Melbourne: What First-Timers Get Wrong
Most Melbourne trip problems come from a handful of assumptions that don’t hold here. Sort these before you fly and the rest of the trip runs itself.
Entry: there is no visa-free option
⚠ Every visitor needs an electronic visa, there’s no on-arrival or visa-free entry for anyone. The ETA (subclass 601, around AUD $20 via the Australian ETA app) covers US, Canadian, Japanese, South Korean, Singaporean, Malaysian, and Hong Kong passports among others; the eVisitor (subclass 651, free, online) covers EU and UK passports. Get either sorted before you fly, not after you land.
Getting from the airport: no train exists
⚠ Melbourne Airport (MEL, Tullamarine) still has no rail link, that connection isn’t expected before around 2033, a genuine surprise for visitors assuming a major international airport would have one by now. Budget for the SkyBus (around AUD $25.90 one-way to Southern Cross Station) or a taxi/Uber (roughly AUD $65-75).
Trams: free in the CBD, Myki everywhere else
⚠ The Free Tram Zone covers the CBD and Docklands, all tram travel inside it is free, no card needed. Step outside that zone and you need a Myki card for trams and buses; Metro trains started taking contactless bank cards in June 2026, but trams and buses are still Myki-only. Load a Myki as soon as you land if your hotel is outside the zone.
Money: cashless, and don’t tip
Australia runs heavily cashless and tap-and-go, carrying cash is more habit than necessity here. ⚠ Tipping is not expected anywhere, restaurants included, a real adjustment for US visitors used to building it into the bill. Displayed prices already include GST, and Australia runs expensive by international standards generally.
Seasons are flipped, pack for four in one day
⚠ Australian seasons run opposite to the Northern Hemisphere, summer is December-February, so plan by the actual month, not instinct. Melbourne is famous for “four seasons in one day,” pack layers regardless of when you visit. Spring (September-November) and autumn (March-May) are the best general windows.
Book around the big events
Hotel rates and crowds move with the Australian Open (January), the F1 Grand Prix (around 6-8 March 2026), and the AFL Grand Final (Saturday 26 September 2026). None of these should stop you from visiting, but book accommodation earlier than you otherwise would if your trip lands in one of these windows.
Driving: the left side, and check before you rent
Australians drive on the left. If a Victoria day trip is part of your plan, our day trips guide covers which ones genuinely need a car versus which work by train.
Get the entry paperwork and a Myki sorted before either of them becomes a last-minute scramble, everything else on this list is a minor adjustment rather than a real obstacle.