Melbourne Airport Guide

Car Rental

Location, location, location! There are five car rental companies with offices and car collection points located on the ground floor of the Short Term Car Park immediately opposite the terminal buildings. Picking up your vehicle couldn't be easier and there are clear directions to guide you throughout the terminals.

There are also car rental desks in the Arrival Halls of both T1 Domestic (Qantas and Jetstar) and T3 Domestic (Virgin Blue and Regional Express).

DriveNow's innovative rate screen lets you instantly compare rates, vehicles and suppliers in a clear, concise and no-nonsense manner. The booking process is quick, secure and simple with everything up front and no hidden charges, fees or surprises. An email confirmation provides you with all the details of your booking and where to collect your vehicle. DriveNow covers all airports in Australia, none moreso than Melbourne, providing travellers with the perfect vehicle for hiring a car. If you're in the market for an economy vehicle such as Hyundai's Getz or Toyota's Yaris at Melbourne Airport, we currently have some great deals starting from $52 a day, drive-away no more to pay! Or if a family sized rental car such as the Ford Falcon better meets your needs these start at $57, again at drive-away prices.

Airlines, Terminals & Gates

There are 20 international, five domestic and six freight airlines that use the airport. There are three terminals made up of an international terminal, Terminal Two (T2), which has 16 gates and two domestic terminals have 46 gates between then. Terminal One (T1) is used predominantly by Qantas and its smaller offshoot Jetstar Terminal Three (T3) is mainly used by Virgin Blue. In addition, Melbourne Airport is Australia's second largest passenger and freight gateway and the key feeder airport for southern Australia.

E-check in is available at both Qantas and Virgin Blue domestic flights.

Domestic airlines with VIP lounges at Melbourne airport are Virgin Blue's The Blue Room on T3 (mezzanine floor) and Qantas' The Qantas Club on T1 (first floor).

All international airlines with VIP lounges can be found on T2, first floor and after Customs. These include Cathay Pacific (CP First Class Lounge), Malaysia Airlines (The Golden Lounge), Qantas (The Qantas Club), Singapore Airlines (Silver Kris Lounge) and Air New Zealand/United Airlines. Emirates' lounge can be found on T2 after customs but you need to take the escalator to the third level.

For one of the most innovative internet services offered by the world's airports, check out Melbourne Airport's creation called Melbourne Direct. This website shows you how you can save time and make your next overseas trip easy by flying direct on the 23 international airlines that serve Melbourne. The site gives you information to plan international travel and to keep things relevant and simple, the info has been limited to international flights in and out of Melbourne, destinations that require only a limited number of connections and only journeys that require airport stop-overs less than four hours.

Choice: Melbourne has more than 20 international airlines. These airlines and their networks can move passengers to almost anywhere in the world without unnecessary stopovers in other Australian cities.

Convenience: Melbourne is curfew free. This means flights can operate all hours of the day and is perfect for those planning a short business trip to Asia and who don't wish to stay overnight. It also suits leisure travellers who want to save on the cost of overnight accommodation - leave Melbourne late in the evening and arrive in Asia fresh for the day as morning breaks.

Speed: Melbourne has three terminals housed under the one roof. This means everything is conveniently located in the one complex and linked by walkways, which immediately eliminates that common daunting process of having to navigate your way through complicated airport layouts. Transferring from domestic to international flights is a breeze as there are no difficult transfers or bus rides between buildings and it's only a one-minute walk between terminals.

A good idea is to bookmark this excellent interactive map to find your way around (remember to click your mouse, hold and drag to move around this map and use + and - to zoom in and out - it's a cinch and so useful!)

"Tulla", the nickname locals fondly call the airport, is 25km (15 miles) northwest of the city adjacent to the Melbourne suburb of Tullamarine. Whether it's for business or pleasure, the general consensus is that travellers come away from Melbourne well satisfied with their experience.

Facilities

Showers, toilets and baby change facilities are located throughout the terminals, as are internet kiosks and telephones, including a phone for those with hearing difficulties on the ground floor of T2 arrivals. For more information on all of these visit Melbourne Airport's website facilities pages.

Disabled facilities are well catered for with disabled access within all terminals, disabled parking, disabled toilets and a pick-up/drop-off area available for disabled passengers.

ANZ Bank has foreign exchange outlets in T2 on both departures and arrivals levels and operates 21 hours every day with 50 currencies to choose from. General banking services can be found at the T2 departures outlet just before Customs. Travelex Worldwide Money operates two currency exchange outlets every day in T2 as well as one in T3.

A Travellers Information Desk & Lost Property service is on the ground floor of international arrivals and is an excellent point of contact for visitors to Melbourne. Find out the latest hot shows in town, the best restaurants and nightclubs, the big events such as the horse race that "stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup, or the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix (link), other attractions and tourist destinations. And, of course, it's the ultimate starting point for all airport visitor issues whether it be special needs requirements or tracking down lost property.

For medical issues, Melbourne airport has an Airport Medical Centre, a general medical practice wuth a pharmacy conveniently located next door and provides a range of over-the-counter and prescription medicines and specialises in health products for travellers.

Directions and Transport

Melbourne Central Business District (CBD) is 25km from the airport and takes about 20 minutes by car to reach. Importantly, to travel to the city via the Tullamarine Freeway you will need to purchase a Citylink pass. Alternatively, drive toll free to the city by getting on the Western Ring Road.

For some guidance, it's a good idea for those renting a vehicle to discuss CityLink tolling with the car rental company.

There are also other alternatives for travel from the airport to Melbourne CBD.

- Taxis are in abundance outside both domestic and international terminals on the ground floor of Melbourne airport.

- Buses travel regularly to and from the airport. Skybus also travels to city hotels, running every 15 minutes during the day and every 30-60 minutes overnight. There's also public buses running to various areas throughout Melbourne and it's suburbs as well as regional centres in country Victoria.

Shopping / Duty Free

Airport shopping doesn't get much bigger or better than at mighty Melbourne Airport. International travellers have tax free access to a huge range of duty free goods including jewellery, apparel, souvenirs, alcohol, books and more at F1RST Duty Free.

Alternatively, domestic travellers have the choice of an array of shops for each travelling need or consumer impulse including health and beauty needs, newsagencies, clothing, food and beverage outlets including cafes, bars and restaurants.

Don't forget that one of the great things about Duty Free in Australia is that not only can you enjoy the spoils of duty free when flying out of the country, but you can also purchase products on arrival, which is quite unique, whether your on your way home Down Under or you are from abroad.

A major redevelopment of the international shopping precinct is currently under way, with some exciting big names set to open.

Accommodation

There are three hotels conveniently located near Melbourne airport. Options range from budget-style to more expensive tastes.

Hilton Melbourne Airport is rated as being one of the finest airport hotels in the world and can be found 100m away directly opposite all three airport terminals and can be accessed by covered walkways. Rates start from $200 a night and there are 276 deluxe rooms. It also boasts a restaurant and bar, outstanding health club (spa, steamroom, gym, indoor pool and sauna), high speed internet access, conference rooms and great skyline views of the city.

Holiday Inn is about 400m walk away from the airport and is a mid-range, contemporary style of accommodation with almost 200 guest rooms and six luxury suites. Rooms start from $135 a night, there's the Vargas restaurant and bar, a 24 hour business centre and onsite car parking.

Motel Formule 1 is a five minute walk from the airport terminals and has off street parking. Rooms start at a ridiculously low $79 a night and you can load up on a scrumptious continental breakfast for only $6! This is the ultimate overnighter for those with a budget in mind.

Best Western Ciloms Airport Lodge is literally, as the expression goes, a hop, skip and jump away at a mere 90 second drive from the airport. It has a restaurant, bar and bistro, conference rooms, indoor swimming pool, gym, 24 hour reception, 24 hour courtesy bus to and from airport laundry service, safety deposit box, room service, dry cleaning, currency exchange and in-house DVDs.