Inner city Melbourne has very good public transport (trams, trains, buses).

Rule of thumb…All trams lead to the city and all buses lead to Chadstone Shopping Centre – the Fashion Capital.

To make things easier, the “metcard” is a ticket that that can be used on trams, trains or buses.

• Just buy the right ticket for the zone of travel in and you’re ready to see the city. 
  • Zones are divided based on proximity to the city and can be understood by reading the train maps located in visible areas of each station. 
  • A “citysaver” ticket can be purchased at a more affordable price if travel is restricted to Melbourne CBD (single trip only)
• There’s also the free tram that does a city circle, taking passengers past major tourist attractions. This runs every 12 minutes
• For more information go to www.metlinkmelbourne.com, and for those of you who like talking to automated machines and being put on hold for ridiculous amounts of time, the Metcard helpline is 1800 652 313.

For those who enjoy travelling in style, Melbourne does have taxi services available.
Melbourne’s major taxi companies include:

• 13 CABS - 13 22 27
• Arrow - 13 22 11
• Embassy Taxis - 13 17 55
• Silver Top Taxis - 13 10 08

The safe city taxi ranks are located at:

• 55 King Street
• Flinders Street Station, on Swanston Street
• 22 Bourke Street
• 212 King Street

All these except for the King St. rank are staffed by officers from midnight Friday to 6am Saturday for your safety as well as midnight Saturday to 6am Sunday. Cameras also monitor these ranks 24 hours a day and there is a duress button available if needed.

Also available in the wee hours of the morning is the Nightrider – a safe, cheap alternative for late night travel home on weekends. All you need is a valid metcard. For more information go to http://www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/timetables/
after_midnight_buses_nightrider.