Cheaper Alternatives to Melbourne Airport’s SkyBus

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 $25 per passenger!

If you’re travelling in a group with multiple people, it could be cheaper to take a taxi, Uber or DiDi instead of paying for the SkyBus. (Just beware of the unlicensed taxi drivers who try to scam tourists as they exit Melbourne Airport.)

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!

The cheapest ways to get from Melbourne Airport to the CBD

Rather than paying a whopping $25.90 one-way for the SkyBus from Tullamarine Airport to Melbourne’s Southern Cross station, you could pay just $5.70 (or $2.85 if you qualify for a Myki concession card) using regular public transport.

Plus, until 1 January 2027, the Victorian government is offering half-price public transport in Melbourne. So, the adult fare until then is just $2.85, or $1.42 for concession card holders. Sadly, the half-price offer excludes SkyBus.

SkyBus offers the only direct bus service from Melbourne Airport to the city centre, and the promised Melbourne airport rail line is still only in the early stages of construction. But there are other public bus services available from Melbourne Airport that stop at nearby train stations.

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 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.

Unfortunately, the complimentary DFO shuttle bus to/from Melbourne Airport is no longer running.

Get a Myki card to use Melbourne’s public transport

Using your Myki card, you’ll just pay $5.70 (at full price) 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 $29 one-way between the airport and Werribee or Melbourne’s Southern Cross station. (SkyBus used to offer a cheaper fare to/from Werribee, but no longer does so.)

As an alternative, you could catch a train to Lara station and then take a taxi, Uber or DiDi for the roughly 10-minute drive from there to Avalon Airport. But an Uber ride will still cost you around $20, negating most of 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 $24 one-way, SkyBus is a 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), connecting Carlton with 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 – but it’s quite a walk, and the buses are not that frequent. The fare is normally around $5 one-way, but public transport fares in Hobart are free until 30 June 2027.