Melbourne is stylish, artsy and proud to be called the “culture capital of Australia”. This is the birthplace of brunch, chic cafes and hipster trends. Drink coffee, go to a museum or take to the grandstands to watch the Grand Prix - Melbourne has it all and much more.
Accommodation choices in Melbourne are as numerous as its cafes and cater to all budgets and tastes, from luxurious hotels to budget hostels.
To get the best bang for your buck, read reviews on booking sites and take advantage of our hotel deals before making your booking.
While the CBD is compact and rather walkable, if you're going to areas like St Kilda or are arriving by plane at either Tullamarine or Avalon, you'll need to take public transport, a taxi/uber, book an airport shuttle or get a hire car.
The city has an extensive tram network, which is free to use within the designated free tram zone (see the map below). There are also trains and buses to get to areas outside of the city centre.
Paying for transport: An electronic Myki card can be bought for $6 and topped up at train stops or local retailers. Trips are free within the CBD free tram zone or $4.10 per trip for transport outside the free tram zone. The Myki card can be used on all trains, trams and buses.
Best apps for getting around: Public Transport Victoria provides a free app that has countdowns for trains, trams and buses. It shows locations for Myki retail outlets and includes a journey planner.
Taxi: You can hail a taxi from the street or find them at taxi ranks at busy locations throughout the city. Taxis can be called in advance for a booking.
Uber: Uber is available throughout Melbourne. If you're planning on taking an UberX to/from the airport, expect to pay about $49-$63 from Tullamarine Airport or $90-$120 from Avalon Airport. Other rideshare services, including Didi and Ola are also available.
Whether you're looking for the best areas to visit in Melbourne or just a list of the top attractions and things to do, there's plenty to do in the city and its surrounds.
Visit Federation Square, shop on Bourke Street Mall or browse the funky shops in Fitzroy. Culture vultures can pop into the National Gallery of Victoria in between coffees and brunch in DeGraves Street. If you're a sport fan, catch a match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
If you're staying in the city for more than a couple days, head further afield and take a day trip out to Great Ocean Road and see the sea cliffs, beaches and wildlife along the panoramic stretch of Victoria's coast. The Yarra Valley, Victoria's renowned wine region, is within easy reach of the city with vineyards as close as an hour from Melbourne's CBD.
Virgin Australia
Extra 15% off Australia-wide business flights with code
Valid for travel on select dates. No advance purchase period required. Discount applies to Business Saver and Business fares. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Perth and more. T&Cs apply.
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G Adventures
Up to 20% off Australia and New Zealand tours
Valid for travel from 17 December 2019 - 29 January 2020. Destinations include Wellington, Auckland, Christchurch, Adelaide, Alice Springs, Cairns, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and more. T&Cs apply.
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Trip.com
Extra 10% off Australia and New Zealand airport transfers with code
Valid for travel on select dates in 2019. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Auckland, Perth, Brisbane, Christchurch and more. T&Cs apply.
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Trip.com
Extra 3% off Australia and New Zealand hotels with code
Valid for travel on select dates in 2019. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Auckland, Christchurch and more. T&Cs apply.
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Budget Air
Extra $5 off your next booking
Subscribe to BudgetAir enewsletter and receive extra $5 discount of your next booking. Destinations include Europe, Asia, Australia and more. T&Cs apply.
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Expedia.com.au
Australia-wide flights from $102 return
Available for travel on select dates from November 2019 - March 2020, flying with Tigerair, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Qantas and Rex. Destinations include Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and more. Sample fare is Sydney-Gold Coast with Tigerair.
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Otel.com
Extra 9% off hotel bookings
Valid on select hotel stays worldwide like Australia, New Zealand, Bali, Thailand, USA, Europe and more on all dates, including over holidays like Easter, Christmas and New Year's Eve. Some restrictions apply.
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Avis
One-way car rentals in Australia from $1/day
Valid for travel on select dates. Destinations include Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Broome, Brisbane and more. T&Cs apply.
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P&O Cruises
Australia-wide cruises from $348 with room upgrade sale
Valid for travel on select dates in 2019 and 2020 including Christmas season. Sample fare is for a three-night Pacific Dawn cruise. Destinations include Isle of Pines, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart and more. T&Cs apply.
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TFE Hotels
Up to 20% off your next booking
Valid for travel on select dates in 2019 with Adina Apartment Hotel. Discount applies when you book a minimum of two nights. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne and more. T&Cs apply.
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TFE Hotels
Up to 30% off hotels in Australia
Valid for travel until December 2019. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast or Perth. T&Cs apply.
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Skiddoo
Domestic flights from $184 return
Valid for travel until January 2020. Sample fare is Melbourne–Hobart. Destinations include Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Perth and more.
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Adrenaline
10% off activities and experiences with code
Valid on select dates and activities like whale watching, sailing, jet ski, scuba diving, kayaking, parasailing, fishing and more. Must book two or more people in single order. Destinations are Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne. T&Cs apply.
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Adrenaline
$10 off site-wide with code
Valid for use on select purchase. Minimum spend of $100 applies on activities like whale watching, sailing, jet ski, scuba diving, flying experiences, kayaking and more. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and all major cities across Australia. T&Cs apply.
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Adrenaline
Up to 52% off whale watching activities
Valid for travel on select dates. Destinations include Sydney, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and more. T&Cs apply.
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Adrenaline
Extra 10% off with code
Available sitewide on all experiences, including skydiving, V8 race car driving, hot air balloons, jetboats and more. Minimum spend of $179. T&Cs apply.
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Medina
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eclub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia, New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Vibe
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eclub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia, New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Travelodge
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eclub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia, New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Adina
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eclub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia, New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Rendezvous
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eclub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia, New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Klook
Melbourne airport transfers from $20
Valid on shared transfers in Melbourne with Skybus. Sample price is from the Avalon airport to Melbourne City. Includes Wi-Fi on board, free city hotel shuttle and more. T&Cs apply.
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Klook
Melbourne airport transfers from $15
Valid on shared transfers in Melbourne with Skybus. Sample price is from the airport to Melbourne City, Southbank Docklands and St. Kilda. Includes Wi-Fi on board, kids travel free and more. T&Cs apply.
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TFE Hotels Collection
Subscribe to TFE Hotels eClub and save 10%
Join the TFE eclub now to receive 10% off future bookings in Australia, New Zealand and receive 15% off future European bookings plus bonus extras. T&Cs apply.
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Ola
$20 off first ride
Valid on all dates in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Gold Coast and Canberra, enter the promo code into your app to redeem. T&Cs apply.
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Otel.com
Extra 8% off hotel bookings
Valid on hotel stays worldwide on all dates, including over holidays like Easter, Christmas and New Year's Eve.
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RedBalloon
Up to 50% off experiences + extra 10% off with code
Valid on all dates, including over Christmas on activities like skydiving, quad biking, bridge climbing, canyoning, hot air ballooning, helicopter scenic flights, abseiling, scuba diving, cruises, ghost tours and more. Minimum spend of $100. T&Cs apply.
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Rentalcars.com
Up to 20% off car hire
Compare car hire prices on Rentalcars.com and save up to 20% compared to booking direct.
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Skydive Australia
Up to $110 off skydiving
Valid on select 2019 dates. Locations include Byron Bay, Hunter Valley, Sydney, Cairns, Melbourne and more. T&Cs apply.
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Ace Airport Parking
1-day free parking with code
Valid for airport parking in Melbourne. No minimum stay. T&Cs apply.
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Gift It Now
Up to 20% off experiences
Valid on select experiences and activities like skydiving, scenic helicopter flight, kayaking, whale watching and more. Destinations include Sydney, Byron, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Darwin and Perth. T&Cs apply.
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Adrenaline
Up to 40% off watersport activities
Valid on select dates and activities like whale watching, sailing, jet ski, scuba diving, kayaking, parasailing, fishing and more. Destinations are Sydney, Perth, Gold Coast, Brisbane and Melbourne. T&Cs apply.
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Adrenaline
Up to 30% off land adventures
Valid on select dates and adventures like quad biking, sandboarding, bridge climbing, canyoning, horse riding, abseiling and more. T&Cs apply.
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| Last checked | Code description | Code |
|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov 2019 | Extra 15% off Australia-wide business flights with code | FMZ**** |
| 4 Nov 2019 | Extra 10% off Australia and New Zealand airport transfers with code | OPN**** |
| 4 Nov 2019 | Extra 3% off Australia and New Zealand hotels with code | GOA**** |
| 28 Oct 2019 | Extra 9% off hotel bookings | AUT**** |
| 5 Sep 2019 | 10% off activities and experiences with code | BOO**** |
