Melbourne Travel Forum

I checked into some shuttles and taxi cost for going to and from the Airport. Are there any other options... buses? etc thanks

Bus servuce info is detailed don the airport website:

http://www.melbourneairport.com.au/to_from_airport/

thanks for the link!

You're welcome......my apologies for the typos! :-)

This is Tullamarine and not Avalon is it?

The bus to Southern Cross station from Tullamarine is very frequent and purpose designed with room for suitcases - a little expensive. Think it is $13 - it might have gone up

it is a bit cheaper to buy a return.

Best value from Tullamarine to the CBD is the Skybus because travel does not only include the trip to their city depot, but also transport from their depot to your hotel/accommodation in smaller buses. If you want to travel back to the airport, they pick you up at your hotel.

oh I didn't know that Sissi - and I have used the Skybus a lot.

LOL The first time I used the Skybus I did not know this either, and rolled my suitcase from the depot to the hotel in Swanston Street, sweating...

On my next trip I read the brochure, and listened to what they said - and since then I have been using the full service. It is really very handy. Takes a while because they have certain routes and have to drop off people at various hotels, but it is convenient - and who is in such a hurry that he minds arriving 20 minutes earlier or later?

maybe because i have never been going to a hotel is the reason it just went over my head

Skybus was $16 / $26 one way / return in March, but note the onwards hotel transport is limited to either specific hotels, or perhaps to hotels within a certain radius of Southern Cross station....but you can always take a tram

Yes, the Skybus shuttles go to hotels and motels, not to private addresses. But in the CBD there are so many hotels that in most cases you would find a hotel/motel drop-off or pick-up near a private address. And sure, the service is only within the city, not to outlying areas.

More info here:

http://www.melbourneairport.com.au/to_from_airport/skybus.asp

The skybus, which is the name of the shuttle directly into the middle of the city, is cheaper if you buy a return, but a taxi would be cheaper if there are 3 or more passengers. A taxi would cost btween $60 - -$70 into the city from tullamarine airport. The bus ticket a few weeks ago was $26 return.

>A taxi would cost btween $60 - -$70 into the city from tullamarine airport. >The bus ticket a few weeks ago was $26 return.

That $60-70 must have been either a maxi van charging for 6 or more people, or it was between midnight and 5am when rate 2 is charged. Normal rate for taxi is $45 - 50 including citylink toll/airport taxi charge. Would be higher in peak times. 3 or more people travelling together is about the same skybus or taxi and taxi goes straight to hotel without change of bus at Southern Cross Station.

There is a little known, but much cheaper option and involves the Tullamarine Bus Line to either Essendon or Moonee Ponds rail Stations, then either tram or train to city. If you get a zones 1 and 2 Metcard (valid all day) the cost would be about $10 per person, BUT the bus/train or tram option would take well over an hour each way and seems to go via the moon.

I must have been ripped off, I paid $55 for the taxi 2 years ago as didn,t have time to wait for the bus.

I paid AU$ 60 two years ago without being ripped off. I am rather sure the driver took the shortest way, and there were no big traffic jams which could have made it more expensive.

The trip was from City Square (Swanston Street) to Tullamarine, in the very early morning.

>The trip was from City Square (Swanston Street) to Tullamarine, in
>the very early morning.

You paid $60 and I'm sure you were charged at rate 2, which is 20% more than rate 1. Must have been right on 5am that you got in the cab.

Bang on. Arrival at the airport was at 4.55am. That is why I did not use the Skybus.

Thanks to all of your responses....

I ended up taking the Skybus @ $16AUD and it worked out great.