SkyBus offers express airport bus services in Melbourne. It’s convenient, but SkyBus tickets aren’t cheap. A one-way journey into the city from Melbourne Airport costs over $20 per passenger!
If you’re travelling in a group with multiple people, it could be cheaper to take a taxi or an Uber instead of paying for the SkyBus. (Just beware of the unlicensed taxi drivers who still, in 2025, try to scam tourists as they exit Melbourne Airport.)
But even if you’re travelling alone, there are some much cheaper alternative ways to get to or from the airport. Using these methods, the trip to the airport might take a bit longer – but the savings could be worth it!
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The cheapest ways to get from Melbourne Airport to the CBD
Rather than paying a whopping $24.60 one-way for the SkyBus from Tullamarine Airport to Melbourne’s Southern Cross station, you could pay just $5.50 (or $2.75 if you qualify for a Myki concession card) using regular public transport.
SkyBus offers the only direct bus service from Melbourne Airport to the city centre, and the promised Melbourne airport rail line is still little more than an election promise. But there are other public bus services available from Melbourne Airport that stop at nearby train stations. There’s also a complimentary bus that can take you to South Wharf, just south-west of the CBD.
Public buses from Melbourne Airport
Melbourne Airport’s public bus stop is located below the carpark near Terminal 4. From here, you can catch a route 478, 479, 482 or 901 bus.
Using the route 901 bus bound for Frankston, for example, you can get from Melbourne Airport to Broadmeadows train station in around 16 minutes. Then, simply catch a suburban train from Broadmeadows into the city (around a half-hour journey). In total, this journey usually takes around 55-75 minutes depending on the traffic and the connection time at Broadmeadows station.
Alternatively, you could catch a route 478 or 479 bus from the airport to Airport West and connect from there to a route 59 tram that will take you into the city. This route may take a bit longer as services are less frequent.
Complimentary DFO shuttle bus
As another SkyBus alternative, DFO runs a complimentary shuttle bus between Melbourne Airport, DFO Essendon and DFO South Wharf. This service runs five days per week – excluding Tuesdays and Wednesdays – between around 10am and 4pm. You can see the full schedule on the DFO website.
The trip from Melbourne Airport to DFO South Wharf takes around 40 minutes, depending on traffic, and free Wi-Fi is available. No reservations or tickets are required to get a ride on DFO’s bright yellow bus, and luggage racks are provided.
The DFO shuttle bus departs from the signposted “Group and Charter Buses” between Terminals 2 and 3 at Melbourne Airport.
From DFO South Wharf, it’s about a 15-minute walk to Southern Cross station.
Get a Myki card to use Melbourne’s public transport
Using your Myki card, you’ll just pay $5.50 for the whole trip from Melbourne Airport to the city by public transport as this is a Zone 1+2 Myki journey.
If you don’t already own a Myki card, you can buy one from the vending machines inside the Melbourne Airport terminal for a one-off cost of $6. You can also top up an existing Myki card using the vending machines on the ground floor of Melbourne Airport.
Alternatively, if you have an Android phone, you can use Mobile Myki in the Google Wallet app.
Getting to or from Avalon Airport
SkyBus also operates services between Melbourne City and Avalon Airport, near Geelong. This is Melbourne’s second airport which mainly serves budget airlines.
If you need to get to Avalon Airport, SkyBus is a competitive option – even at a cost of $23.70 one-way between the airport and Werribee, or $27.30 to/from the Melbourne Southern Cross station.
As an alternative, you could catch a train to Lara station and then take a taxi or Uber for the roughly 10-minute drive from there to Avalon Airport. But an Uber ride will still cost you around $20, negating the potential savings.
SkyBus alternatives in Hobart
The other Australian airport with SkyBus services is Hobart. Unfortunately, like with Avalon Airport, there aren’t many public transport options from Hobart Airport into the city. At $22 one-way, SkyBus is actually a very competitive option compared to the cost of a taxi or Uber.
There are public buses that run along Tasman Highway (the road at the end of Hobart Airport’s runway) towards Cambridge and Hobart City. It is possible to walk to a bus stop outside the airport precinct and catch a bus from there to the city for $2.40 (which is half price – the usual $4.80 fare will apply from July 2025). But it’s quite a walk, and the buses are not that frequent.
