Melbourne Travel Tips: Free Trams and ETA Basics
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Melbourne’s travel tips differ from the average big-city list in two ways: entry requires an online visa no matter your passport, and the free public transport zone that covers the CBD doesn’t extend to the one place every visitor needs to get from - the airport.
Money-saving and mistake-avoiding tips for Melbourne
| Tip | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Sort your ETA or eVisitor before you fly | Australia has no visa-free entry for anyone; ETA (subclass 601, ~$20 via the app) covers most nationalities, eVisitor (subclass 651, free) covers EU/UK passports |
| Don’t expect an airport train | Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine) has no rail link, and won’t until roughly 2033; it’s SkyBus ( |
| Get a Myki even though the CBD trams are free | The Free Tram Zone covers the CBD and Docklands at no cost, but step outside it and trams and buses are Myki-only, even though Metro trains now take contactless bank cards |
| Book the St Kilda penguins ahead | Free to watch, but the timed reservation books out fast |
| Don’t tip | Tipping isn’t expected anywhere in Australia; GST is already included in every price you see |
| Pack layers regardless of season | “Four seasons in one day” is a genuine local saying, not a joke, and Australian seasons run flipped (summer is Dec-Feb) |
Do you need cash in Melbourne?
Rarely. Australia is heavily cashless, tap-and-go is the norm at cafes, markets and most shops, and carrying cash “just in case” is mostly unnecessary here. What you do need is a way to pay for transport outside the Free Tram Zone, which means a Myki card rather than cash on the tram itself.
What’s the one entry mistake visitors make?
Assuming Australia has visa-free entry because it’s a wealthy, English-speaking country. It doesn’t, for anyone: every visitor needs either an ETA (subclass 601, roughly $20 through the official Australian ETA app, covering the US, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and others) or an eVisitor (subclass 651, free, for EU and UK passports). Both must be sorted before you fly, not on arrival.
Is Melbourne’s weather really that unpredictable?
Yes, enough that locals genuinely call it “four seasons in one day.” Spring (September-November) and autumn (March-May) are the most reliable, mild months, but pack a layer regardless of when you go - Melbourne’s flipped southern-hemisphere seasons mean summer runs December-February, which catches out visitors used to the northern calendar.
For the full city picture, see the Melbourne budget guide and Melbourne’s essential facts ; for a day-by-day plan, start with the 2-day itinerary .
The one tip that saves the most hassle: get your ETA or eVisitor sorted the same week you book flights, not the week before you fly - it only takes minutes, but it’s the one thing that can actually stop you boarding if you leave it too late.