Melbourne Airport Transfers & Private Chauffeur Service

Melbourne Airport Transfers, Terminal by Terminal

Melbourne Airport sits about 23 km north-west of the CBD. The run in takes twenty-five to thirty-five minutes on the Tullamarine Freeway and CityLink, and appreciably longer through the weekday peaks. There is still no train to the airport, which is why the pickup arrangement matters more here than at most Australian capitals.

Which Terminal

The terminal depends on the airline and on whether the flight is domestic or international. The part that catches people out is that Qantas, Virgin Australia and Jetstar fly their international services from T2, not from their domestic terminals. The four terminals connect on foot, but they are not close together with luggage in tow, so send us the flight number and we work the terminal out from it.

Among the overseas airlines arriving at T2 are Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, Turkish Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Scoot, Cathay Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air, AirAsia X, Thai Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, Japan Airlines, Air India, China Southern, China Eastern, Air China, Air New Zealand, Fiji Airways, United, Delta and LATAM.

How the Meeting Works

There are two ways to be collected, and you tell us which one you want. For a meet inside, your chauffeur parks, comes into arrivals with a name board and walks you to the car; on international arrivals that means waiting past customs, where the delay is unpredictable and entirely outside your control. If you would sooner walk straight out, your chauffeur picks you up from the public pick-up area instead. At T1 to T3 that area is now in the T123 Transport Hub, a walk of about 285 metres from the terminals. We follow the flight from the moment it leaves, so an early landing or a two-hour hold moves the pickup instead of costing you the booking.

Wheelchair Assistance

If the walk through a terminal is hard for you, tell us when you book, ideally two days ahead, and we organise the whole chain. Your airline provides the wheelchair from your seat, through the gate and, on an international arrival, customs, as far as baggage reclaim or the Arrivals Hall. That part has to be on your airline booking, so we check it is there and help you add it if it is not. From there Melbourne Airport Assist, the airport's free accessibility service, takes you out to the car with your chauffeur, who meets you inside arrivals or at the public pick-up area, whichever you chose. We book Assist for you at least 24 hours ahead.

Departures run the same chain in reverse. At T1 to T3 cars now drop off in the T123 Transport Hub, about 170 metres from the terminals. Melbourne Airport Assist meets you there and takes you to check-in, where the airline's team takes over for security and boarding. Assist runs from 3am to 1am every day. A folding wheelchair or walking frame of your own travels in the boot at no extra charge, and if you need to stay in your wheelchair for the journey, ask for a wheelchair accessible vehicle when you book.

Where People Go

CBD hotels and Southbank are the most common drop-offs, followed by Docklands, St Kilda, Brighton and Port Melbourne. Longer runs to Geelong, the Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra Valley are regular, and are quoted the same way: one fixed price agreed before you fly.

Peak Weeks

The Australian Open in January, the Grand Prix in autumn and the spring racing carnival all put pressure on the airport and the city hotels at once. Those are the weeks to book early, and the weeks where a pre-arranged pickup is worth the most.

Departures

Going the other way we set the pickup from your flight time and terminal, allowing for bag drop and the security queue. Tell us whether you are checking bags or carrying cabin baggage only, since that shifts the sensible margin by close to an hour.

Getting From Melbourne Airport to the City

There is no train to Tullamarine, so every arrival chooses between an airport coach, a taxi, a rideshare app and a pre-booked car. After a long flight the deciding questions are usually the same: how long the wait is, who handles the luggage, and whether the car goes straight to the door.

Airport Coach

The express coach runs between the terminals and Southern Cross Station on the western edge of the CBD. It does not go to hotels or homes, so the trip ends with a second leg by tram, taxi or on foot, with every suitcase carried by you.

Taxi

Taxi ranks sit close to all the terminals. The fare runs on the meter, which means a slow Tullamarine Freeway or CityLink changes what you pay, and you take whichever car is next in the queue.

Rideshare

Rideshare apps pick up from dedicated areas that serve every terminal, a walk from arrivals and not at the door. Prices can climb when several flights land together, and the car that comes is whatever happens to be nearby.

Pre-Booked Chauffeur

Your chauffeur follows the flight if it lands early or late, meets you inside the terminal or at the public pick-up area, and takes the bags to the car. The price is agreed before you fly and the car goes straight to your hotel, office or home, with no queue and no second leg. The same run is available in a fully electric car at a lower price in Economy Class.

Distances and Drive Times From Melbourne Airport

Measured on Google Maps for a Tuesday, leaving the airport at 11am and again at 8am, to the centre of each suburb. The ranges are Google's typical spread for that time and not a promise: a Friday afternoon, a big event or roadworks can stretch them. The same times apply in the other direction outside the evening peak. Every quote includes CityLink, EastLink and any other tolls on the way, so the price you agree is the price you pay.

The inner south stretches the most in the morning. Richmond, South Yarra and Toorak can take up to twenty minutes longer at 8am, because the last part of the trip runs through city traffic. Werribee is reached on the Western Ring Road without going near the city, which keeps its time steadier. Frankston looks far for its travel time because the fastest route swings out along the Monash and EastLink.

Frequently Asked Questions