Melbourne’s public transport

Melbourne is well serviced by affordable public transport.

Three forms of public transport operate in Melbourne:

• train
• tram (trolley/streetcar)
• bus.

The network is divided into two zones, according to the distance from the city centre. The price of the ticket depends on the zone(s) in which you wish to travel and the duration of your ticket.

There are two types of tickets in place:

myki

myki is Victoria’s new ticket system. It is now in use on trains, trams and buses in metropolitan Melbourne and on many regional town bus services. myki is planned to extend to V/Line, regional Victoria’s trains and coaches.

myki allows you to store credit for travel days or dollar value on a reusable smart card. You can top up the value of your card at most metropolitan train stations, some tram stops, major bus interchanges, by phone and online.

With myki you simply ‘touch on’ and ‘touch off’ to pay for your trip. You must ‘touch on’ at the start of your trip or you can be fined.

Metcards

Metcards are being phased out but can still be used. Metcards can be purchased at train stations, on trams and at The Metshop, Metcard retail outlets, by phone or online.

Metcard tickets must be ‘validated’ at the beginning of each journey. If you do not purchase or validate the correct ticket, you can be fined. There are many types of tickets available, including two-hour, daily, weekly, and monthly or yearly tickets.

There are also concession tickets available for children, students and pensioners. Approved identification is required for concession tickets.

For more information about public transport in Melbourne, visit the Metlink website.

Regional Victoria’s public transport

Victoria has a network of regional public transport including buses and trains for travel around and between regional towns and for travel to Melbourne and regional centres.

V/Line is the largest provider of train and coach services in regional Victoria and the V/Line ticketing system operates on these services. myki is planned to extend to V/Line trains and coaches.

Regional train services operate between Melbourne and key regional centres including:

• Albury / Wodonga
• Bairnsdale.
• Ballarat
• Bendigo
• Echuca
• Geelong
• Sale
• Seymour
• Shepparton
• Swan Hill
• Traralgon
• Warrnambool.

V/Line also operates coach services that connect with the rail network and serve regional Victorian communities where trains do not operate.

Visit Viclink for maps, timetables, fares and other information about travelling in regional Victoria.

Taxis

Taxis (cabs) are readily available in metropolitan and regional areas and they are easily recognised by their bright yellow colour.

To hire a taxi in Victoria you can make a phone booking, wait at a taxi-cab rank or hail a taxi from the side of the road. Fares are metered. Extra charges apply for telephone booking, toll charges and late-night services.

All taxis must be registered and the driver must display his/her identification in the car.

You can find a listing of Victoria’s taxi services under ‘Taxi’ on the Yellow Pages website.