The Melbourne to Geelong drive covers a 74km distance, with a driving time of around 1h5m. Road trip attractions worth visiting include the Werribee Open Range Zoo, You Yangs Regional Park and Roraima Nursery.
The Melbourne to Geelong drive connects the Victorian state capital to its second largest city. The journey is neither particularly long nor particularly attractive, as it runs along the Princes Freeway, slightly inland from Port Phillip Bay.
Before leaving, you may want to tick Melbourne Cricket Ground tours, Yarra River dinner cruises and cross-city hot air balloon flights off your Melbourne wish list. For a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences, explore here. To track down the best value Melbourne accommodation, come this way.
The 101 Best Things Everyone Should Do In Melbourne At Least Once
The distance from Melbourne to Geelong by car is 74km. This makes for a driving time of around one hour and five minutes, although that can depend heavily on traffic. Book in advance for the best Melbourne car hire deals.
The quickest route leaves central Melbourne via the West Gate Bridge, running past the Scienceworks Museum and Stony Creek Reserve. The West Gate Freeway continues past the Altona Memorial Park in Altona North, then joins the Princes Freeway.
On the way out of suburbia, the Melbourne to Geelong drive passes the Werribee Open Range Zoo in Werribee. This is arguably the top road trip attraction along the drive.
South Geelong, Melbourne To Melbourne Cricket Ground, East Melbourne With Public Transportation
On the outskirts of Werribee, it’s only a short detour to the River Walk Village water park and the Cocoroc Historic Township open air museum.
There are wetlands to the east of the freeway after leaving Werribee. The Little River Bird Hide is a pleasant spot to observe the bird life. But the most attractive mini-detours are to the west of the highway.
The You Yangs Regional Park offers wildlife and walking trails through a series of granite ridges, while the Serendip Sanctuary provides close-up encounters with native Aussie wildlife.
Takoma Court, Norlane, Vic 3214
The Freeway then skirts the southern edge of Lara, home to the Lara Museum and the cactus displays at the Roraima Nursery.
Shortly afterwards, the drive enters the northern suburbs of Geelong. The best things to do in Geelong include the National Wool Museum, helicopter rides, the Baywalk Bollards on Geelong Waterfront and the Boom Gallery.Journey times for train passengers travelling between Melbourne and Geelong could be slashed in half through a federal government proposal to build a fast rail link between the cities.
Trains would travel at an average speed of 160km/h, which would see the trip between Southern Cross Station and Geelong take just 32 minutes.
Is The Federal Budget's $2b Geelong To Melbourne Fast Rail Pledge Too Good To Be True?
It is estimated the project would cost at least $4 billion and take about 10 years to complete. The state government would be required to match the federal funding of $2 billion.
As our population grows, fast rail networks are crucial to easing the congestion pressures in our cities and shaping Australia’s future, he said.
This is all part of our plan to manage population growth that I announced this week to take the pressure off our big cities like Melbourne and make our regional cities like Geelong even more attractive places to live and work.
Adelaide To Melbourne Drive Itinerary: Great Ocean Road Trip
The Prime Minster said the Geelong fast rail would also take pressure off the Princes Freeway and West Gate Bridge. He said the freeway normally sees more than 54, 000 vehicles pass through each day.
The fast rail would connect to the Melbourne Metro, which is currently under construction, and also to the proposed Airport Rail Link route.
Another $40 million has been promised to fund businesses cases for five additional rail corridors, including a fast train from Melbourne to Albury-Wodonga, and one from Melbourne to Traralgon in the Latrobe Valley.
Hotel In Geelong
The government has promised to set up a National Fast Rail Agency to guide the works over the next two decades and determine which rail links are the most viable across the country.
The pledge is part of the government's plan to take the pressure off the big cities and promote growth in the regions.
During peak hour, trains are often full at key stations such as Wyndham Vale and Tarneit, with passenger numbers exceeding capacity on the line. Services on the Geelong Line also suffer frequent delays.
Top Rated Day Trips From Melbourne
Prior to the Victorian state election, the opposition pledged to build a $19 billion high-speed regional rail link with trains reaching speeds of 200km/h if it won.
Under the ambitious plan, the former Opposition Leader Matthew Guy promised to build a European-style rail network in a bid to encourage more people to live in country areas.
He said the upgrade works would see high-speed train services from Geelong to Melbourne take as little as 32 minutes by 2022.
Cox Road, Corio
Last year, Premier Daniel Andrews pledged to build a $50 billion, underground suburban rail network, linking every major rail line in Melbourne and the new airport rail.
Billed as the biggest public transport project in Australian history, the Suburban Rail Loop is expected to take almost 30 years to build and connect key train lines from Frankston to Werribee.
Simone Fox Koob is an investigative reporter for The Age. Before that she was a crime and justice reporter, and has previously covered breaking news.Connect via Twitter or email.
