We will be spending five days in Melbourne on our own prior to a corporate incentive trip to Sydney. We would like to see the city and some of the surrounding area like the Yarra Valley wineries, Phillip Island, and the Great Ocean Road. Would it be better to rent a car to explore on our own or to take organized tours to the see the sights?

For trips outside of Melbourne such as the Great Ocean Road I would prefer a vehicle rental over a group tour. However, I would suggest planning the outside of Melbourne trips in some sort of sequence whereby you rent the vehicle, tour the out of town areas, & upon return to Melbourne turn in the vehicle to the rental folks. Melbourne is the most difficult of all Australian cities to drive in. I'm not an ace driver but I don't consider myself that bad either. Driving in Melbourne is "white knuckle" time. You have trolleys all over the place, extremely narrow lanes for vehicles at trolley stops, such things as hook turns, & extremely small & unlighted street signs. If you are not familiar with this type of city driving don't do it - it is not relaxing. I drove into Melbourne on a very busy & dark evening & had a heck of a time finding the hotel where I was booked. When I did I parked the vehicle for the stay in Melbourne. Upon departing Melbourne for Adelaide I carefully researched & memorized the exit route & departed at 5:00 am to avoid traffic. Melbourne has a very good public transportation system, as have most Australia cities, to get you around plus many of the downtown tourist areas are within easy walking distance of one another. Get yourself a good pair of walking shoes & you will have a ball (particularity in Sydney).

Thanks, that is just the kind of information that I needed! Since we are going in September it probably won't be too crowded and we can make arrangements for a car after we get there and decide when we want to drive out of the city.

Hi Sue,<BR><BR>There are plenty of bus trips from Melbourne to the nearby tourist sites, but you will probably enjoy yourselves more if you get a car - you will then be able to do what you want, eat when and what you want etc.<BR><BR>I have lived in melbourne all my life and agree with Bill - the street signs are not consistant, can be badly lit and some streets don't even have signs. Driving with trams is also a different experience! But is all OK so long as you don't get too stressed - you are on a holiday, after all!<BR><BR>Once you are out of the city centre (which is not too big) the main roads to the main tourist destinations are really easy to navigate and drive on.<BR><BR>You should also be aware that the grand final of Australian Rules football is on the last saturday in September, (kind of like the superbowl in an Australian sort of way!) and there will be lots of interstate visitors about. It is best to book ahead if that is when you will need the car / accommodation.<BR><BR>Victoria has very strict drink-driving laws and police regularly breathalyse drivers. If you are driving to the wineries for tastings, it is best to have a designated driver..just in case, or take a bus trip if you really want to try lots of wines.<BR><BR>Have fun!!

Thanks Gliadrachan for chipping in! We will be in Melbourne from the 15th to the 20th so I guess we will be out of the way before the big game. I hope we have made the right choice in visiting Melbourne, some people on this board don't seem too enthusiastic about the city.

Sue - <BR><BR>I agree w/ previous posters re: Melb. driving. When I moved here from the US, I thought I would never get the hang of it - Melb. does have some confusing driving laws due to the trams, but fortunately the pub. transport is excellent and easy to understand. However, for getting out of town (GOR, Phillip Island, etc.) don't take a tour if you can avoid it - w/ maybe the exception of the Yarra if you intend on tasting/drinking. Laws are very strict here and enforced. Once you're out of the city, driving on the left is part of the experience! I actually found I got quite a big thrill out of it,and felt a sense of accomplishment. Keep in mind that if you rent a manual, the stick shift will be on the left, which adds another level of concentration. And finally, no, you didn't make a mistake picking Melbourne as your 2nd destination. Its charms aren't as obvious as Sydney's (harbour, bridge, beaches)- but there is so much to do here. Get some daily tram passes and check out the Zoo, St. Kilda, City Centre (make sure you don't miss the laneways - most interesting shops & restaurants), Queen Vic markets, Botanic Gardens & Shrine of Remembrance, Southbank, Brunswick St. - the list goes on forever. One thing all visitors I have had have enjoyed is the nighttime tour of the Melbourne Goal. This needs to be booked in advance via ticketmaster.com.au Warning: not for claustraphobics. If you are interested, despite the fact the Footy grand final isn't until the 28th, there should be some preliminary finals games being played in Melb, and Aussie Rules Football is really a fun game to watch if you are a sports fan. There are plenty of people who can help explain what is going on. You will enjoy both cities a great deal - have fun on your trip.

Thanks Leslie for your helpful suggestions and reassurance on the many interesting things to see and do in Melbourne. I hadn't even though about going to see a game, but I'll bet my husband would really enjoy it. I also hadn't read anything about the night tour at the Melbourne Goal and will look into that as well.