You can go by SkyBus, public bus, taxi or rideshare (a car with a driver booked through an app, such as Uber), because there is still no train. SkyBus costs A$25.90 each way and runs 24 hours. The airport gives A$55 to A$65 for a taxi.
This guide covers Tullamarine airport (MEL). Everything was seen on 5 November 2026 on the airport's or SkyBus's website. The city is in the Melbourne page.
What are the options and how much do they cost?
There are four, listed in alphabetical order, without ranking them:
| Option | Adult price | Journey time | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public bus | Not published on the pages we opened. You pay with myki | About 70 minutes, without saying to where | Not published |
| SkyBus | A$25.90, or A$43.40 return | 25 to 45 minutes, according to the page | 24 hours |
| Taxi | A$55 to A$65 | About 35 minutes | Ranks at the terminals |
| Rideshare | Not published. A charge of A$4.48 is added | Not published | Not published |
Is there a train to the airport?
No. In April 2026 the airport wrote that the rail link is still under construction. This may change, and the source is that page.
How does SkyBus work?
It is a fixed-price express bus, which you take without booking a time. The route to the centre is called Melbourne City Express.
- Price: A$25.90 each way and A$43.40 return. The company says it is the same all day, every day.
- Frequency: the airport says "every 10 minutes, 24 hours" on one page and "every 10 to 15 minutes" on another. The SkyBus website only talks about frequent departures.
- Journey time: the airport gives 30 to 45 minutes in the Terminal 4 guide, and 25 to 30 depending on traffic on another page.
- Pick-up: on the kerb at terminals 1, 3 and 4, next to the baggage area or the terminal.
- Arrival: Southern Cross station, on Spencer Street. To come back, it leaves from bay 75.
- Ticket: the myki card is not valid. You buy it online or at the ticket desks on the ground floor of Terminal 4. At Southern Cross there are machines next to the Bourke Street entrance.
The airport mentions two other SkyBus services that also run 24 hours: St Kilda and Frankston.
Is there a public bus?
Yes, but the pages we opened do not mention a direct route to the centre. This is what the airport says:
- 901 SmartBus: links the airport with Broadmeadows station.
- Other routes: reach areas such as Airport West.
- Where: on the ground floor of the Transport Hub, near Terminal 4.
- How to pay: with a myki card, on most local routes.
The Terminal 4 guide mentions about 70 minutes by public transport, without saying to where.
There is also a free bus that runs every 15 minutes, 24 hours. It does not go to the centre: it links the Value North car park with terminals 1 and 4.
How much does a taxi cost?
The Terminal 4 guide gives A$55 to A$65 and about 35 minutes to the centre. Another airport page mentions about 30 minutes, with no price.
The ranks are on the ground floor, in front of terminals 1 and 2 and at the Terminal 4 Transport Hub. The airport warns not to accept taxi offers away from those ranks.
Where do you catch a rideshare?
It depends on your airline:
- Qantas, international flights and Virgin Australia: lane 1 of the area in front of the terminals.
- Jetstar, Rex and Link Airways: level 2 of the Terminal 4 Transport Hub.
The airport lists uberX, UberBLACK, Ola, Didi and GoCatch. It charges A$4.48 per trip, taxes included, and the company may pass that charge on to you. You cannot schedule the pick-up in advance: you request it at the time from the app.
A notice from October 2026 announces new free pick-up areas for private cars at the T123 Transport Hub. It adds that nothing changes for taxis and rideshare.
What have we not been able to confirm?
These details are missing:
- Public route to the centre and its price. We have not opened the Public Transport Victoria website.
- Where to buy a myki card at the airport. The pages we opened do not say.
- Exact SkyBus journey time. The airport's figures differ between pages, and the SkyBus website does not give one.
- Price of a rideshare. None of the websites we opened publishes it.
What comes after the airport?
Next is usually somewhere to sleep and a phone. These guides cover it:
Sources
All opened on 5 November 2026.
- Transport, Melbourne Airport (company)
- Getting to and from the airport, Melbourne Airport (company)
- Terminal 4 guide, Melbourne Airport (company)
- Why there is no train yet, Melbourne Airport (company; April 2026)
- Melbourne City Express, SkyBus (company)
- Fares, SkyBus (company)
- Timetable, SkyBus (company)
- Stops, SkyBus (company)