with the Federal Parliament meeting in the Parliament House of Victoria until 1927 when the new Federal capital of Canberra was founded. After World War II, Melbourne grew rapidly, with its mainly Anglo-Celtic population boosted by immigration from Europe, particularly from Greece and Italy. Today Melbourne has the biggest Greek population (over 800,000) of any city outside Greece and the biggest Italian population (over 230,000) of any city outside Italy. The significant pre-war Jewish population was also boosted after the war. From the mid-70s, many immigrants came from Southeast Asia, particularly Vietnam and Cambodia. Melbourne has had a Chinese population since the gold rush of the 1850s. Chinatown has existed from that time but the population of Chinese and other East Asians has also been boosted by immigration in recent years.

New highrise buildings replaced many of Melbourne’s interesting old structures in the construction boom of the 1970s and 80s. Melbournians belatedly recognised the loss of their architectural heritage and steps were taken to protect what was left. Construction of the huge Crown Casino (briefly the largest casino in the world) in the 1990s upset some Melbournians with its introduction of a gambling culture. Melbourne’s development continues in the 2000s with the opening of the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square and the Docklands precinct.

Culture

Grimwade gardens, ground level of NGV

Melbourne is often called the cultural capital of Australia, with its many art galleries, film festivals, orchestras, choral and opera productions, vibrant live music scene, and a strong food, wine and coffee culture. People in Melbourne tend to dress up more than in Sydney, partly due to the colder climate. Many bars and clubs have strict dress regulations, such as requiring collars and dress shoes for men.

Particular events to note include the Melbourne International Film Festival in August, the International Art Festival in October, and the Melbourne Comedy Festival in April. There are also many concerts and exhibitions throughout the year. In addition to the Melbourne Museum, there are special museums dedicated to subjects such as science, immigration, Chinese history, Jewish history, sport, racing, film and moving image, railways, police, fire brigades and banking.

Sport

Melbournians are sports enthusiasts and particularly passionate about Australian Rules football, a sport invented in Melbourne. In fact the Australian Football League (AFL) is not so much a sport as a religion in Melbourne, with 9 of the 10 Victorian teams being based in Melbourne. As a guide, the entire national competition only has 18 teams, meaning half the league is based in Melbourne alone. The AFL culminates in the AFL Grand Final in the spring, which is played every year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Horse racing is another passion, and the majority of the state has a public holiday on the first Tuesday of November for the racing of the Melbourne Cup, one of the world’s famous horse races. Cricket is the big summer sport and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (the 'MCG') is one of the world's leading grounds. The National Sports Museum (NSM) (including the Racing Museum) Australia’s only truly dedicated multi-sports museum is also located at the MCG.

Each January, Melbourne hosts tennis' Australian Open, one of the world’s four Grand Slam championships. In March, Melbourne hosts the first race of the Formula One season, the Formula One Grand Prix. The race is held in Albert Park in South Melbourne. Two professional Association Football teams are based in Melbourne, Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City FC; the two teams now share the new Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, commercially known as AAMI Park also playing at Etihad Stadium . The city also boasts one professional team in each rugby code, with both also playing at AAMI Park. The Melbourne Storm play rugby league in the National Rugby League, with teams throughout Australia plus one in New Zealand. The Melbourne Rebels play rugby union in Super Rugby, which features four other Australian sides and five each in New Zealand and South Africa. Melbourne is the unquestioned sporting capital of Australia with the largest arenas and two of the major sporting administrations basing their operation in Melbourne: Cricket Australia is a stone's throw from the MCG, and the AFL games are played at both the MCG and Etihad Stadium.

Get in

By plane

Air is the most common method of reaching Melbourne, and if you're not in Australia, pretty much your only option. The city is served by two airports: Melbourne Airport, which has international and domestic flights, and the smaller domestic-only Avalon Airport.

Melbourne Airport

Skybus from Melbourne Airport to Southern Cross Station
Main article: Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport, also known as Tullamarine Airport, (MEL IATA) is 22 km north-west of the City Centre in the Hume region. There are regular flights from all major Australian and New Zealand cities, and there are direct international flights to many Asian hubs with onwards connections to Europe. There are direct flights to North America, South America and Europe.

Avalon Airport

Avalon Airport (AVV IATA) is a domestic airport, 55 km south-west of Melbourne in Lara, near Geelong. Although much further than Melbourne Airport, fares from Avalon are sometimes considerably cheaper. The terminals are generally very simple, with just an ATM, car hire desks and baggage carousels. Other facilities include a cafe, bar and a video arcade room. There are five flights in and out of Avalon each day, operated by lower-cost airline Jetstar (which also flies to Melbourne Airport).

Avalon Airport Transfers (+61 3 9689 7999) operates a coach shuttle to Southern Cross Station in Melbourne's City Centre, meeting every flight arrival and departure. The transfer costs $22 one-way for an adult, and $10 for a child (4-14 years). Other than the coach, there is no public transport; Lara Station is located 8 km from the terminal, meaning one could ride a bike on the road to/from the airport or catch a taxi, which would cost about $15 to the station. A taxi to the city from the airport could cost upwards of $100.

The driving time from Avalon Airport to Melbourne's City Centre is about 45 minutes in good traffic conditions. Avalon Airport is also convenient for reaching nearby Geelong and the Great Ocean Road.

By train

Southern Cross Station

Southern Cross Station is Melbourne's regional rail hub for all interstate and intrastate destinations, located on the western side of the City Centre with good public transport connections to the rest of the city.

  • Countrylink XPT. Operates the rail service between Sydney and Melbourne, leaving twice daily in the morning and evening. The journey takes just under 11 hours. 
  • The Overland. Runs the rail service between Adelaide and Melbourne, taking just under 11 hours. Departures leave twice-weekly in each direction. 

By car

From Sydney, the quickest route to Melbourne is the Hume Highway, which takes 10 hours of driving without any stops. This road is almost all dual-carriageway (freeway). The Princes Highway (National Route 1) goes along the coast and is less crowded. It takes longer with lower speed limits, hills and bends, and few opportunities to overtake. See Sydney to Melbourne by car for more information.

Adelaide is slightly closer than Sydney and can be reached in 9 hours. The coastal route is scenic but slower.

A direct journey from Brisbane takes 21 hours of driving and takes you further inland along the Newell Highway. This makes for an alternative to the standard Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne coastal route.

By bus

Bus services to Melbourne from out of state are provided by Firefly Express and Greyhound.

Bus services within Victoria are operated by V/Line, and operate from most major and many minor Victorian towns.

By boat

Celebrity Solstice in Port Melbourne

The Spirit of Tasmania passenger/car ferry runs every night to Melbourne from Devonport, Tasmania. The 10 and a half hour journey departs at 7:30PM, arriving 6AM, with an extra day sailing during peak periods including summer.

Ticket prices depend on time of year and your sleeping accommodation. A seat (no bed) is the cheapest, starting (in off-peak season) from $108 for adults and $82 for children. Bear in mind, the seat is most uncomfortable, equivalent to a cinema seat. Cabins with bunk beds start from $187 adults, $97 children. Peak season costs are about 25% higher. Cars cost $59 all year round.

Melbourne is also served by several international cruise ships throughout the year, particularly in the Summer cruise season.

All passenger ships serving Melbourne arrive at and depart from Station Pier in Port Melbourne, about 5 km from the city centre. Tram route 109 (towards Box Hill) departs frequently from the old railway station across the road from the Pier, travelling into the heart of Melbourne along Collins St. You can purchase mykis at the tram stop's machine or from a visitor desk in the peak season.

Get around

Melbourne has a very large metropolitan area, but most sights of interest are within the city centre and the rest can for most part be reached within about 20 min from the centre on the train or tram. Melbourne's city centre is laid out in an orderly grid system, similar to the grid system of Manhattan, meaning that navigating the city centre is easy. Public Transport Victoria's Journey Planner can suggest the best way to get from point A to point B, with schedules, maps and connections. Melbourne has a reputation for a well-planned road system, although traffic can be heavy in the peak period.

By public transport

Melbourne has a fairly reliable public transportation system which consists of trams, trains and buses: trams and trains branch out from the city centre to the suburbs, while buses usually cover where there are no tram or train tracks. There are connections to most of the major attractions of the city, and it is fairly easy to get around Melbourne without a car. Most of the network is wheelchair and pram accessible, with the major exception of the tram network which mostly operates with older, step-entry vehicles. Train, tram and major bus services generally operate between 5AM and midnight Monday–Saturday and after 8AM Sunday. On Friday and Saturday nights, all-night services run on a limited "night network".

Public Transport Victoria coordinates public transport and provides timetables, maps, disruption info and a very useful journey planner. Mobile apps are available for iOS and Android devices.

Tickets

File:Myki Card.JPG
Myki Card
A myki reader deployed on a bus.

Myki is a reloadable smartcard used for travel on trains, trams and buses. Myki cards can be purchased and reloaded from staffed railway stations, machines at stations, major tram stops and the airport, and various retail stores such as newsagencies and 7-Eleven. Cards can also be purchased online. They cannot be purchased or reloaded on trams or trains, however you may do so onboard buses.

Regular adult cards cost $6, and concession/under-16 cards cost $3. Concessions only apply to Australians with the appropriate concession card. The card comes with no preloaded credit and the fee is non-refundable. A Myki Visitor Pack ($14/7 adult child), which comes preloaded with $8/4 of credit (enough for a full day of travel) and a stack of attraction discount coupons, can be purchased at the Melbourne Visitor Centre, PTV Hubs and the Skybus terminal at the airport.

To use myki, touch on by holding the card onto a reader before travel at the train station, or on board a bus/tram and wait for the beep. Touch off when exiting a train station or a bus, although touching off on a tram is optional. Metropolitan Melbourne has two zones; Zone 1 which covers the entire city, and Zone 2 which allows a cheaper fare when travelling only in the outer suburbs. The fare (including the travel time and zone) is automatically calculated and deducted by myki, so there is no need to plan costs in advance. In the city centre, there is also a Free Tram Zone where one does not require a myki to travel and should not touch on if remaining within the zone.

Myki fare table (Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2015)
Adult Concession/Child
Zone 1 Zone 2 Zone 1 Zone 2
2 hour $3.76 $2.60 $1.88 $1.30
Daily $7.52 $5.20 $3.76 $2.60

Regulations and laws surrounding public transport are strict. Ticket inspectors are common, and fines start at $207 on the spot for offenses such as fare evasion, putting feet on seats, swearing and drinking alcohol.


Trains

File:Melbourne Train Network.png

The train network is operated by Metro Trains Melbourne with blue branding. A partly-underground "City Loop" forms the basis of the network, with all the other lines branching off to the suburbs like spokes of a wheel. The lines are named after the station at the end of the line, and all run through Flinders Street Station, the city's famous suburban railway hub. Trains to the suburbs generally operate at 10-20 minute frequencies, with higher frequencies (but more overcrowding) in peak times. Be aware that some trains run express to and from the city.

Trams

D2 and C2 trams on Swanston Street
Also see Trams in Melbourne.

Trams are a prominent feature in Melbourne's urban landscape. The city has the largest network in the world. The network is operated by Yarra Trams with green branding. Most tram lines branch out from the city centre like spokes. In the city, they often become crowded, and you are unlikely to get a seat. The network is operated by a mix of newer, low-floor trams with stop announcements and older models with step-entry. Most stops in the inner city have platforms, although most require hailing the tram from the side of the road; take care at these stops and look for distracted cars which may illegally speed past.

Yarra Trams' official iOS and Android app, tramTRACKER, is very useful for tracking real-time tram arrivals and following the tram's progress onboard. Most tram routes will have 8-12 minute service during the day, with higher frequencies in the peak, but lower frequencies of 20-30 minutes in the evenings.

Travel on all trams in the city centre is free. The boundary of the Free Tram Zone is marked with plenty of signage, but remember to touch on if you leave the FTZ. This is in addition to the City Circle, a free tourist tram in the city centre, which runs past many major sights in historical trams.

Buses

Buses serve as connections to places without rail transport, often connecting to major shopping centres and train stations. Denoted by orange branding and stops, most buses are low-floor and air-conditioned. A few major trunk routes (including ones such as the 200/207 in the inner north, the 900 to Chadstone, 907 to Doncaster, etc) operate at 10-15 minute frequencies, although for most buses, it is necessary to use the journey planner or check timetables, as service tends to be far less frequent than trains and trams.

Tourist services

A City Circle tram alongside Federation Square.

As mentioned above, the free City Circle (Route 35) tram runs around the CBD perimeter, operated by vintage-style maroon trams. Audio commentary provides information about attractions that are passed. These trams are geared to visitors and provide access to sites of interest to the tourist. More information is provided in the City Centre guide.

The Melbourne City Tourist Shuttle is another option that also extends to key tourist destinations just outside of the city centre, including the MCG, Lygon Street and the Royal Botanic Gardens. The buses run at 30 minute intervals between 9:30AM and 4:30PM daily. A complete circuit takes 90 minutes, with on-board commentary. It costs $10 for two consecutive days, allowing visitors to hop on and off as many times as they desire within that timeframe. Tickets may be purchased online, at the Melbourne Visitor Centre or with a credit card or coins at ticket machines at each stop.

By bike

The inner suburbs of Melbourne have a good network of bike paths by the standards of English-speaking countries, 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, where many have been injured in the past. Reflective clothing is essential for safe night rides and it is now illegal to ride at night without lighting.

Trails

Yarra River
  • 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. 
  • 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. 
  • Bay Trail. A pleasant trek around Port Phillip Bay, running from Port Melbourne, through the bustling beach-side 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. Cyclists can't use the West Gate Bridge. 

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

Bicycles on public transport

Bicycles may be taken on Metro trains at no extra charge. Due to crowding, it is often impractical to take a bicycle on a peak hour train, and it won't win you any friends with your fellow passengers trying to squeeze into the same carriage. Conventional bicycles are not permitted on trams or buses, even when replacing a train service. Only folding bicycles may be taken on trams and buses when folded. Bicycles may be carried in taxis at the drivers discretion.

Bike rental

  • Melbourne Bike Share. Bikes cost $2.90 per day, as long as you return the bike every 30 minutes (note if you don't check the bike in 3 hours rental will cost upwards of $40). $5 bike helmets can be bought at some 7-Eleven stores throughout the city centre and can be refunded for $3 at any store that sells them. If you are lucky you can find one attached to the front of the bike. 
  • Rentabike, Vault 14 Princes Walk (Near Federation Square, Federation Wharf, on the north side of the Yarra.), ☏ +61 4 1733-9203. 10am - 5pm. $35 per day. 

A folding bike with 20 inch wheels or smaller is very convenient when travelling in the city. When folded, it can be carried on bus, tram, train, V/Line and CountryLink without any additional charges. Inform the driver that it will be folded and hand carried as baggage. It is advisable to avoid peak times (7AM-9AM and 5PM-7PM). If the wheelchair area is not occupied then the bike can be parked in this area safely without folding, except the area in the first carriage, which is reserved for disabled passengers.

By car

Hook turn warning sign

Driving in Melbourne's city centre is generally inadvisable. Congestion tends to be bad, streetside parking difficult to find, and parking in multi-storey carparks tends to be rather expensive. In addition, you will have to learn how to execute a hook turn (described in a later paragraph) due to the large number of trams in the city. That being said, driving is generally the best way of getting around Melbourne's suburbs, as the public transportation network tends to be less reliable and more thinly spread out than in the CBD, particularly in the outer suburbs. If you plan on living in one of Melbourne's suburbs and wish to rent a car, a common alternative to driving into the CBD that many locals do is to drive to and park at the nearest railway station, and take the train down to the city from there.

The major car rental chains are well-represented and include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz & Thrifty. Independent car rental companies are also plentiful and can offer good value for money. If you are looking to cover a long distance by car, ensure your rental policy includes unlimited mileage – most economy to standard sized car rental include this already.

Melbourne's rules of the road have one notable quirk: there are a handful of intersections in the city centre where you must do a hook turn to turn right due to tram tracks running down the centre of the road. Follow the signs, pull to the left of the intersection if you are turning right, as far forward as possible, wait, and when the light for the street you are turning into turns green (the traffic on the street you are on stops) make the 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 tollgates. 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.

The EastLink tollway has recently been completed. Formerly called the Scoresby, then the Mitcham-Frankston freeway, it links the Eastern, Monash, Frankston and Mornington Peninsula freeways. Like the CityLink, it is a fully electronic road with no toll gates. If you have a tag or account, tolls range from 28c for short trips on some segments, to a toll cap of $5.15. Weekends are 20% off, and motorcycles are half price. If you don't have a tag or account, passes are available for the cost of the trip cap (e.g. travelling one way will cost you $5.15 in a car). Passes are available online at [1] and can be purchased before or up to 3 days after the trip.

Tags from other Australian cities work on CityLink and the EastLink tollway, but passes do not.

One option for travel on both CityLink and EastLink is the Melbourne Pass. It costs $5.50 to start up an account, and tolls are debited from your credit card automatically once the accumulated tolls and fees reach $10, or when the pass expires (after 30 days, but can be extended once for another 30 days). No tag is required. The pass can be purchased online at [2]

In the centre, 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.

By foot

Melbourne is an excellent city for walking and you should have no problems navigating the CBD grid. A brisk walk may even see you keeping up with the trams, as they crawl through the city centre.

By taxi

Yellow Melbourne taxis are ubiquitous in the centre but less often spotted in the suburbs. The largest companies are 13CABS (☎ 13-CABS/132227) and Silver Top (☎ 131008), both of which — despite the names — are also yellow in colour. Fares are standardised so that the meter starts ticking at $3.20 and clocks up $1.617/km, meaning that short hops within the centre can go for under $10, but longer hauls get pretty expensive pretty fast. Midnight-5AM is 20% more, booking by phone or taking a taxi from the airport costs $2 extra and sitting in traffic is $0.56/min. Between 10PM and 5AM, taxi fares are prepaid: you pay an estimated sum to the driver in advance and the fare is corrected on arrival.

Some taxi companies do not provide a lost property service. Lost items by law must be forwarded to the police if they are not claimed. Melbourne's taxi network is fairly safe, although taxi ranks can sometimes be rowdy places, due to the lack of taxis compared to demand (particularly outside Flinders Street Station, but there is a police box next to the rank which generally operates at night).

See

Royal Exhibition Building located in Carlton Gardens and built for the 1888 International Exhibition
Avenue of English Elm Trees in Fitzroy Gardens

Melbourne is a great city for arts, culture, dining, and events. Visitors frequently comment on the "good vibe" of the city which can only be understood by experiencing it for yourself. There are a wide and varied assortment of attractions and sights that every traveller will appreciate. Most are located in the City Centre, in close reach of public transport. Melbourne is also a good base for experiencing all the other attractions of Victoria. Most of which can be done in day trips from Melbourne.

Do
This is a huge city article, so detailed listings go in the district articles. This article should only provide a brief overview.

Footy fever

It may be called "Australian rules" football, but the city that rules the game is Melbourne: until 1982, every team in what was then the Victorian Football League was based in Melbourne or Geelong, and even today 10 of 18 teams in the AFL hail from the city. The season runs through winter from late March to late September, with big matches drawing up to 100,000 spectators.

For the first-time spectator, the "footy" looks like untrammeled mayhem, with the oval rugby-style ball carried, kicked, bounced or even punched — but never thrown — across the oval pitch while the opposing team's players tried to grab it or pummel its holder into submission. The objective is simple enough: to kick the ball between the two tall goalposts (a goal, scoring 6 points), or barring that at least between a goal post and the shorter post next to it (a behind, scoring 1 point). No protective equipment of any kind is used and almost anything goes when tackling, although traditionalists bemoan the recent banning of moves like grabbing a player's arms from behind and ramming them into the ground head first!

All that said, footy fans are a surprisingly well-behaved lot and hooliganism is nearly unknown, with plenty of families and little old ladies attending matches. Fans of the two opposing teams usually sit together at games, and even though the cheering can get very passionate, actual crowd violence is almost unheard of, even at matches featuring rival teams. Tickets can be booked in advance from Ticketek, but for most games you can simply show up at the stadium before the match, with general admission tickets starting from $20.

  • See interesting films at the Art Deco-styled Astor Theatre in St Kilda. There are several moonlight cinema programmes in summer. The Melbourne International Film Festival [3] is on in August.
  • Alternately, visit the Cinema Nova on Lygon Street (tram 1 or 8) on a Monday for $6 films before 4PM.
  • Visit a comedy club. The Comic's Lounge [4] has shows for $10–25 including a show filmed for Channel 31 on Mondays, or dinner and show for $45. The Comedy Club has dinner and show for $32 and shows only beginning at $7 (discount ticket price).
  • Watch the mesmerising process of personalised hard candy being hand-made at Suga. Around lunch time is a good time to see (and sample!). There is a store at Queen Victoria Market, but if you visit the Royal Arcade location, you can also watch chocolate making next door at Koko Black.
  • Kick back at one of Melbourne's fantastic cafes in the CBD (Degraves St, The Causeway, and other laneways are fantastic for this), South Yarra (Chapel Street) or Fitzroy (Brunswick Street, Smith Street).
  • Melbourne has an exceptionally vibrant live music scene. Many bars and pubs will have copies of the free magazines "Beat" and "Inpress" which provide local gig guides. Fitzroy, Collingwood and St. Kilda are generally your best bets for seeing some of the great local talent Melbourne has to offer. Venues where you generally can't go wrong include: "The Evelyn", "The Espy" ( closed for renovations as of Jan 2016 ), The Corner Hotel in Richmond & The Northcote Social Club.
  • The Black Light Mini Golf is located at the Docklands. This is an 18 hole mini golf range designed around an Australian theme. It is under black light with a light and sound system and featuring fluorescent colours. It is located behind the Big Wheel Being located indoors means that you can play all year round, Admission pricing is $13 for an adult and $10 for a child. It takes around 1 hr to play. A recently added attraction to the Black Light Mini Golf is "The Coffin Ride" [5] this is as freaky as it sounds, you take a virtual ride in a coffin with the lid closed, there are sounds, smells and your mates can have a really good laugh watching you on TV.
  • Melbourne is an excellent place to master your photography skills. So many places to take a fantastic picture.
  • Visit the beach (St Kilda, Brighton, or Frankston on the east side. Williamstown on the west side.)
  • Chill out in the Botanical Gardens or one of the many parks (Albert Park, Carlton Gardens, Fitzroy Gardens)
  • See amazing sand sculptures in nearby Frankston from the end of December to April each year (catch Frankston train line)
  • Visit the Eureka Skydeck for the best view of the city on level 88 of the Eureka Tower. Or indulge in fine dining by booking on level 89 of the Eureka Tower.

Learn

You can take language classes, join a cafe book group, learn to draw, sign up for historical or foodie walks, study for your Victorian Certificate of Education or take computer or business classes at the Council of Adult Education (CAE). The CAE is also home to the City Library where you can sign up to borrow books or just read magazines in their cafe.

Universities

Melbourne is home to several universities, two of which belong to the prestigious "Group of Eight": the University of Melbourne and Monash University. There are opportunities for international students to enroll in these universities, either in their degree programmes or through exchange agreements with foreign universities, and these are opportunities for foreigners to live in Melbourne for an extended period of time.

Work

The most popular industry for a working holiday is to work in hospitality jobs around the St. Kilda area. The wages in all other industries are usually much better than working in hospitality but require more specific skills. At the moment there are a lot of job offers for nurses and craftsmen.

Fruit picking is a possible source of income but in the greater Melbourne area there are not many jobs are offered. You will find better chances are in the dairy business but you should have some basic experience. Grape vine tending is another possibility in the nearby Yarra Valley.

Buy

Collins Street boasts many high end shops and boutiques

Shopping hours in metro Melbourne are typically 7 days a week, 9AM–5:30PM weekdays and 9AM (maybe later)–5PM weekends. Most suburban shopping centres such as Chadstone have later closing hours on Thursdays and Fridays – mostly up to 9PM. Supermarkets have extended hours 7 days, the majority opening at 7AM and closing at midnight or 1AM, however there are many 24-hour supermarkets around.

Alcohol in Victoria can be purchased at licensed shops/venues and supermarkets often have an adjoining bottle shop, which close earlier than supermarket hours. Some supermarkets that close at the same time as their licence stock alcohol in the supermarket. You need to be over 18 years old to purchase alcohol. Most bottleshops close by 10PM to midnight (even on weekends), but some open until 3AM (e.g. on Riversdale road in Booroondara and Russell St Melbourne), and 24-hour bottleshops on both Chapel and Lygon streets, in Stonnington and Melbourne respectively.

City Shopping

The historic Block Arcade on Collins Street

Melbourne is known as the fashion capital of Australia with numerous malls and boutique-lined streets.

In the CBD itself, Little Collins Street is home to some of the world's top designers and fashion houses; Collins Street also boasts other high end shops such as Louis Vuitton and Hermès. Brunswick Street (Fitzroy), and the southern end of Chapel Street in Prahran/Windsor, have clusters of stores selling an eclectic mix of vintage, rave, retro and alternative gear such as Shag, Fat Helen's and Beaut Vintage to shop around.

Melbourne Central is another shopping mall based in the city, adjacent to the underground station of the same name. The Bourke Street Mall with the department store David Jones, as well as the flagship store of Myer, Australia's largest department store chain, is another city-central shopping hub.

For the bargain shopper, there is a DFO Outlet Malls located on Spencer Street, Melbourne city, just north of Southern Cross Railway station.

It is also worth noting, for Backpackers, that Elizabeth Street has plenty of Bargain backpackers stores, for example Mitchell's Adventure (255–257 Elizabeth Street), which can offer outdoor products for bargain prices.

Suburban Shopping

Bridge Road in Richmond is a strip where warehouse direct outlets rule and no one pays recommended retail price. Chapel Street in South Yarra is a favourite among the locals, with its spread of exclusive boutiques, cafes and well established chain stores. There are also several huge shopping complexes in the outer suburbs, such as Chadstone and Southland (Cheltenham) in the South-East. Doncaster Shoppingtown, Eastland (Ringwood) and Knox City are in the outer East. Northland in the north, Highpoint in the west.

Melbourne is also home to many of Australia's largest shopping centres; including Chadstone Shopping Centre in Malvern East (the largest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere) which has over 530 stores, Knox City Shopping Centre which has 350 stores, and Fountain Gate Shopping Centre in Casey which includes approximately 330 stores.

Looking for something in particular?

Luna Park in St Kilda, Melbourne

For those in the bridal market, High Street in Armadale, Stonnington and Sydney Road in Brunswick, Moreland are the two main clusters for bridal apparel and accessories. For those who are looking for local, aspiring designer creations, try Greville Street in South Yarra, Stonnington or Smith Street and surrounds in Yarra.

To buy funny souvenirs and Australian typical stuff, walk or take the tram to Victoria Market. You'll find all you need there and the price is usually a half or a third of the prices in the souvenir shops downtown. Make sure to try a bratwurst dog and check out the cheese stalls while you're there.

Eat

Cakes on display at Hopetoun Tea Room on Collins Street

For the culinary traveller, Melbourne is one of the best destinations in the world. There is an abundance of affordable, high quality restaurants representing almost every cuisine. Eating out is cheaper than in Western Europe but not as affordable as North America. The service in Australian restaurants may be more discreet than many North Americans may be used to. Service staff in Australia are paid considerably more than their North American counterparts so tipping is not customary, though you may choose to give a tip if the service was exemplary.

Excellent eateries can be found sprinkled throughout all of the inner (and some outer) suburbs, while certain neighbourhoods have become magnets for residents and restaurants of particular countries. A large range of restaurants and cafes offering high quality food, and representating various cultures and countries, are scattered through the central city, Southbank, Carlton (mostly Italian and touristy), Victoria Street in Richmond (many low cost popular Vietnamese and South East Asian restaurants), Docklands, South Yarra and Prahran. Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg is known for its many Middle Eastern, Lebanese, Greek and Turkish restaurants. The popular tourist area of St Kilda offers a large range of good quality restaurants and cafes, especially on Acland Street, and Fitzroy Street.

English-style fish and chip shops are scattered through the suburbs – particularly in bayside areas. Souvlaki and gyros are very popular in Melbourne and outlets are plentiful through the inner and outer suburbs. Japanese nori rolls and sushi is very popular and many stores through the city and suburbs sell these items.

African

There is a concentration of African cafes in Nicholson St, Footscray and Racecourse Road, Flemington. Most serve a small range of Ethiopian cuisine and coffee, and are frequented by the local African residents. The Abyssinian is a well-regarded Eritrean/Ethiopian restaurant popular for locals and tourists for a more elaborate dinner. The stewed foods are served on a large pancake (injera) in the middle of the table. Everyone eats with their hands which is messy but fun.

Australian

"Australian cuisine" is a nebulous concept that may include traditional native foodstuffs and more modern cafe infusions of international influences. Items such an emu and kangaroo meat are unusual, and are most likely to be found only at the high-end fine dining restaurants as a speciality item. You can however, find great kangaroo steaks at the Napier Hotel (Napier St, Fitzroy) for around $20, or at the Edinburgh Castle pub on Sydney Rd, Brunswick for around $10.

Meat pies are available from bakeries and convenience stores.

Café/delicatessen food

High quality delicatessen style eating available in many of a cafes in the small lanes of central Melbourne. Many high quality deli style diners can be found outside the city, in Acland Street, St Kilda.

Chinese

Chinese cuisine has a long tradition in Melbourne and a large number and range of quality restaurants exist. Many are in Chinatown in Little Bourke Street, City centre. They are also dotted through the inner and outer suburbs, with concentrations in Richmond, Footscray, and suburban Box Hill, Glen Waverley and Springvale.

Most of the food is from the Southern (Cantonese) school of cooking, although Northern favourites like dumplings are also available. Eating dim sum, which is consumed either during breakfast or lunch (called yum cha or "drinking tea" in Cantonese) is an extremely popular Sunday pastime for Australians of all ethnic backgrounds.

If you're after a budget option (meals $5–10), try Camy's dumpling house (Shanghai style dumplings) on Tattersalls Lane in the CBD. In the evening, the easiest – and most amusing – option is the all-you-can eat service for $12 per person. Service is dicey, but always exciting.

Greek

Lonsdale Street in the City Centre is Melbourne's Greek precinct with bars, cafes and restaurants, and cake shops. Greek restaurants and food outlets can be found in Sydney Road in Brunswick, Swan Street, Richmond, Coburg and Oakleigh in the south eastern suburbs which have many Greek cafes specialising in frappe, cakes and good souvlaki.

Indian

Indian restaurants can be found throughout Melbourne, particularly in the city, North Melbourne, and inner eastern suburbs such as Richmond and Hawthorn. There are also numerous Indian snack bars in the city that serve cheap but tasty curries and samosas, cafeteria-style.

Nepalese food is also popular in Melbourne, and some restaurants feature both Nepalese and Indian cuisine on their menus. An increasing number of Indian restaurants offer home delivery.

Indonesian

Befitting its large number of Indonesian students, Melbourne has many Indonesian restaurants. One of the most famous is Blok M on Commercial Rd, Prahran, which many famous Indonesians have visited. Another popular restaurant is Nelayan with two restaurants on Swanston Street and Glenferrie Rd, Agung on Glenferrie Road, Bali Bagus on Franklin Street, Es Teler 77 on Swanston St, Nusantara in Caulfield and Bali Bowl on Flinders Lane. There is also Warung Gudeg, specialising in Jogjakartan local cuisine in Clayton. Warung Agus in West Melbourne serves Balinese cuisine on a rather upscale atmosphere.

Italian

With its large Italian population Melbourne has countless Italian restaurants, mostly offering food from the southern regions of the Italian peninsular.

Italian cafes and restaurants are plentiful throughout Melbourne but are in the greatest concentration in Lygon Street, Carlton, just north of the city centre. Lygon Street is where Melbourne's coffee culture originated. Suburban Italian restaurants are often large and family orientated and tend towards the pizza, pasta, seafood and steak formula.

Pizza outlets are very much part of the Melbourne landscape. These include Piazza 51 in Sydney Road, Brunswick, Spiga in Melbourne Central, Pizza Meine Liebe in Northcote, and countless options in Lygon Street.

Japanese

A quick "sushi" take away lunch can be bought on almost every block where there is food. In and out of Chinatown there are also plenty of places that have good bento, udon and donburi as well.

For dinner, many of the inner city suburbs have Japanese restaurants, but in the city itself there is a long an interesting Japanese restaurant history that continues to this day. Both Melbourne's oldest, Kuni's (which has been around since 1978) and it's sister restaurant Kenzans are known for a very authentic, if expensive, meal. There are a plethora of choices for those on stricter budgets as well.

Jewish/Kosher

St. Kilda East and Caulfield are home to vibrant Jewish communities and kosher bakeries and cafes abound most situated on Carlisle Street in Balaclava, Kooyong Road in Caulfield North and Glenhuntly Road in Elsternwick.

Malaysian/Singapore

Malaysians and Singaporeans feeling homesick will find host of restaurants and foodcourt outlets offering items like roti canai/paratha, nasi lemak, prawn noodles, laksa. Many are in the City Centre; there are Malaysian restaurants scattered throughout Melbourne. Little Bourke Street has a few Malaysian run eateries as well as QV's Kopitiam (corner of Lonsdale and Swanston St, CBD), Boxhill has a new Malaysian run (with Malaysian cooks – most Malaysian run eateries employ cooks from China) eatery called Petaling Street which has provided the most authentic fare so far.

Middle Eastern

Arab, Lebanese, Moroccan and Turkish restaurants tend to be concentrated in Sydney Road in Brunswick and Coburg to the north of the city centre. These restaurants can also be found in the outer suburbs that are home to those communities, including Dandenong.

Thai

Thai restaurants are ubiquitous in Melbourne: even dining precincts mostly known for Italian or Vietnamese food boast Thai restaurants.

Vegetarian

Vegetarian food is widely available in Melbourne, and you can expect every restaurant or cafe to have a few vegetarian or vegan options. There are also many vegetarian restaurants: Vegie Bar in Brunswick St, Fitzroy, Gopals in Swanston St and Shakahari in Lygon St, Carlton are just some of the options. Crossways at 123 Swanston St. serves a very popular $5 all you can eat vegetarian lunch, Mon-Sat.

Vietnamese

Melbourne's Little Vietnams are in Footscray, North Richmond and Springvale out in the far eastern suburbs. The streets in these areas are lined with pho (noodle) shops and restaurants offering other Vietnamese favourites. Many outlets have also appeared along Swanston Street in the City Centre. However for convenience to the city and reasonable prices, Victoria Street in North Richmond is your best bet.

Others

Spanish, Argentinian, Burmese and Polish restaurants can be found in the Richmond/Collingwood/Prahran area.

Melbourne has some Cajun/Creole restaurants and one or two American style diners, but US cuisine is otherwise absent: Foods like Southern-style barbecue and clam chowder are nearly impossible to find.

Korean restaurants are well represented and are scattered throughout the city.

Hopetoun Tea Rooms in Block Arcade on Little Collins Street offer sweets ranging from cakes and pastries to high tea.

Drink
This is a huge city article, so detailed listings go in the district articles. This article should only provide a brief overview.

Coffee

Melbourne has a long and rich coffee culture beginning with Victorian era coffee palaces and further enhanced by Italian migrants arriving in the aftermath of World War II.

Perhaps the most famous Italian style cafe is Pellegrini's, 66 Bourke St, Melbourne city. Fitzroy is known for funky, bohemian-style cafes. Collins Street features many elegant cafes. Many Italian style cafes are found in Carlton; Brunetti's is open late and always packed.

Serious espresso connoisseurs would enjoy visiting St Ali cafe/roastery in South Melbourne, Auction Rooms (Errol St) in North Melbourne, or the Maling Room café in Canterbury.

  • Atomica cafe (268 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, tel +61 3 9417-4255) serves a strong, but well-balanced mix of coffee and silky smooth milk. Atomica also has seats on the footpath, if the upbeat music is too much for your coffee buzz and, on a warm sunny day, it is an ideal spot to mix it with the Brunswick Street crowd.
  • The Green Refectory (115 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, tel +61 3 9387-1150), Easy to miss, but better you don't. Serves great value homemade food, and quality Illy coffee to accompany it. The crowd is eclectic mix of the Brunswick artsy crowd, university students and young professionals pushing prams. Despite its nondescript exterior (look for the 'Illy' coffee sign that juts out from the front windows), the difficulty of locating this place hasn't affected its popularity at all.
  • 7 grams (505 Church St, Richmond, ☎ +61 3 9429-8505) has a 'best in show' coffee. The cafe itself is unpretentious, with an understated decor and a row of black-topped, chrome-legged stools along a mirror bar.
  • 65 Degrees (309 Exhibition St, ☎ +61 3 9662-1080) is itself a recent addition, but its owners have a long history of accolades. Champion barista, world latte artist and award winning coffee blend, gridlock coffee. Fast, friendly service and some of the finest coffee around.
  • Image Superstore Cafe (690 Elizabeth St, ☎+61 3 9349-5529) serves great coffee with superb staff where you can enjoy high tea surrounded by funky New York and Paris inspired interior design. What makes this cafe even more unique is you can have your photo taken by a professional photographer on the spot.

Bars and Clubs

Melbourne nightlife is 24 hours, loud, colourful and anything goes. Door policies can be strict but once inside high quality entertainment is guaranteed. DJ's, live music, artists, beautiful people and so much more can be found. There truly is something for everyone and every taste. It has a massive live music scene, with many inner-suburbs pubs catering many genres, with drink and food specials all week. The key is to find one you like the most!

Alongside it's many clubs, Melbourne is also a fast-rising festival city. Global event companies such as ID&T, Global Gathering, Ministry of Sound and Trance Energy have begun taking notice of the city and bringing their events. Upcoming electronic music events are well catalogued on [6]

Gay, lesbian and transgendered party goers are welcome everywhere as Melburnians are on the whole very tolerant and welcoming people. Perhaps the one bad thing is that nothing really starts happening until midnight!

The city centre has a number of pubs, the most famous being the Young and Jackson. Melbourne is also famous for its many trendy bars in the CBD. Most of these, however, are down narrow alleys and streets, and are therefore hard to find unless you know where you are going.

The inner northern suburbs, such as Collingwood and Fitzroy cater for the young, laid-back, and bohemian crowd. Here you will find lots of live music, cheaper prices, and a relaxed atmosphere. Head for Brunswick and Gertrude Streets in Fitzroy and Smith Street, Collingwood for cafes, bars and live music, while Lygon Street, Carlton has a range of Italian restaurants and cafes with a student vibe, as it's located near the University of Melbourne. Victoria Street, North Richmond is the heart of Melbourne's Vietnamese community, with many cheap and cheerful restaurants serving good food.

Chapel Street/ Toorak Road in South Yarra and Prahran has the most glamorous bars and clubs. Here, expect high prices, strict dress codes, and beautiful people who want to be seen partying with the best. St. Kilda has a little bit of everything. With its proximity to the beach, it is often regarded as the Melbourne suburb that feels most like Sydney.

The past decade has seen a revival of Melbourne's inner-city bar scene, with dozens of weird and wonderful watering holes opening up within forgotten alleyways and anonymous lanes of the City Centre (CBD). Melbourne also has its fair share of stylish places to drink, although the better ones can be hard to find. The theory seems to be: the harder your bar is to find, the more people will talk about it. Secrets are tucked around areas like Prahran, South Yarra and many other areas. However there are plenty of alleyway bars, once you find one they seem to pop up everywhere you look. Melbourne's clubs often market a members only rule which can upset your more upmarket traveler. The rule is in place to prevent fighting and unappealing groups of men entering a nice club and destroying the atmosphere.

Australian licensing laws are very similar to those in the UK, i.e. you are not allowed to be drunk on licensed premises. In practice though, Melbourne venues and bouncers draw the line very low. Ejection from a premises can be expected for fighting, vomiting, or frequent falling over. Some pubs and clubs are quicker to eject patrons than others, but it's only ever a short walk to another. Licensing is more liberal than what one may be used to, as you can still expect to find a drink past 2AM. This has lead to a culture of late night drinking where some venues won't get busy until some time after 11PM, especially true during summer.

Melburnians often draw a distinction between 'bars', meaning the small watering holes described above, and 'pubs' which are larger establishments in the usual Australian or British sense of the word. Melbourne's pubs, particularly those in the city and inner suburbs, usually serve restaurant-standard food and a wide range of local and imported beers. Pubs usually offer lunch from approximately midday to 2PM, and reopen their kitchens for dinner from approximately 6PM-10PM

Sleep
This is a huge city article, so detailed listings go in the district articles. This article should only provide a brief overview.

Budget

Melbourne's budget accommodation options can be found in two main areas, namely in the City Centre and in the seaside suburb of St Kilda. However, outside these two areas, there are also several popular budget options in bohemian Fitzroy, South Melbourne, and Windsor.

  • Greenhouse Backpacker, toll-free: 1800 249 207, . Is a Hall of Fame award winning hostel located in the heart of Melbourne at 228 Flinders Lane. Each guest gets free unlimited internet 24/7, free daily breakfast, 24 hour reception, five in-house tours and more. 
  • Melbourne Metro YHA, . Is an award winning hostel located on the city fringe, close to major attractions including the Queen Victoria Market and Zoo. This funky hostel is a great place to stay when visiting Melbourne. 
  • Melbourne Central YHA, . Is right in the centre of the City. It is situated along the City Circle tram route and most Melbourne attractions are within walking distance. The staff are friendly, helpful and caring. It was opened in 2009 and is highly maintained. 
  • Claremont Guest House, in an historic 1886 building. Rated a 3 Star Guest House by AAAT, and is a multiple winner of Hostelworld's monthly 'Best Hostel in Australia' award as voted by backpackers. Free Wi-fi. Free breakfast. Public transport at the door. [7]
  • CityTempo Apartments, compact CBD apartments on Queen Street near the Queen Vic Markets. 4 Stars (AAA Tourism), all linen/towels provided with kitchenettes. Some apartments include clothes washer/dryer. 353 Queen Street, Melbourne. Free call within Australia:☎ 1800 248 983 [8]

Please note that around the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix (late March) and other international events, hostel accommodation is booked out and some hostels raise their prices. Be sure to book ahead.

Mid-range

Accommodation in this price bracket can mostly be found in the city centre. There are however options scattered throughout the suburbs.

  • Jika International Motel – Melbourne – Fairfield. [9] ☎ +61 3 9481-2822 Fax +61 3 9489-8819 [10].
  • Golden Chain Motels – Melbourne has many locations in Melbourne and surrounding area serving quality accommodation at affordable prices. [11]
  • Somerset Gordon Heights Melbourne, No 19 -25 Little Bourke St, ☏ +61 3 9267-5400, fax: +61 3 9665-2695, . The residence is in the heart of the city's CBD. Its 43 apartments, which range from studios to two-bedroom, are furnished with modern decor and equipped with in-room broadband internet access. Fully-equipped kitchens are available in one and two bedroom residences. Daily rates starts from $161.50. 
  • Travelodge Southbank Melbourne Hotel, 9 Riverside Quay, Southbank. Great location, quality accommodation at affordable prices. Parking available.☎ +61 3 8696-9600, Facsimile: +61 3 9690-1160 [12]

Splurge

The City Centre remains the main area for this category of accommodation.

  • Hotel Windsor, 111 Spring St, ☏ +61 3 9633-6000. The grand old lady of Melbourne's five-star hotels, and the only surviving grand pre-World War II hotel in Australia. 
  • Citigate Melbourne, 270 Flingers St, ☏ +61 3 9654-6888. Citigate Melbourne hotel offers contemporary Melbourne city accommodation on Flinders Street, opposite the historic Flinders Street Station. 
  • 3 Clarion Suites Gateway, 1 William St, ☏ +61 3 9296-8888. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Recently refurbished Melbourne CBD hotel which is overlooking the Yarra River and is in the heart of Melbourne’s central business district. All suite and 4,5 stars Melbourne CBD hotel. 
  • The Langham Melbourne Hotel, 1 Southgate Ave, Southbank, ☏ +61 3 8696-8888. The Langham Melbourne hotel offers luxurious Melbourne city accommodation behind the high end Southgate shopping mall, opposite the historic Flinders Street Station. The Langham Melbourne Hotel was the only Australian hotel in Travel and Leisure magazine's list of the world's 100 best hotels (2009). The Langham's Chuan Spa also achieved 'Top Hotel Spa' status in Travel + Leisure USA's 2009 World’s Best Awards readers survey. 
  • The Sebel Melbourne, 394 Collins St, ☏ +61 3 9211-6600. On the corner of Queens Street and Collins Street in the heart of Melbourne’s business district. Elegantly restored. this 19th century former bank is now an historic hotel. 

Connect

Post

Former Melbourne GPO, now an H&M store.

After a fire gutted the original building in 2001, most of Melbourne's grand General Post Office (250 Elizabeth St; ☎: 13 13 18; Fax: 9203 3078; M–F 8:30AM–5:30PM, Sa 9AM–4PM, Su 10AM–4PM; [13]) has now been turned into an upmarket retail precinct. The main post office in the Melbourne CBD is situated at the corner of Elizabeth and Little Bourke Streets. Post restante services are also located here.

Phone

Payphones are easily found through the city, but many are being phased out due to growing mobile phone ownership. These phones are coin-operated or use prepaid Phonecards, which are available from most convenience stores or newsagents. International calling cards are also available at these outlets. Using a payphone to make a local call will cost you $0.50 (untimed, although some phones limit your call to 15 minutes).

Mobile phone coverage within the CBD and surrounds is usually good-to-excellent. All mobile carriers in Melbourne use GSM 850/1900, and UMTS 2100 is offered by all carriers except Telstra, who instead offer UMTS 850. By law, you will require some identification to purchase a prepaid (PAYG) SIM card which are sold at most convenience stores, newsagents and supermarkets. This may be requested at time of purchase, and/or time of activation.

The largest companies are Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Amaysim, which uses the Optus network is the best value, and can be picked up from any 7 Eleven store; note that to activate it you will need a full Australian address and access to email; in addition it currently doesn't allow tethering for new activations. If you wish to make cheap international calls, Lebara and lycamobile are the best choices.

Melbourne's area code for landline telephones is 03 (internationally dial +613). To make an international direct dial call, the trunk line access code is generally 0011 or simply add a + in front of the number if your phone allows.

Internet

Internet cafes are dotted throughout the city, especially near the backpacker enclaves of St Kilda and Flinders Street. Speeds are usually excellent and rates range from $2.50–12 per hour, the cheapest usually found in combination market/internet cafes in the Asian parts of town.

  • Telstra phone boxes, All throughout Melbourne. Many phone boxes, which have become severely under-utilised in recent years, have become Wifi hotspots. They are recognised by a purple cube placed on top of the phone box. Just open up your wifi settings and connect to 'Telstra free wifi'. Eventually these hotspots will become a paid service, but as of early 2015 they are being trialled, and are available free to everyone for 30 minutes a day. 
  • mag nation, 88 Elizabeth St. This shop has free WiFi. 
  • HiSpeed Internet Kiosks (At Spencer Street DFO.). A chain with many stores across the country. 21 minutes for $2. 
  • e:FiftyFive (55 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne) is like a huge basement lounge room that feels more like a bar than an internet cafe. Great DJs, comfortable couches and dirt-cheap $2/hour internet access when you buy a drink attract plenty of travellers and will make writing that email home an enjoyable experience.
  • VA (Bourke Street, Melbourne) is one of the countless but arguably the best internet/LAN gaming cafes in Melbourne, which is packed full of "hardcore gamers" on Sunday afternoons (sponsored competition day). Non-member rates start at $3.50/hour while membership costs a mere $15 (includes $12 credit) and benefits include play offers such as $4/2 hours, $5/3 hours and $6/4 hours, as well as day and night packages.
  • Cydus (Victoria Street, North Melbourne) large range of internet usage services every day and at any time (including most public holidays). Non-member rates start at $3/hour while membership costs $10 (includes 2 hours free play) and membership rates are $2/hour while member offers include "Endurance Pass" (5 hours play + $2.80 snack voucher) and "Survival Pass" (10 hours play).
  • City Library, 253 Flinders Ln. Free internet access to members (temporary membership available). The library has a free WiMAX network, which is slow when crowded. 
  • The State Library [14]. Offers free internet at many workstations and does not require membership (limited to 15 minutes or 1 hour per session, no session limits). You can get a free membership for access to free wireless web access, however, the wireless access is limited and you may not be able to access some sites and services. Printing facilities are also provided for a fee.
  • Melbourne Central shopping centre (corner of Swanston and La Trobe St) has free wireless internet access.
  • Australia on Collins shopping centre (on Collins St) has free wireless internet access.
  • Federation Square (corner of Flinders Street and Swanston Street, outside Flinders Street railway station) is supposedly Australia's largest free outdoor wireless hotspot.
  • McDonald's. Almost all McDonald's branches in town have free WiFi. The network is heavily filtered, and both time and bandwidth are limited, but you should be able to check email and do most basic web browsing. 

Cope

Consulates

Stay safe

Melbourne is generally a very safe city for its size, although some parts of Melbourne are best avoided at night; these include parts of the western suburbs around Footscray and Sunshine, some northern suburbs such as Broadmeadows and southern suburbs like Frankston and Dandenong. The city centre, particularly the area around the nightclub and strip club district of King Street, can be a hotspot for alcohol-fuelled violence late at night. However, you are more likely to be heckled by drunken revellers and street walkers than you are to be actually threatened or randomly attacked. Demonstrating normal safety precautions and staying to well-lit streets is a good way to avoid trouble.

Protective Services Officers (PSOs) patrol Melbourne's railway stations from 6pm to the last train, with all stations possessing a 'safety zone' with increased lighting, CCTV cameras and easy access to the red emergency button. Trains also contain buttons in the case of an emergency, while it's a good idea to sit close to the driver while on a train, tram or bus late at night. The public transport network is generally safe, although drug or alcohol affected travellers occasionally give other commuters grief.

If driving a car, beware of car theft or break-in. Keep valuables out of sight when parked, always lock the car and leave the windows up before you leave. If you are waiting in your car, lock the car as well. A police officer will always show ID before asking you to open your door or window.

Pickpocketing is rare in Melbourne, but be aware of your belongings in and around Flinders Street Station and the crowded block between Flinders and Collins Streets on Swanston Street. Beggars frequent the southern ends of Elizabeth and Swanston Streets, although are unlikely to give you trouble.

Although scams are rare in Melbourne, some real estate agents attempt to prey on foreigners by deducting costs for non-existent reparations and cleaning from the bond. The Tenants Union of Victoria can help with these issues when moving in and out.

It is important to take extreme care around tram tracks in and around Melbourne. Recent safety promotions have highlighted that a tram can weight as much as 30 rhinos, and it can take over 100m for a tram to safely stop. Pedestrians and vehicles are hit by trams on a near-daily basis, causing life-threatening injuries or instant death. Even if a tram has passed, look carefully both ways, as trams will often run nose-to-tail on busy corridors like Swanston Street. If driving, it is illegal to U-turn across tram tracks or pass a tram while the doors are open and passengers are disembarking.

Go next

Beacon Cove Beach, Port Melbourne

Melbourne is fairly centrally located on the coast of Victoria, and there are many natural and man-made attractions that make for a nice day trip. Another way to visit regional Victoria is utilising the VicLink public transport system. Regular train journeys leave from Southern Cross station. Regional attractions include:

Melbourne outskirts

South Melbourne Town Hall

These places are within an hour's drive of central Melbourne.

Northern Victoria

South west Victoria

Eastern Victoria

Western Victoria

Tasmania

From Port Melbourne, take the Spirit Of Tasmania to Devonport, the gateway to Tasmania. Crossings take approximately 12 hours.

Routes through Melbourne
Adelaide ← Geelong ←  W  E  → END
Albury-Wodonga ← Seymour ←  N                            S  → END
Mount Gambier ← Geelong ←  W                            E  → Warragul → Sale


This city travel guide to Melbourne is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.
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