Melbourne Travel Guide

Melbourne (Naarm in the Woiworrung language) is Australia's cultural capital and second biggest city, with Victorian-era architecture, extensive shopping, museums, galleries, theatres, and large parks and gardens. Many of its 5.2 million residents are both multicultural and sports-mad. The capital of the south-eastern state of Victoria, and located at the head of Port Phillip Bay, Melbourne is a magnet for migrants from all over the world, and consistently ranks as one of the world's most livable cities. Visitors come to attend major sporting events, and to use it as a base for exploring nearby places such as Grampians National Park, the Great Ocean Road, and Phillip Island and its penguin parade. Many UK visitors come for tours of filming locations of the soap opera Neighbours. By the way: somebody living in Melbourne is a Melburnian, and they pronounce the city's name as "MEL-b'n".

The city is primarily serviced byMelbourne Airportat Tullamarine which has international flights and a comprehensive domestic schedule.Avalon Airportis more distant, partway between Melbourne andGeelong, and hosts only a couple of domestic routes (Jetstar to Sydney & Gold Coast). Finally, five regional destinations can be reached on light aircraft fromEssendon Airport(MEBIATA):King IslandandFlinders Islandin Tasmania, andDubbo,OrangeandWollongongin NSW.

Melbourne's city centre is laid out in an orderly grid system, similar toManhattan, meaning that navigating the city centre is easy. Melbourne has a comprehensive public transportation system consisting of trams, trains, and buses. Trams criss-cross the city, trains extend to the outer suburbs, and buses cover the remaining destinations.

The Australia-wide emergency number is000, with the ambulance service, fire department and police being available through this number.

Melbourne's budget accommodation options can be found in two main areas, namely in theCity Centreand in the seaside suburb ofSt Kilda. However, outside these two areas, there are also several popular budget options in bohemianFitzroy,South Melbourne, andWindsor.