Melbourne City to Airport -- How much time to allow?
 

We have a 7:30 (domestic) flight out of Melbourne and are staying in the CBD -- on a Friday a.m.. I don't want to stay BY the airport because I like where we are staying and also don't want to relocate more than necessary.

I am thinking of keeping the rental car & driving ourselves to the airport. How much time should we allow to get there? Leave the hotel @ 5:45 a.m.? Get there by 6:30 for a 7:30 flight.

Google maps says it's only 16 miles and quoted 29 minutes.

Thanks :)

Your arrrangements should be fine. It is a freeway from the CBD to the airport and at that hour traffic should be light so in fact it may take no more than 20-25 mins. I would allow a bit extra for the car drop off so your times would be perfect. There is a new junction just after the DFO outlet so make sure you are in the right lane as you don't want to end up in Bendigo!

I should have mentioned that the "freeway" is in fact a toll road(Citylink) that will cost you about $5 that you can pay when you drop off the car. A small amount for a very good road.

Great -- thanks.

Which airline are you departing with as the time you need to leave free for check-in can be affected by that ? If it is Jetstar then allow amopple time and to ensure that you are fully checked in 1 hour prior whereas on a full far Qantas there is a little more flexibility .So just check that and where the drop off for the car is located as that can affect what you want to do .The hire car ought have an etag for the tollway installed anyway so that cost will be managed ok .

I would check with the auto hire people re drop offs so early as there could be special DIY arrangements.

And depending on where you join the airport freeway you may miss the toll charges - a while since I've done it but if tou join from Flemington Rd., main road from NW of city central [NW area SO TO SPEAK] it may be that you join without paying a toll as City Link was introduced re bypasses of the city and tunnels etc.

Who is the domestic flight with as Tiger Airways have a 45 min. before flight check in cut-off and Jetstar 30 mins. I think it is but Jetstar also fly out of Laverton as well so check your flight details.

Personally, I'd give yourself another 15 -30 mins in total just in case you have any difficulties with finding your way and dropping the car off.

If you'll be paying for a whole another days hire, you may also want to consider the Airport Bus that leaves from Southern Cross Railway Station and you can get a free pick-up from most hotels if booked at least 24 hrs before - about $16.
You may also want to check with the hotel too as some do have their own airport shuttles or have a service that comes to the hotel.

A taxi will cost about $40-50.

http://www.citylink.com.au/files/GUI...C_1208_web.pdf gives an outline of the City Link tolling situation - looks like they have a toll for Flemington Street traffic - a bit callous in my book seeing as the Tullamarine freeway had been built down to Flemington Road well before City Link was even dreamt of.

In the earlier morning with lighter traffic you could avoid the toll by heading up Bulla Rd from Flemington [more or less a continuation] and join the Tulla freeway again at end of Bulla Rd.

I would not recommend Bushrangers option unless you know the area.
The correct non tollway route from the city is Flemington Rd onto Mt Alexander Rd and then follow it for about 5 km through Flemington , Ascot Vale ,Moonee Ponds and Essendon until the North Essendon Shops where you pass through a roundabout / intersection with Keilor Rd which then commences as Bulla Rd and which at its top allows a left hand turn onto the freeway .Phew !!!!!!!
This route follows tram tracks / routes from the city to Bulla Rd and carries normal traffic .It can be very busy with people trying to avoid paying tolls . It has variable speeds because of school zones and shopping precincts .

You do make it sound much more complicated than it need be JF and I only made the reference to Bulla because that is what it is referred to as on the City Link map [ for goodness knows whatever reason - maybe just to confuse people so as they'll think twice about avoiding the toll]

But it is essentially the one road all the way through, and at 5.30 -6.00 am traffic will be light enough and school zone speeds not in play.

Just so as no confusion
" roundabout / intersection with Keilor Rd which then commences as Bulla Rd "
The Keilor Road that JF refers to is just another road to pass by and not to be understood as the one becoming Bulla Rd.

Essentially you just need to keep going straight ahead and you'll see at that end signs for the FW and airport.

If it is Laverton that it turns out you have to head for, then an entirely different story!

We are flying VBlue. Is 45-60 minutes check in enough time? We are departing to Launceston at 7:30 am.

I will inquire about the hours of the rental office for the early drop off.

I could be wrong... but I think it would be less time consuming to drive ourselves than to take the public transportation. Our plan B will be a taxi.

Thanks!

45 minutes is cutting it a bit fine, 60 minutes better but there'll also be a lot of people with same thoughts - VB at least are a little friendlier re check in cut-offs and they'll more or less do the queue.

By the time you get your luggage down to car-park in hire car and out, make your way to the motorway, off and find the drop off park, walk to terminal, do drop off and then to VB [allow at least 10 mins.], I reckon it'll be about same ammount of time as a shuttle to and the http://www.skybus.com.au/ or using a new player like http://www.jetbus.com.au/?gclid=CKb_...Fc8vpAodCVrfnA , both being door to terminal services and the planet will thank you for the added greeness whilst you can be thankful for no stress of driving in a strange city, as relatively easy as Melbourne is.