No wheels – no worries! Travel by train, tram, bus, bike and even boat in Victoria, for easy, eco-friendly explorations.
Hop on a solar-powered tram (for free in the city's CBD), river cruise, e-bike, or Segway to enjoy Melbourne's must-sees. Go further and dip into Victoria's national parks and coastal and country towns, or scout regional food and wine trails. Throw in a ferry ride and hike or bike it, for a green getaway.
Metropolitan trains (PTV)
A myki card is your ticket to travel on trains, trams and buses in metropolitan and regional Victoria. Jump on the PTV journey planner to map out your trip.
Belgrave line
Grab your walking shoes and take the Belgrave line to Upper Ferntree Gully Station, to explore Dandenong Ranges National Park on foot. Forest walking trails include the Kokoda Trail Memorial Walk, Ramblers' Trail Loop (1.5km), Living Bush Nature Walk (2.5km) and Lyrebird Loop (4km).
Three stops down the track, Belgrave station is a short walk from the national park's Sherbrooke Forest and has 800 hectares of hills and trails to roam. Weary legs? Swap trains at Belgrave and hop aboard the historic Puffing Billy steam train for a day trip through the Dandenong Ranges. The train travels through a valuable corridor of scenic bushland, home to ferny forest glades and tall mountain gums. The railway itself acts as a passage for local wildlife, connecting them to sections of local forest and reserves.
Regional trains and coaches (V/line)
Leave the car at home and take an easy trip on a regional train or bus. Step off the train and scope out charm-filled regional streets or get on your bike for some free-wheelin' exploration.
Shift gear
Plenty of places in Victoria welcome cyclists. V/Line trains and select coach services allow you to board with your bike, or you can hire one at your destination. There's cycle terrain to suit every ability. Test your legs on mountain bike trails, fly along safe converted rail trails, or pedal to produce on a two-wheeler winery and farm gate tour.
Popular rail trails criss-cross Victoria and include the Great Victorian, Murray to Mountain, East Gippsland and Lilydale to Warburton rail trails. For vine tours and food adventures, take to two wheels in the wine regions of the Yarra Valley, Rutherglen and the Mornington Peninsula.
State of the art
Regional art galleries showing world-class exhibitions are within easy reach of V/Line stations. Meander from Sale station to the Gippsland Art Gallery. The Art Gallery of Ballarat is a 200-metre leg stretch from Ballarat station and it's a 15-minute stroll to the Bendigo Art Gallery from Bendigo station.
Keep an eye out for V/Line offers when booking tickets to regional venues, including the Geelong Gallery.
Make history
Flash your V/Line ticket for a discount at select regional museums accessible by train, including Pioneer Settlement (Swan Hill), Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (M.A.D.E.; Ballarat) and Sovereign Hill (Ballarat). Sovereign Hill also shuttles prospectors direct from the station to and from the main attraction in just 10 minutes.
Coast along
Gear up for some animal action. It's a two hour and 20 minute journey from Melbourne by V/line coach to the Bass Coast's Phillip Island and Little Penguin colony, with a connection in Koo Wee Rup. Adjacent French Island is home to the most significant population of koalas in Victoria and can only be reached by ferry.
South of Melbourne, travel to the Surf Coast by coach or fast track by train to Great Ocean Road's Warrnambool station in just three hours. You can walk to Flagstaff Hill Maritime Museum or bike to Logans Beach whale-watching platforms. (Whale-watching season: May – October.)
Go with the flow
Wind down on a train trip to Murray gateway town Echuca-Moama. It's three hours of slow travel from Melbourne – grab a seat by a window and take in the views. A train trip from Bendigo is just 40 minutes. Paddleboat along the Murray, stop off at the Port of Echuca Discovery Centre and linger over a riverside lunch or tipple.
Aim high
For outdoor adventure in the Grampians (Gariwerd) National Park, hop on a V/Line coach to Halls Gap, the starting point for hiking trails to lookouts and waterfalls, and an ideal base for wildlife watching. Headed for the High Country in snow season? Nab a seat on the snow coach from Melbourne to Mt Buller.
And … relax
After a detox from daily life? Victoria's Spa Country is only a coach ride away from Melbourne. Stay and soak a while in Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa, on the traditional land of the Dja Dja Wurrung People. Nearby Daylesford is a gourmet pitstop, with boutiques to browse and galleries to drift through.
Visit the V/Line website for regional train and coach timetables and fares or download the app.
Find out more about public transport in Victoria.
