Car hire and driving in Melbourne
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Australia traffic drives on the left. Picking up at MEL means 19 km (12 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2806478.
Drives from Melbourne
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne to Geelong | Australia | 65 km (40 mi) | about 52 min |
| Melbourne to Ballarat | Australia | 102 km (63 mi) | about 1 h 23 min |
| Melbourne to Bendigo | Australia | 132 km (82 mi) | about 1 h 47 min |
| Melbourne to Canberra | Australia | 466 km (290 mi) | about 6 h 19 min |
| Melbourne to Hobart | Australia | 598 km (371 mi) | about 8 h 6 min |
| Melbourne to Wollongong | Australia | 652 km (405 mi) | about 8 h 51 min |
| Melbourne to Adelaide | Australia | 654 km (406 mi) | about 8 h 52 min |
| Melbourne to Sydney | Australia | 713 km (443 mi) | about 9 h 40 min |
| Melbourne to Central Coast | Australia | 757 km (470 mi) | about 10 h 15 min |
| Melbourne to Newcastle | Australia | 822 km (511 mi) | about 11 h 9 min |
| Melbourne to Toowoomba | Australia | 1,313 km (816 mi) | about 17 h 48 min |
| Melbourne to Gold Coast | Australia | 1,346 km (836 mi) | about 18 h 15 min |
| Melbourne to Brisbane | Australia | 1,375 km (854 mi) | about 18 h 38 min |
| Melbourne to Sunshine Coast | Australia | 1,455 km (904 mi) | about 19 h 44 min |
| Melbourne to Logan City | Australia | 1,363 km (847 mi) | about 18 h 28 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Melbourne?
The left, as everywhere in Australia.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.