Melbourne Airport is about 23 km from the city and the only road in is the Tullamarine Freeway. When it flows, the drive takes 25 to 40 minutes. When it does not, it can take an hour or more. For a flight at 10am that is a nuisance. For a flight at 6am, or one you cannot afford to miss, it is a reason to stay at the airport.
What the drive is really like
Traffic is worst on weekday mornings, roughly 7 to 9am, and in the late afternoon and evening, roughly 4 to 7pm. One transfer company puts a peak-hour trip at 50 to 80 minutes door to door. Treat that as a rough guide, because it comes from a company that sells the transfer.
The airport itself adds to it. It warns that building work around the Terminal 1, 2 and 3 pick-up and drop-off area can mean delays of up to an hour at peak times. Car parks also fill up and sell out, so booking ahead is sensible if you are driving.
An early flight changes the problem rather than solving it. You leave before dawn, the roads are quieter, but a crash or a closure on the freeway has nowhere to be absorbed. You also need to be at check-in earlier than for a mid-morning flight.
The other ways in
SkyBus runs from Southern Cross station and takes about 30 to 35 minutes off-peak. In weekday peaks, expect 45 to 60 minutes. It is a good choice if you are coming from the city centre, but it still shares the freeway.
A taxi or rideshare runs at any hour and costs the same for one person or four, but it sits in the same traffic.
There is no train. The airport rail line has been planned for decades. Work has started at Sunshine, and the airport line itself has no confirmed opening date. One 2024 report put it at 2033 or later.
What staying at the airport buys you
You do the drive the afternoon or evening before, in daylight, with time to spare. In the morning you walk or take a shuttle for a few minutes instead of driving at all. You also stop depending on the freeway on the one morning you cannot be late.
Which hotel takes the most out of the morning
| Hotel | Getting to check-in | Room from |
|---|---|---|
| PARKROYAL | Covered skybridges to Terminals 1, 2 and 3 | A$289 |
| Holiday Inn | A short walk, or a 24-hour shuttle that the hotel says is free | A$202 |
| Novotel | About 4 minutes on foot to Terminals 3 and 4 | A$209 |
| ibis Styles | About 4 minutes on foot to Terminals 3 and 4 | A$186 |
| ibis Budget | About 5 minutes on foot to Terminal 1 | A$122 |
| Mantra | A free shuttle on request, 5 to 10 minutes by road | A$139 |
Prices are the lowest we found for two adults for one night. They are a spread, not a typical night.
For a flight before 7am, the PARKROYAL is the one with nothing to book or wait for: you walk to the terminal indoors. For a mid-morning flight, the Holiday Inn or the ibis hotels do the same job for less. The Mantra is the quietest and roomiest, but you must ask for the shuttle and it is the only one that puts a road between you and the terminal.
Before you book
- Check when your airline opens check-in and bag drop. It sets how early you really need to arrive.
- If you plan to use a hotel shuttle, confirm when the first run leaves. Sources disagree on whether the Holiday Inn shuttle is free, so confirm that too.
- Check Melbourne Airport's own page for road and car park notices on the day. They change often.
- If you are flying from Terminal 4 (Jetstar or Rex), the Novotel and ibis Styles are beside it. If you are on a Qantas, Virgin or international flight, the PARKROYAL is the closest.