You can travel from Melbourne to Geelong and return by train easily in a day. Catch a Geelong, South Geelong, Marshall, Waurn Ponds or Warrnambool train from Melbourne Southern Cross station for the 1 hour journey to Geelong. Get off at Geelong station for downtown shopping or the waterfront, or at South Geelong station for Kardinia Park football matches. Trains run every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 40 minutes on weekends. If you want to make a round trip, you can travel back by ferry by catching Port Phillip Ferries service from Geelong to Docklands - it's a bit slower than the train, but you get a different view of the city from the water.
Table 321 - Geelong TrainsTable 3220 - Geelong - Melbourne Ferry
Day trip by train to Ballarat
You can travel from Melbourne to Ballarat and return by train easily in a day. Catch a Ballarat, Wendouree, Ararat or Maryborough train from Melbourne Southern Cross station for the 85 minute journey to Ballarat. Get off at the centrally located Ballarat station for historic downtown Ballarat city centre, or at Wendouree station for the Ballarat Botanic Gardens. Trains run every 40 minutes. There is a connecting bus from Ballarat station to the Sovereign Hill historic gold rush theme park.
Table 337 - Ballarat Trains
Puffing Billy and the Dandenong Ranges
You can travel from Melbourne to Belgrave on a morning train then change to the iconic Puffing Billy steam train for a ride through the wonderful temperate rainforest of the Dandenong Ranges. Make a return trip on Puffing Billy to Lakeside or to the eastern end of the narrow gauge line at Gembrook. When you return to Belgrave, just hop on an electric train for the trip back to downtown Melbourne. Don't forget to book your Puffing Billy tickets in advance.
Table 316 - Belgrave Trains Table 378 - Puffing Billy
Train and Ferry to Phillip Island
Journey to Phillip Island by train and ferry and back in a day. Catch a Metro electric train to Frankston from any downtown Melbourne station. Trains run frequently and take about an hour to get to Frankston. At Frankston, change to a Stony Point train for the 35 minute journey across Mornington Peninsula to Stony Point. At Stony Point, talk the short walk out to the pier to catch the Ferry that takes 45 minutes to reach Cowes on Phillip Island (via French Island). You can return via the same route later in the day.
You can travel from Melbourne to Bendigo and return by train easily in a day. Catch a Bendigo, Eaglehawk, Swan Hill, Epsom or Echuca train from Melbourne Southern Cross station for the 110 minute journey to Bendigo. Trains run every hour. Get off at Bendigo station for shopping and tourist attractions. Take a short walk to Charing Cross for a guided 'talking tram' journey through the elegant heart of historic goldrush Bendigo.
Table 356 - Melbourne - Bendigo trains Table 355 - Bendigo Trams
Day trip by train to Traralgon
You can travel from Melbourne to Traralgon and the Latrobe Valley and return by train easily in a day.
Catch any Traralgon, Sale or Bairnsdale train from Melbourne Southern Cross or Melbourne Flinders Street station for the scenic 2 and a half hour journey to Traralgon. Trains run approximately every hour. You can get off the train at conveniently located downtown railway stations at any of the major towns of Warragul, Moe, Morwell or Traralgon and spend the day shopping or sightseeing before returning to Melbourne later in the day.
Table 384 - Melbourne - Traralgon trains
Day trip by train to Seymour or Shepparton
You can travel from Melbourne to Seymour or Shepparton and return by train easily in a day. Catch any Seymour, Albury or Shepparton train to visit Seymour, or any Shepparton train to visit Shepparton. Trains to Seymour run approximately hourly, but there are only four or five trains each day to Shepparton. Trains take about 80 minutes to reach Seymour and about 150 minutes to Shepparton. Stations are centrally located in downtown shopping centres in both destinations.
Table 363 - Seymour/Shepparton trains
Steam Train day-trip to Maldon
On Wednesdays or Sundays make a day trip by Vline train and historic steam train to the National Trust classified town of Maldon in Victoria's historic goldfields. Catch a morning Bendigo train from Melbourne Southern Cross station to Castlemaine, then change trains at Castlemaine to the Victorian Goldfields Railway steam train from Castlemaine to Maldon. Spend two hours exploring Maldon before returning to Melbourne via the same route.
For a day trip with a difference if you don't mind spending time on the move, take a trip around Port Phillip Bay by train, bus and ferry. Catch an early morning Frankston bound Metro train from any downtown Melbourne station for the 1 hour trip down the east coast of Port Phillip Bay to Frankston. At Frankston change to a connecting Portsea route 788 bus for the 90 minute trip along the Southern Mornington Peninsula shoreline to Sorrento. Get off at Sorrento, walk down to the ferry terminal and catch the Peninsula Searoad Ferry across the heads of Port Phillip Bay to the elegant town of Queenscliff. Ferries depart hourly for a 40 minute trip. From Queenscliff catch a McHarry's bus lines bus to Geelong. Buses depart every 1 or 2 hours for a 1 hour journey to Geelong. Then from the elegant Geelong station, catch a Vline train back to Melbourne. Trains depart every 20 or 40 minutes and the journey back to Melbourne Southern Cross station takes about 1 hour.
Table 320 - Frankston Trains Table 3942 - Frankston-Sorrento-Portsea buses Table 3943 - Sorrento-Queenscliff ferry Table 3225 - Queenscliff-Geelong buses Table 321 - Geelong-Melbourne trains
Yarra Valley wine region.
The Yarra Valley just to the east of Melbourne is renowned for its natural beauty as well as its wines and gourmet foods. You can travel by train and bus to Yarra Glen or Healesville as well as a couple of the wineries along they way. Just catch a Metro Train to Lilydale and change to the route 685 bus bound for Healesville. All easily paid for using your Myki card and costing no more than a zone 1&2 Myki fare.