To and from the airport

Sky buses run regularly between the Tullamarine Airport and Melbourne City. SkyBus operates from 4.00am to 1.00am daily (including weekends), departing every 10 minutes during peak times – 9.00am to 5.00pm – and every 15 minutes outside these times. The estimated journey time is 35 minutes (traffic dependent).

Tickets are available for one way or return and can be booked online at www.skybus.com.au

It’s likely a couple of buses will be full, so allow extra time or consider pooling with others for a taxi or Uber/ride share.

Finding your way around

Most hotels listed on the Transport and Accommodation page are a 10- to 20-minute walk to the Melbourne Conference and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), which is just south of the Yarra River at the western end of the Southbank precinct, immediately south of Melbourne’s CBD. There is a free tourist City Circle Tram that runs around the city. Also, there is a Free Tram Zone spanning most of the CBD north of the Yarra River, where no travel card is needed. We strongly recommend that you do not drive into the Melbourne CBD, as parking is very expensive.

Tram

Free tram map/zone:

• Download map
• Closest stop to MCEC (eastern end) is Stop 124 Batman Park (just north of the Yarra River)
• City Circle Tourist Tram map

Tram routes/numbers that run past the eastern end of MCEC – Clarendon Street:

• #109 Port Melbourne; #12 St Kilda; #96 St Kilda Beach
• Whole tram network
• Night tram network

Train

If arriving by train, Southern Cross station (formerly Spencer Street) is close, and Flinders Street station has a dedicated pedestrian bridge to Southbank.

Car parking

Find out more about getting to the MCEC by car here.

• Wilson Parking – the closest parks to MCEC are South Wharf Retail Car Park (DFO Park) and Melbourne Exhibition Centre
• Long-stay parking – minimum two-day stay; book and pay online = $13 per 24 hours (add regular rates for additional time over the 24-hour block), eg 9 Feb 12.00pm to 12 Feb 3.30pm = $52 eg 8 Feb 1.30pm to 12 Feb 6.00pm = $65
  NOTE: one entry and one exit only. If you exit during your stay, you will need a new booking to re-enter, or pay the full ‘walk-up’ prices.

Public transport in Melbourne runs via a Myki card – generally available from major train stations and 7/11 stores. The card cost is $6, plus the value for relevant fares. See https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/journey

Note that the PTV app contains an excellent journey planner tool.