We spent our first two hours wandering aimlessly along its almost empty streets. I was supposed to rely on data roaming on my first day, but for some reason, my service provider decided to cut my line despite having paid my bill in full even before my trip. It would have been easy finding a pocket wifi or SIM card but our plane landed in the early morning, at 3am, and none of the shops at the airport or the city were open. I connected to the airport wifi for a minute to load Google maps and search for some info and decided to head out to my hotel.
Without access to the internet, we took the bus and successfully reached the city only to end up boarding the wrong tram, taking us farther from my hotel. LOL. We tried hailing a cab, but there weren’t that many passing by and none of them would stop. With luggage in tow, we decided to just walk to the taxi queue that we spotted earlier, eight blocks away. The cold, cold mid-autumn wind was sweeping Melbourne’s wide streets. When we finally arrived at the hotel, the receptionist greeted us with a warm, warm welcome. I knew it would be too early for check-in, but she smilingly shared that there was already an available room and that we could check in if we so preferred. “It’s your lucky day, ” she said. She had no idea.
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When I finally hit the bed to rest, I was immediately reminded of the first years of The Poor Traveler. We built this blog to document our misadventures and share tips to our readers so they could learn from our mistakes. This trip is one of our most unforgettable because we made a lot of mistakes along the way. So here’s our Melbourne Travel Guide, and here’s hoping you’ll learn from it.
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Melbourne is located along the southern edge of Australia. It is cradled in the sheltered Port Phillip Bay, which opens up to Bass Strait, separating the mainland from the island of Tasmania.
Way before Europeans arrived, Australian Aborigines have inhabited the area for thousands of years. In the 19th century, free settlers from Tasmania (called Van Diemen’s Land at the time) moved to this corner of the Australian continent. Other groups of settlers followed. Back then, the area was part of the British colony of New South Wales. On 30 August 1835, the city was founded, named after the Prime Minister of Britain at the time, William Lamb, 2nd Viscount Melbourne. The next decades saw a gold rush fueling the fast development and population growth of the city.
Today, Melbourne is the capital of the Australian state of Victoria. Next only to Sydney, it is Australia’s second largest city, home to around 5 million residents, and one of the most visited by travelers, with its main airport welcoming over 35 million passengers in 2016-17.
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If you look at the map of Melbourne, you’ll find that it is split into two by the Yarra River. The city is further divided into several districts, but travelers can focus on five areas, which I’ll discuss below.
If I’m traveling with family or friends, I’ll definitely choose the CBD. Everything else is also easily accessible from here. But if I’m traveling alone, I’ll probably consider St. Kilda. There are also direct buses from the airport to both areas.
If you choose to stay in CBD, pick a hotel or hostel near a train station, so you don’t need to walk long distances or rely on the tram too much if you decide to see attractions outside the city. In particular, consider the areas close to the following:
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Both are in a good location: bursting with cheap lodging, dining, and shopping options. But I believe that Southern Cross Station is more ideal. I stayed near Central because I cluelessly assumed that it is the city’s main station. It turned out that Southern Cross Station is the real heart of the city because most train arteries pass through this area especially if you plan on seeing the suburbs and attractions outside the city like Werribee. In fact, I often find myself making a transfer at Southern Cross when I’m coming from Central.
Several bus lines also start or terminate at Southern Cross. Many organized tours also have their meet-up points somewhere around the area. So yep, it’s Southern Cross for me.
The most common accommodations in Melbourne are hotels. All of them are expensive, especially if you’re used to Southeast Asian rates. But cost of living in general is pretty high. There are budget hotels available in the CBD. Another slightly more affordable option is booking an apartment or a room in a residential building or area. Hostels are also available.
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For budget travelers and backpackers, staying at a hostel is a great idea. Not only do you save some bucks, you also get to meet other travelers. You can find hostels near Southern Cross Station (Melbourne Central YHA) or other parts of CBD that offer beds for as low as A$30 per night.
Most hostels also have an open kitchen where you can cook your own meals. You get to save a lot on food this way.
As one of Australia’s most popular destinations, Melbourne is connected by air to numerous cities around the world and over 30 other destinations in Australia. It is served by two airports:
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If you’re coming from Manila, the easiest and most convenient flights are offered by Philippine Airlines. PAL, the country’s four-star flag-carrier, uses a 309-seater Airbus A330-300. They use the Melbourne Tullamarine Airport. Travel time is only around 8 hours.
Regular fares can go as low as USD233 one-way, which can still go lower when there’s a promo. All bookings come with FREE 25kg baggage allowance and a hot meal, a snack, and complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
All seats are equipped with personal TV screen featuring an impressive collection of movies and series, and in-seat USB power supply! I binge-watched episodes of Young Sheldon onboard! Haha. It’s also myPAL wi-fi enabled!
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The easiest way to travel between the airport and the city center is by taking the SkyBus, which runs for 24 hours (varying frequencies throughout the day). The journey lasts 30-45 minutes, depending on traffic.
After emerging from the Immigration and Customs inspection area, head to the exit to your right. Immediately outside, you’ll fine the SkyBus stop. You’ll know you’re at the right place when you see the electronic ticket kiosks and a ticket booth.
You can book a SkyBus ticket via the electronic machines here. Note that these machines don’t accept cash, only credit cards. Fare: AUD 19.75, one-way; AUD 38, roundtrip. All buses are equipped with FREE wifi.
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There is also a cheaper option: taking the public bus. But it takes a lot longer! If you’re interested, you can read about it here: MELBOURNE AIRPORT TO CITY CENTER!
Avalon Airport (AVV) is located in the city of Geelong, roughly an hour away from Melbourne CBD. Just like at Melbourne Airport, you can catch the SkyBus to the city center. However, it is NOT available 24 hours.
Whether they’re coming from Melbourne Airport or Avalon Airport, all SkyBus units bound for Melbourne CBD terminates at Southern Cross Station. If your hotel is nearby, you can just walk from the station. This is just one of the reasons why the Southern Cross area is the best place to stay in the city. Just use Google Map to navigate.
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If your hotel is located in other parts of the CBD, you have plenty of options too. If you’re arriving between 6:30am and 7:30pm, you can avail of the complimentary transfer from Southern Cross Station to a stop near your hotel. This is FREE-OF-CHARGE for those who took the SkyBus. It operates 7 days a week, 06:30 to 19:30. You can find the stop closest to your hotel here.
If your hotel is closer to Central Station, you can also travel by tram (free), train (fare: A$4.40), taxi (fare: around A$10.6), or Uber (around A$8.6) to Central area.
If traveling within CBD, I prefer walking. Melbourne is a very pretty city, with a distinct European vibe that other Australian cities don’t possess. You’ll also stumble upon delightful surprises like artful graffiti and food kiosks.
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There are plenty of options to get around including trams, trains and buses. But how do you know which is the best option for your desired destination? If you own a smartphone, you can download the PTV app. PTV stands for Public Transport Victoria, the agency that governs and runs the tram, train, and bus systems in this part of Australia. You can download here: iOS, Android.
On the app’s Journey Planner, enter your origin and destination and it will present a selection of routes that you may take. Pick one based on your schedule and preferences.
For visitors, one of the best things about Melbourne is its iconic FREE TRAM. You don’t need to get any sort of pass or ticket to avail of this; just hop into the tram. It’s FREE as long as you’re