Car rental at the Melbourne Airport

Hire a car at Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport has six car hire companies with offices and counters at Melbourne Airport, for your Summer or Fall 2020 flight to Melbourne. Get the most out of your arrival at the Airport throughout the months May, June, July, August & September. Even when your flight to Melbourne is later in the year during the months October, November or December, it is a wise choice to compare and book your hired car with Driveboo to get the most out of your trip.  All of them are located in the domestic terminal, where the rental contracts and keys can be handed over:

• Avis
• Budget
• Europcar
• Hertz
• Thrifty
• Redspot

Easy pick-ups are starting at the booking

You will find a possibility to book your desired hired car online on Driveboo.com for all these providers. Choose from a wide range of different vehicle types, additional services and find the best offer for you at the best price.

Given the high cost of a taxi, it can be cheaper to hire a hired car for a few days if you want to explore Melbourne and its surroundings.

Please note that the motorway in Melbourne is subject to toll charges and cameras record your number plate number. All car hire companies at the airport have a way to pay the toll or you have up to three days of free travel if you buy a Tulla Pass for $5.25. If you're in Melbourne for a longer period of time, you can buy other passports for half the price, but there is a setup fee, so it's not worth using them for a single trip to the airport and back.

Melbourne Airport Information

Arrival at the Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport (MEL), also known as Tullamarine Airport, is the largest and most important airport in Melbourne and the state of Victoria, Australia. As the city's only international airport, it is the primary gateway for most foreign visitors to the city. Located 23 km northwest of the city centre in the northern suburb of Tullamarine, the airport offers direct flights to dozens of locations in Australia and around the world.

Melbourne Airport has no curfew or operating time restrictions and is open 24 hours a day throughout the year. The terminals are located in a building or within walking distance. As the main access point to Australia, the airport has many advantages over other capitals, which are restricted by curfew and have complex or expensive facilities to transfer from international to domestic flights.

The airport has a total of four terminals. T1, T2 and T3 are in the same building and it is easy to reach the terminals on foot. However, each terminal has a separate security checkpoint and switching between terminals within the security area is not possible.

• T1 (the "North Terminal") is used by Qantas.
• T2 (the "International Terminal") is used by all international airlines. It is the central terminal of the airport.
• T3 (the "South Terminal") is used by Virgin Australia.
• T4 (the "Budget / Low-Cost Airlines Terminal") is used for Jetstar domestic flights, REX Regional Express domestic flights and Tigerair Australia domestic flights.

Airlines and destinations at Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport has flights to all other Australian capitals including Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Perth and Sydney. A number of other regional airports have flights to Melbourne including Cairns, Gold Coast, Launceston and Uluru-Kata Tjuta. A number of small airports, including Albury, Bernie, King Island, Mt Gambier, Mildura and Wagga Wagga can be reached from Melbourne.

The Sydney - Melbourne route is one of the busiest routes in the world, with flights sometimes departing at 15-minute intervals. This is mainly due to the fact that the next best option is a very long journey by bus, train or car.

Internationally, Melbourne has connections throughout Southeast Asia, China, South Korea, Japan, Los Angeles, Dubai and London (this is just a small selection).

The Qantas Airbus A380 flies to this airport on flights to Los Angeles and Dubai / London. Emirates also operates an A380 service on routes to Auckland, Dubai and Singapore.

Transportation at Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport has no train connection, but buses and taxis are the most common means of transport to and from the city.

The Skybus provides a very frequent round-the-clock bus service to and from the Southern Cross Station Coach Terminal on Spencer Street at the western end of Central Business District, north of Lonsdale Street.

There are two departure points at the airport. One is located outside the Virgin Australia (T3) counters, 50 m from the international terminal (T2).  There are ticket counters at the T1 and T3, outside of opening hours tickets can be bought at the ticket machine or from the driver.

The journey takes about 20 minutes (with good traffic) and directly with the motorway without stops.

A one-way ticket costs $18 for adults and $6 for children (4-14 years old). Several family card options are also available.

The buses depart every 10 minutes to half-hourly, depending on the time of day. There is also a connection between the terminal and the central hotels / Hostels PM during the daytime (6-22 hrs, weekends 7:30-17:30 hrs).

Otherwise, you can get on the train at Southern Cross Station or take a tram from Collins St through the city centre. Reservations are not required for travel from the airport to the hotels, but on the way back book hotel pickup at least three hours in advance.

SkyBus has introduced two additional connections for destinations other than the city centre. A "St. Kilda Express" and a "Frankston and Peninsula" shuttle service operate from and to the airport. The St Kilda Express runs daily, with buses every half hour on weekdays and hourly on weekends. The fare for this trip is $19 for adults. The Frankston and Peninsula service also operates on a daily basis, and the somewhat irregular travel times can be found on the SkyBus website. Prices for this trip vary depending on the final destination, with prices ranging from $21 to $53 for adults, one-way.

Greenbus offers a direct city centre service for $12 (students) and $14 (adults). Other options in the city centre and suburbs of Melbourne include the Starbus and VHA Airport Shuttle, which cost between $18 and $25 depending on the destination.

There are also some public buses from Melbourne Airport. If your budget is more important to you than time and convenience, you can take the public bus No. 901 (every 15-30 minutes) to Broadmeadows Station (travel time 20 minutes) and change to a train (every 8-30 minutes) to the city centre (travel time approx. 40 minutes).

A taxi from the airport to city centre Melbourne (Central Business District CBD) costs about $60 and takes about 30 minutes.

Eating and drinking at Melbourne Airport

In the public area there are numerous possibilities, in Terminal 1 there is a cafeteria and bar right after the security checkpoint. The facilities in Terminal 1 are the only facilities within the security area.

Overnight stay at Melbourne airport

If you are on a quick layover in Melbourne, it is worth to consider taking an Hotel close to the Airport. With your hired car from Driveboo, which you directly picked-up at the Airport you still have full flexibility to get the most out of your short time. 

Here is a list of selected Hotels for every budget close to the Airport: 

• Parkroyal Melbourne Airport, connected to the terminal building via two pedestrian bridges. 276 rooms with fitness room, pool, sauna and wellness facilities.
• Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport
• Ibis Budget

Car hire destinations in the vicinity of Melbourne airport

Great Ocean Road

First and foremost, of course, the city of Melbourne with its many sights and attractions. It is also highly recommended hiring a car on the Great Ocean Road. One of the world's most famous coastal roads, an experience and adventure you will remember for a long time. The approximately 75 miles away from the Airport famous road will be definitely worth the trip!