A single ticket called a Metcard allows travel on all three modes of transport. These are old-fashioned magnetic cards that are slowly being replaced by a smartcard system called Myki, which works on trains, trams and buses within Melbourne but if you are in for a short stay, there is no real advantage of using a Myki, as it costs $10 to buy one (non-refundable).
The city is divided into zones, with Zone 1 covering the central city and inner suburbs (and, consequently, most of the tram network) and Zone 2 covering the middle and outer suburbs. Almost all tickets are time-based; that is, they can be used only for the given period of time within the specified zone(s) from the first time you use it.
There are many kinds of tickets. The basic one-zone, two-hour ticket costs $3.80. Depending on your plans it could be more economical to use of these options:
For visits of less than five days, buy daily tickets (adult one zone $7.00) as you need them. A daily ticket allows unlimited travel and costs less than two two-hour tickets.
If you are visiting Melbourne for five days or more, a 10 x two-hour ticket ($30.20) is cheaper than buying individual two-hour tickets. 10 x two-hour tickets have the advantage that two-hour periods are capped at 2; that is, if you validate after the first two-hour period for the day has expired, the ticket will be valid until 3 AM. For multiple trips each day for a 5-7 day period, a weekly ticket is the best option.
Two-hour tickets stamped after 6PM are valid until 3AM the next morning. Also, validity periods are always rounded up, so if you validate at 2:01PM, the card is valid until 5PM, or almost three hours. Additionally, the expiry time for all tickets is the time before which you must commence travel. Using the previous example, so long as you enter the station or board the bus or tram before 5PM, your ticket will be valid even if you are still on the vehicle after 5PM.
Trains on all metropolitan lines are free to travel on before 7AM working days provided you get the Early Bird ticket from the ticket window at the station, and exit the system before 7AM.
For Sundays only, pick up a "Sunday Saver" ($3.20, from convenience stores or premium station offices - but not ticket machines), which allows travel throughout zone 1 and 2.
Children 16 years and under, as well as Australian pensioners with suitable identification such as a Senior's Card, can use half-price concession fares. Note though that students are not eligible for concession fares unless they are Australian citizens undertaking full-time study in Victoria *and* in possession of a valid Victorian Public Transport Concession Card. Children under 4 travel for free.
Metcards are available from:
Train stations - less than one-quarter of Melbourne's suburban train stations are staffed. At unstaffed stations, Metcard vending machines are provided. All ticket machines accept coins and will issue a maximum of $10 in change. Most stations will also have at least 1 machine that will take notes but less frequently used railway stations may have just coin-only machines.
Trams - all trams have a coin-only ticket machine that issues a limited range of tickets (up to a day-ticket).
Many retail businesses, especially 7-Eleven and Tattersall (newsagent) stores.
The Met shop.
The "Met Shop" in the Melbourne Town Hall, on the corner of Swanston St and Little Collins St provides timetables and brochures, and sells tickets, maps and travel merchandise (M-F 8:30AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-1PM). The Metlink Information Centre, ☎ 131638 (131MET), every day 7AM-9PM, provides information and the Metlink website also provides information including maps, fares and zones and all timetables. A recently released application for iPhones provides up to date timetables for trains and trams in metropolitan Melbourne.
Before each journey, and sometimes to gain access to the station platforms, a Metcard must be "validated" by inserting it into a validation machine. On trams, the Metcard must be validated after boarding the tram; however, tickets purchased on the tram (from the machine) are already validated. The expiry time is printed on the back of the card on validation. You will not be allowed to leave a station with fare gates if you did not validate your ticket before you first got on the train.
If you are caught using a concession ticket without a concession card, you will be fined. The ticket barriers have a light on the top that flashes if you are using a concession ticket. It has now been written into law that your ticket can be inspected even after you have left your train, tram or bus. Fines start at $158 and can be as high as $500.
Be aware of certain regulations surrounding behaviour on the trains. Having your feet against the seat opposite you for example may result in a fine of $180, with similar fines applicable for swearing or drinking whilst on public transport. These fines are generally enforced strictly and discretion is rarely shown. This is due largely to the fact that the transit officers are hired by the train company, and although the fines are paid to the government, the company receives a significant portion of each fine.
Services generally operate between 5AM and midnight Monday to Saturday and after 8AM Sunday morning. After midnight on Saturday and Sunday mornings only, there are NightRider buses which run defined routes to the suburbs (generally following closest road to the railway line). Metcards are now valid on Nightrider services, but you should keep in mind that daily and 2-hourly Metcards expire at 3AM: if you board a bus after this time, you'll need to buy or validate a new ticket. If you board a bus scheduled to depart before the expiry time on your ticket, it will be considered valid for your entire journey, even if you alight after it expires.
Although Melbourne is a reasonably safe city, crime can and does occur on public transport. If you're waiting at a station at night, it would be wise to stand in the designated 'safety area'. These areas are well lit and provide easy access to the emergency intercom, and have CCTV as a deterrent to crime. Some outer suburban stations are known to be 'hang-outs' for youths and louts. Generally the stations are still safe and you will not be hassled if you mind your own business and ignore any illegal behaviour that may be occurring. It is particularly safe following sporting events at night when there are lots of people using public transport, in particular families. Police presence on the network has generally increased, and Police are legally authorised to search anyone, anywhere, anytime, for weapons: this is more prevalent at night, and in the inner suburbs area.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Melbourne
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Melbourne - updated May 2024
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Melbourne Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
