Airport Transfer Melbourne Airport
 

I wonder if anyone has a recommendation for an airport transfer service from the Melbourne Airport to the Langham Hotel. We don't need a deluxe limo service but will be very tired after a long flight. Thanks in advance!

I would just take a taxi from the rank right outside the terminal, or an Uber.
However, if you want the placard with your name & someone waiting in the terminal building - I use Bartons.

Barton Chauffeurs ? Melbourne's Executive Limousiness

Melbourne airport is well organised and not the zoo you may be used to in the US. Just avoid the touts who lurk around the entrance/exit to the terminal asking if you want a taxi. The genuine operators will be in their cabs/taxis in the queue on the rank.

I agree, just use a taxi. Follow the signs inside the terminal and join the queue, if there is one. There is always a line of taxis waiting for customers. The SkyBus is fine too but I don't think it goes near your hotel.

Thank you for your advice - a taxi it will be!

Just pay what’s on the meter when you get to your destination. No need to tip. Anyone, anywhere, for anything, in Australia. Thank You is quite sufficient.

There will be a 5% Cabcharge surcharge for card use.

Ask the driver for a receipt. Handy in case you accidentally leave something in the cab- and in the event you think you’ve been over charged.

Thanks, Bokhara2!

You're most welcome KTravels. Hope you have a wonderful time in our beautiful country.

Ask anything else you think we might be able to help with.

Are you going to Sydney, too?

Yes, we will be going to Sydney, as well, and are looking forward to it!

Fabulous! So is Sydney.

Make sure you take at least one ferry trip. Manly for half a day is one of my favourites. Manly Beach is not where the ferry berths (that's Manly Cove) - walk straight ahead along the Corso. Shelly Beach is charming and is just a short stroll to the right when you're facing Manly Beach.

Another lovely ferry trip (well, they are all lovely, really) is to Watsons Bay. The view on the return trips from both Manly & Watsons Bay is spectacular and if you time it right in the late afternoon, you may get the photographic trifecta - Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Luna Park with a sunset backdrop.

Here's a city map you might find useful. Sydney map: https://goo.gl/maps/PFmeA45BAKXruh4F8

Visit Sydney: https://www.sydney.com/

Oh and a few other links - can't help myself hahah

Wine Tasting – Sydney: https://www.sydney.com/articles/best...ting-in-sydney

Rooftop Bars – Sydney: https://www.sydney.com/things-to-do/...s/rooftop-bars

Sydney Beachfront Cafes: https://www.weekendnotes.com/best-sy...s-water-views/

Secret lives of Urban Birds: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/secret...ur-urban-birds

Harbour Walks - https://sydneyvisitorguide.com.au/sydney-harbour-walks/

Bondi – Coogee Walk - https://www.bonditocoogeewalk.com/

BLUE MOUNTAINS: https://tinyurl.com/yc28vadd
And just in case you're wondering what's on while you're visiting:GOOD LINKS FOR “WHAT’S ON IN SYDNEY”

https://www.weekendnotes.com/sydney/

https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on

https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whats-on

https://www.mca.com.au

https://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/wh...t-after-hours/

https://www.theurbanlist.com/sydney

Wow! Thank you Bokhara2 for all of your fabulous suggestions. So many good choices! I now wish we had a much longer stay in Sydney. Perhaps we'll just have to return someday.

Of course you do, KTtravel! Give us a bit of notice and we will throw a GTG for you!

So sweet - thank you!

If you've never been to Melbourne before and want any advice, just shout. There are a few of us Melburnians about. :D

The Langham is right at the Southbank riverside walk and it's in an excellent spot to reach anywhere in the CBD and beyond. The lively Southbank river walk is just a half block away, with the Crown Centre and the Polly Woodside sailing ship at one end and the start of the extensive parks and botanical gardens at the other. The State Theatres and the National Gallery of Victoria are just behind you.

Trams are extensive throughout the city centre, (just a walk across any of the bridges to Flinders Street) and they're free as far as the Queen Victoria Market (closed Mondays and Wednesdays). If you decide to go to the UNESCO listed Exhibition Hall or the Melbourne Museum next door, note that for some reason, the Museum stop is not in the free zone... but it's a beautiful walk through the Carlton Gardens if you hop off one stop earlier. This article in The Age contains a map of the free tram zone and some advice on walking that last little bit.

You'll need a Myki card if you want to go further by public transport but it's pretty easy to get now - you can do them electronically, store the "card" in Google Wallet (or similar) and use your phone to touch on and off as you board and deboard the trains, trams or buses. Or, you can still go old school and pick up an actual card at any manned station or newsagent with a Myki sign out front. (I think it's about $2 for the card itself and then they'll load it with whatever amount you ask for. This is the public transport site for more info or to do point-to-point trip planning. https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/ (there's an app called PTV you can install on a phone as well).

By the way, I don't want to presume your interests at all but if you're the sort to gawp at architecture like me, one of my favourite streets for walking would be Queen Street (especially at the intersection with Collins St. Bit of a glimpse of the period when gold-rush era Melbourne was the wealthiest city in the world.

Not a shopper myself, but the Block and Royal Arcades are full of curious shops and Collins between Russell and Exhibition is where all the posh international brands are clustered. There are 5 large theatres doing broadway type shows. There's tons of really great Asian food all over the city but Chinatown on Little Bourke Street has tons of choices. The Greek precinct is on Lonsdale and some of the best Vietnamese outside Vietnam is on Victoria Parade in the nearby suburb of Richmond. And the city is famous for coffee in an almost obsessive way.

And don't be afraid to wander down what look like back alleys. Melbourne is known for its "laneways" and you'll often find all sorts of odd little shops and interesting restaurants down those narrow passages.

Such great information, CounterClifton, thank you!!! I am so glad you think the Langham is well positioned. I was able to get a pretty good price on a room there so decided to splurge a bit. We will definitely check out Queen Street as we love to admire architecturally interesting buildings. We also hope to stroll through the botanical gardens and check out some of the laneways on our first day there to try and stay awake through our jet lag. Are there any laneways you particularly recommend?

Everyone commenting here has been so helpful. We are getting excited about our visit!

Great recs CC, thanks. Planning on a return Melbourne visit for the 2025 AO in January. Love the Victoria Market, Southbank area and some of the best Chinese and Vietnamese fare we’ve had anywhere.

KTravel, that sounds like a great way to work out the kinks and shake off that time difference. It's a great city for walking and if you need a bit of rest, there are more cafes than there are kangaroos (well, in the city, I'm sure there are lol). And if you just can't go on, then the tram (which are relatively clean and safe). You'll see graffiti, but it's more a creativity thing than a sign of trouble.

Which leads us to Hosier Lane - a laneway that's dedicated to an ever changing mural of street art. It's just off Flinders Street, near the Forum Theatre (which is hard to miss with its Moorish Revival style). Hardware Lane has a lot of good mid-range restaurants and is more open and leafy than the typical laneway. There are several little lanes with an abundance of dumpling shops just off Little Bourke, such as Celestial Lane. (this area along Little Bourke is the oldest Chinatown outside Asia). There are also lanes called AC/DC Lane and Amphlett Lane, named after Chrissie Amphlett of the Divinyls but they're not particularly interesting beyond the names, IMO.


One of my favorite laneway walks covers a lot of the most popular - This can be done in either direction. Exploring along the way, start on the Bourke Street Mall at the entrance to the Royal Arcade. Head on into the Royal Arcade where you'll find one of the nicest alleyways anywhere. Mostly independent shops. Look out for the statues of Gog and Magog overhead. You'll come out at Little Collins. Cross Little Collins and head down atmospheric Block Place (Dame Edna Lane is one over). This leads right into the Block Arcade. Tea shops, chocolatiers, stationary in a pretty hall. Continue on and you'll end up on Collins Street. Turn left, go up a few doors to the crosswalk and cross over to the Centreway Arcade. Less interesting through here IMO but you're on the right track and sometimes you'll find very odd little shops at the bottom of stairwells or on the balcony above. Keep going and Centreway Arcade it turns into Centre Place laneway. This spot is, to me, the real Melbourne. Narrow walkways with holes in the wall serving pastries, coffee, pies and such with tiny tables on either side to sit at. As you keep going, do a tiny veer right across Flinders Lane to enter Degraves Street (which is a street in name only). More eating, little shops and such. Including Clementines, which sells only stuff made in the state of Victoria (and is owned by a friend of mine, so.. disclaimer and all that).

Just sort of across from Clementines, by the waffle place (that's what was there the last I went through there), there are stairs leading down to an underground passage beneath busy Flinders Street and you'll pop up over at Flinders Street Station. Or you can walk out to Flinders Street and turn right to go a block to the huge crosswalk at Elizabeth. There's a passageway at the other side of that crosswalk that goes down under the train platforms and straight through to the other side of the station. That will pop you out right by the river and a pedestrian bridge leading straight to The Langham

Welcome back when you get here! People do not go hungry here, that's for sure. :D

That’s a fabulous Laneway walk through CC!

Wow, CC - this is great!! Thank you for taking so much time to create a perfect walking tour for us. You are amazing! I was thinking of signing up for a tour but I like the freedom of being able to go at our own pace.

I also love the fact there is a Dame Edna Lane and will have to pay a visit. I was fortunate enough to catch a "gladdie" when we saw her show in San Francisco many years ago. (Someone reached in front of me as the flower was headed my way and Dame Edna scolded him and made him hand it over.)

This is going to be fun!

CC, we are in Melbourne! We had a good flight and were able to get some rest which was wonderful. We just did your Laneways walk which was terrific. We passed by so many interesting shops and treated ourselves to a scoop of ice cream. We popped into Clementine and met your lovely friend but, of course, weren't able to tell her your name as I had cut and posted your comments onto my phone. We felt bad as we aren't bit shoppers and weren't quite ready to shop but she has many lovely, interesting items. It is pretty warm here today so we thought we'd save the Botanical gardens for the morning.

We are back at our hotel for a little rest and will head out for dinner in a bit. I wanted to be certain to thank you for your good advice and will toast you at dinner!

enjoy my fab city . I like going into Clementine to see CC 's porducts and other interesting things

Welcome, KTT :) CC's name is Cliff. Any chance you might be in Sydney late next week?

Hi Bokhara2, we will be in Sydney the evening of March 21, departing March 22 and then again the evening of March 25 and departing March 27. Our free time there is pretty limited but I am looking forward to our visit.

Welcome to melbourne KT.. was it you sitting at Southbank this morning having a coffee with another couple???

I hope you enjoy Melbourne.

Hi millie2112, no that wasn't me. What a nice place the Yarra riverbank is - we saw so many people running, strolling, relaxing and having fun.