Travel Tips for a Melbourne Base Trip
Most of the practical detail on a Melbourne base trip lives in how you get to and from the day trips, not in the city itself, so that’s where most of these tips focus.
Sort your entry before you fly
Australia has no visa-free entry for anyone. Most passports, including the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, need an ETA (subclass 601, about AUD $20 through the Australian ETA app). EU and UK passports use the free eVisitor (subclass 651) instead. Arrange either before you travel, not on arrival.
Money and tipping
Australia is heavily cashless, tap-and-go works almost everywhere, and displayed prices already include the 10% GST. Tipping is not expected or customary anywhere in the country.
Getting from the airport
Melbourne Airport (MEL, Tullamarine) still has no train link, a rail connection isn’t expected before roughly 2033. Budget the SkyBus (about AUD $25.90 one-way to Southern Cross Station) or a taxi/Uber (roughly AUD $65-75).
Getting around the city
The Free Tram Zone covers the CBD and Docklands for free, including the heritage City Circle Tram (route 35). Outside it you need a Myki card for trams and buses. Metro trains have taken contactless bank cards since June 2026, but trams and buses remain Myki-only, so get a Myki regardless.
Getting to each day trip
Car or guided tour only for the Great Ocean Road and Phillip Island, the latter because the public bus network doesn’t reach the Penguin Parade grounds. The Dandenong Ranges work by Metro train to Belgrave, and Ballarat works by V/Line train, both without a car. The Grampians, at 2.5-3 hours out, are an overnight trip, not a single day, plan Halls Gap accordingly.
Weather
Seasons run flipped from the Northern Hemisphere, summer is December-February. Melbourne is famous for “four seasons in one day,” so pack layers regardless of the season you’re travelling in.
Book these before you land
Phillip Island’s Penguin Parade tickets (about AUD $33) and any Great Ocean Road tour both sell out days ahead in peak season. Book both before you leave home, not after you arrive.
Read more: our 7 Victoria day trips guide covers each trip’s logistics in full, and the Melbourne, Australia guide covers the whole trip.
One concrete tip: load your Myki and confirm your ETA or eVisitor on the same day you book flights, both are easy to forget until you’re already at the airport.