Melbourne to Sydney by train
Sydney lies 713 km (443 mi) north-east of Melbourne, in the same time zone. What the numbers say about getting there.
By rail the journey is about 10 h 15 min at the speeds typical of Australia rail, over roughly 870 km (541 mi) of track; the operator’s timetable is the number that counts.
| Melbourne | Sydney | |
|---|---|---|
| Country | Australia | Australia |
| Population | 5.4 million | 5.6 million |
| Elevation | 25 m (82 ft) | 58 m (190 ft) |
| Time now | UTC+10 (Australia/Melbourne) | UTC+10 (Australia/Sydney) |
| Stations on record | Flinders Street, Malvern, Tooronga | none listed |
| Postal codes | 3000–8383 | 1001–2001 |
Where to book trains from Melbourne to Sydney
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.
Staying in Sydney
Our booking partner lists 2,587+ places to stay in Sydney (statistics below are from the first 1,000). Of the 734 with a star rating, the largest group is 4-star (494), and 110 are five-star. Across 536 properties with at least 50 reviews, the average guest score is 8.3 out of 10. Guests have left 1,116,156 reviews in total.
Book a hotel in Sydney
Live rooms and prices from our booking partner, booked and paid for here. Free cancellation is marked where it applies.
Common questions
How far is Sydney from Melbourne?
713 km (443 mi) in a straight line, north-east of Melbourne; by road roughly 870 km (541 mi).
How long does it take to get from Melbourne to Sydney by train?
About 10 h 15 min, estimated from distance and typical speeds. Timetables and traffic decide the real figure.
Is there a time difference between Melbourne and Sydney?
No, both are on the same offset at the moment.
Where can I stay in Sydney?
Our booking partner lists 2,587+ places to stay in Sydney, bookable on this site.
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 13 September 2026. Hotel 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.