
How to Get From Sydney to Melbourne? 4 Ways Explained

By James Taylor
July 13, 2026










Sydney to Melbourne: How to Get There? 4 Ways Compared
Transport Mode | Travel Time | Estimated Cost (AUD) | Best For |
~1.5 hours | $70 – $250+ | Speed. The fastest and easiest option for most travellers. | |
Train | ~11 hours | $80 – $130 | Slow travel. The countryside without the driving, and no need to watch the road. |
Bus | ~12–13 hours | $70 – $135 | Budget. The cheapest option, and an overnight service saves a night's accommodation. |
9 hours direct (Hume) / 3–5 days (coastal) | $200 – $300+ (fuel + car hire) | Adventure. For anyone who wants to explore Australia’s coastal towns and beaches. |
For most people, the easiest way to get to Melbourne from Sydney is to fly. It’s fast, and surprisingly good value once you’ve considered losing a day to travel on the road or rails. But life is meant to be lived, and a road trip from Sydney to Melbourne is the one I’d argue hardest for if you’ve got some extra time to play with, as you’ll discover plenty of beautiful spots along the way.

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Flying from Sydney to Melbourne: The Fastest Way

The flight from Sydney to Melbourne takes about 1 hour 35 minutes. This is actually one of the busiest routes in the world, with about 60 or so departures a day to choose from, so you can leave when you like.
All flights from Sydney will depart from either Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 at Sydney Airport.
Which Airport in Melbourne Is Closer to the City?
For your arrival into Melbourne, there are actually two different airports: Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine (MEL) and Avalon Airport (AVV).
Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine - MEL) is the one you want. It's about 20 km from the centre and handles most flights. Avalon looks cheaper on paper, but it's 55 km out, so a bargain fare into AVV can lose its shine once you're paying to get into town.
How to Get to Sydney Airport from the City Centre?
Getting out to the Sydney Airport from the city centre is easy; unlike Melbourne, there's a train straight to the terminals.
Mode | Duration | Cost (AUD) | Best For |
Airport Link (train) | ~13 min | ~$19 – $23 | Speed. Runs from Central, bypasses traffic. |
Rideshare (Uber/Didi) | 20–30 min | $35 – $55 | Door to door. Splits well for 3 to 4 people. |
Taxi | 20–30 min | $45 – $60 | Convenience, no app needed. |
Public bus + train | 45–60 min | ~$4 – $6 | Budget. Avoids the airport station access fee, although there you'll have to transfer. |
How to Get to Melbourne City Centre from the Airport?
The best option from getting to the city centre from Melbourne Airport is the SkyBus. Melbourne, unfortunately, still doesn’t have a train to the airport.




Mode | Duration | Cost (AUD) | Best For |
30–45 min | ~$24 | Solo travellers and couples. Frequent and reliable. | |
Uber / Didi | 25–40 min | $55 – $75 | Door to door. Splits well for 2–3 people. |
Public transport | 60–90 min | ~$5.70 | Budget option, but you’ll need a Myki card and to transfer. |
Private transfer | 25–40 min | $90+ | Families or groups. A driver meets you, no fuss. |


How to Get to Melbourne from Sydney | Road Trip
There are two different routes you can take in the car from Sydney to Melbourne, each wildly different from one another.
Sydney to Melbourne on the Hume Highway
The quickest way from Sydney to Melbourne is to drive straight down the Hume Highway (M31), which is 878km long and roughly a 9-hour drive. I’ve done the drive many times (starting from my home in Canberra), and as far as long drives go in Australia, it’s nice and easy, with plenty of rest stops and service stations along the route for a break. And while there are some nice stretches, it’s not a route that will win a beauty contest.
I’ve always done it in one day, although that's coming to and from Canberra. My sister with her kids driving from Melbourne split the drive up with an overnight stay at Albury-Wodonga, a sensible option on the border between NSW and Victoria. I als
Sydney to Melbourne Coastal Drive
The other option is to drive along the east coast, which feels like a completely different world altogether. The Princes Highway (A1) and the Grand Pacific Drive run about 1,040 km down the New South Wales south coast and into Victoria. It's single lane each way for much of it, so not nearly as fast as driving along the Hume. But that’s the point, as you’ll probably want to stop at a few places along the way to explore. You could easily fill three to five days along this route, exploring a stunning stretch of Australian coast.

Heading south out of Sydney, your potential road trip could look something like this:
Sydney → Royal National Park → Sea Cliff Bridge (Grand Pacific Drive) → Wollongong → Kiama → Jervis Bay → Batemans Bay → Narooma → Merimbula & Eden (Sapphire Coast) → cross into Victoria → Lakes Entrance → Wilsons Promontory → Melbourne.
Five days is the sweet spot if you want the beaches and the odd national park without spending the whole time behind the wheel.
I did a section of the drive from Sydney to Batemans Bay a few years ago with a friend visiting from overseas, and we both loved it. Jervis Bay was a highlight, as was Kiama for its blowhole. I’ve also made plenty of stops at Lakes Entrance before, a nice little town to spend a night on the coast.
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How to Get to Melbourne from Sydney by Train
Taking the train from Sydney to Melbourne is a comfortable experience, but not a high-speed journey by any means. It runs from Sydney's Central Station to Southern Cross in Melbourne in around 11 hours on average, twice a day, on a day service and an overnight one.
You get Economy and First Class seating, a buffet car, and sleeper cabins on the night train. The overnight service is the smart pick if you'd rather not lose a day, and it saves you a night's accommodation in either Sydney or Melbourne.
Australians are less than enthusiastic about their rail system, especially when compared to the high-speed options available in Europe and Asia. But as a visitor, it’s a nice choice if you want to watch the rural scenery unfold outside the window without the pressure of driving yourself. In my opinion, it’s also the best option if you want to get a sense of the scale of Australia.

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How to Get to Melbourne from Sydney by Bus


If you're travelling Australia on a budget, getting the bus from Sydney to Melbourne is the way to go. It’s a favourite with backpackers who just want to move between cities and anyone happy to travel overnight to skip a hotel bill.
Sydney to Melbourne by Bus: Overview
Feature | Details |
Primary operator | Greyhound Australia (Firefly Express and FlixBus also run the route) |
Duration | 12 to 13.5 hours |
Estimated cost | $70 to $135 AUD (cheaper booked in advance) |
Departure point | Central Station coach terminal (Sydney CBD) |
Arrival point | Southern Cross Station (Melbourne CBD) |
Why Choose the Bus?
- It’s the cheapest option. Catching the bus is consistently the lowest fare, unless you get a really good deal on a flight. But even then, you’ll have to factor in the cost of travelling to and from the airports.
- You can save money on a hotel. There are buses that make the journey overnight. I’ve taken one, and found that I slept pretty well thanks to the comfortable seats designed for long-haul travel.
- Decent amenities. The buses nowadays will have Wi-Fi, USB charging at the seat, reclining seats and an onboard toilet.
- Leg stretches. Buses stop at regional hubs like Albury or Canberra, so you're not stuck in the seat the whole way. Always nice to be able to hop out, grab a drink, and stretch your legs before continuing.
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FAQs about Sydney to Melbourne
-
How far is Sydney to Melbourne by plane?
The average flight time from Sydney Airport (SYD) to Melbourne Airport (MEL) is around 1 hour 35 minutes. -
Is it cheaper to fly or drive from Sydney to Melbourne?
Flying from Sydney to Melbourne is most often cheaper than driving, as long as you manage to book one of the budget flights between the two destinations. -
Is there a sleeper train from Sydney to Melbourne?
Yes, there is a sleeper train from Sydney to Melbourne: the overnight XPT service is offered by NSW TrainLink, and travels between Sydney Central Station and Southern Cross Station in Melbourne in around 11 hours. -
What is the cheapest way to travel between Sydney and Melbourne?
The cheapest way to travel from Sydney to Melbourne is either a long-distance bus or a budget flight.
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How to Get From Sydney to Melbourne
Hi, I'm James, an Australian travel writer based in Europe. Years of trips across Asia, Europe, the US and back home in Australia have taught me that good travel comes down to having the right information beforehand: knowing the details of transfers and public transport, which queue to skip, what's worth it and what's not. I'm bringing all that knowledge and research to my travel guides for Trip.com so you can spend less time working it out and more time enjoying your trip.
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