Tap, or myki. A Visa or Mastercard, phone or watch now pays the fare on trains, on every tram, and on buses as the readers are fitted. Tap on and off with the same device every time; a card on and a phone off is two journeys. It is full fare only, so concessions still need a myki (A$6).
The Free Tram Zone. Trams inside the CBD and Docklands are free and you must not tap at all. If a ride starts or ends outside the zone, tap as normal: the 96 to St Kilda and the 86 to Collingwood both leave it.
Half fares to January. Fares are half price for everyone until January 1, 2027: A$2.85 for two hours and a A$5.70 weekday cap, lower on weekends. After that the full daily fare returns to around A$11.40, so budget double for 2027.
The airport. SkyBus runs between Tullamarine and Southern Cross Station from 4 a.m. to 1 a.m., about 30 minutes, A$25.90 one way or A$43.40 round trip online. Avalon, an hour out, has its own SkyBus.
Coffee. The laneways, Degraves Street and Centre Place among them, open at 7 a.m. and the best cafés close by mid-afternoon. Order a flat white, a long black or a magic (a double ristretto topped with milk), around A$6. Nobody tips; many places add 10 to 15 percent on Sundays and public holidays, printed on the menu.
Free galleries. NGV International on St Kilda Road and The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia in Federation Square are both free, daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Christmas Day and open from 1 p.m. on Anzac Day; the big exhibitions are ticketed. State Library Victoria’s domed reading room is free too. Melbourne Museum charges adults around A$18 and lets children in free.
The day trips. The Great Ocean Road is about three hours’ driving each way to the Twelve Apostles and 12 hours door to door on a tour bus; leave by 7 a.m., or take two days with a night in Apollo Bay. Phillip Island is about 90 minutes’ drive, the Penguin Parade starts at sunset (A$34 for adult general viewing, arrive an hour early for a seat), and you are back late. The St Kilda penguins are the free alternative: no ticket, and a short tram ride from the city.
On the day. Carry a layer and a small umbrella whatever the forecast says: 95°F (35°C) one afternoon and 64°F (18°C) with rain the next is normal. Keep the device you tap with in your hand at the tram door, not in a bag. If the market is on the plan, check the day: Queen Victoria Market is closed Monday and Wednesday, and Waystop’s hours check will flag it.