Travel the World

Melbourne would always be a captivating city for the visitor offering an array of engrossing things to see and do. This destination would also offer a fine system of public transport meaning that you could easily explore it without a car of your own. Melbourne features convenient bus, train and tram services on which you could easily navigate the city. After obtaining a Myki card you could use these efficient systems of public transport which are described below.

Image via Wikimedia Commons

The city’s frequently used trams would be an iconic mode of local transportation that is also likely to be a novel experience for foreign visitors. There would be some points to keep in mind when using these trams as well. When boarding a tram, you would have to ‘tap on’; in other words, place the Myki card on the card reader. However, it wouldn’t be necessary to do likewise when getting off. Meanwhile, in the free zone for trams in the city’s CBD, tapping on wouldn’t be necessary at all. Travelling by tram would be a great way to see the sights of Melbourne, and you could also visit attractive places in the suburbs in this way.

Trains would be a great option for those who need to travel extensive distances or make their way into the suburbs. The trains of Melbourne could be described as a larger sibling of the trams, transporting passengers from the city’s fringes to the CBD and the inner suburbs. Depending on your location and destination, taking the train could be a more rapid alternative than buses or trams.

The downside would be that at peak hours, trains might be rather packed, so it would probably be advisable to avoid taking them at the time of the morning and evening rush hours. When taking trains, you would need to tap on before boarding at the station and tap off when leaving the station at your destination. You would also need to push the required button on the door of the train when getting on or off. One of the places just outside the city centre which make an ideal base and you can easily reach by train would be Box Hill; hotel properties here to consider include the likes of Avani Melbourne Box Hill Residences close to the local railway station.

The useful bus services would be a vital component of the mainly rail-based public transportation system of Melbourne. Although travelling by bus may seem less glamorous than taking the tram, the bus network would actually be more comprehensive; for instance, you could travel directly to Chadstone, the largest shopping centre in Australia, by bus, whilst this wouldn’t be possible by tram. There would also be a greater number of bus routes than tram routes; you could also travel a greater distance towards the suburbs by bus, and bus routes would also typically be more direct in comparison to those of other modes of public transport. Just keep in mind to have your Myki card ready and tap both on as well as off as you use the bus services.

When it comes to taking day trips from Melbourne and making your way to other regions of Victoria, your transport mode of choice would be V/Line coaches and trains. These services would take you to localities that wouldn’t be accessible through regular Melbourne trains, trams and buses. The hub for V/Line services in Melbourne’s CBD would be Southern Cross Station; this station could also easily be reached by bus or tram. From this station, you could conveniently take a coach or train to reach the springs at Daylesford, the goldfields at Ballarat or Bendigo, the shoreline at Warrnambool or Geelong, and so on. However, you should remember that some of the V/Line services would not use the Myki system.