Melbourne Airport Transit:

[NanLaew]

I will have a 6-hour layover in Melbourne airport next week (in on TG, out on NZ).

What are the transit facilities like at Tullamarine?

Any comment on an alternative plan to clear Immigration and spend a few hours land-side?

Any restrictions on that? I have a British passport with valid ETA in their system.

Many thanks!

[tw25rw]

Quite a nice little airport in Australia's nicest city... However it's a good half hour from town. Never used the lounges there, but I don't think killing 6 hours will be easy.

[neverdie]

Quite a nice little airport in Australia's nicest city... However it's a good half hour from town. Never used the lounges there, but I don't think killing 6 hours will be easy.

Theres no bias in that comment.....Australias nicest city .

As for 6 hours in the airport....you will go mad, its a crummy little airport, nothing to get too excited about especially compared to others the OP has likely to have been to.

6 Hours isnt long because you've got to actually get off, thru customs and then back in time to do it all over again.....you would need to do the sprint in a taxi into the centre of melb, which is really nice depending on what season you get....hold on, ur likely to get all four seasons if you are in Melbourne town for more than two hours. Taxi will be expensive there and back. Melbourne certainly has great restuarants & cafes etc, lovely park & sights to see all around the city, you should of stayed a few days, not a few hours.

[skippybangkok]

Quite a nice little airport in Australia's nicest city... However it's a good half hour from town. Never used the lounges there, but I don't think killing 6 hours will be easy.

Was there last week............ Velly small

[tw25rw]

Theres no bias in that comment.....Australias nicest city .

I'll qualify it then.. Nicest city with a population of over 3 million.

[neverdie]

Theres no bias in that comment.....Australias nicest city .

I'll qualify it then.. Nicest city with a population of over 3 million.

Another bl_oody mexican with a beef against sydney. Not really worried about it myself but you must understand that a lot of foriegners get off on seeing the Sydney Harbour, the bridge, the opera house & a few other little bits and bods....melb aint got em.

Having said that Melb is a great city for the cosmopolitan life style, great restuarants & other bits and bobs to see. If they were visiting Sydney for such a short period of time, I would have told them to get on the airport train, into circular quay & have a look around before sliding back on the train....nice an easy if you don't know where your going & somewhat cheaper than a dirty melb cab.

If the OP is lucky, he will be in Business class & can hit the lounge there & go via sydney next time

[NanLaew]

Thanks for the info. Their official website mentions 'Arrivals' and 'Departures' but buggerall about transit, hence my question. The bags should be checked all the way through so I may just detour through Customs & Immigration, take a dander around landside and then go back through to kill a few hours.

Just checked the Priority Pass lounge access and they have 2 available but one is land-side before check-in, domestic only and the other is airside at Arrivals but hours depend on United Airlines schedules and I think that arrives at 8am and leaves at 2pm and I bet they lock up after that leaves. I am in Business on a Star Alliance partner so we will see. I normally use the TG non-stop but it's down to 4/week and didn't fit the plan.

I don't have the luxury of a few days as I have to be in NZ for work on Wednesday morning and I can't find any good reason to leave Thailand any earlier than early Tuesday morning.

Edited January 8, 2009 by NanLaew

[samran]

six hours is plenty to get into town and back.

You could easily be in the centre of town within an hour of landing, if you have no baggage. A taxi ride is less than 20 mins to town. Head to the southbank area, walk along the river up to say collins st. Have a meal down flinders lane, or in one of the lanes off little collins street, walk to the top of collins street, or if the weather is good, have a meal by the river down at southbank. Grab a taxi and you'll be back on the the citylink express way back to the airport 20-30 mins later.

[neverdie]

six hours is plenty to get into town and back.

You could easily be in the centre of town within an hour of landing, if you have no baggage. A taxi ride is less than 20 mins to town. Head to the southbank area, walk along the river up to say collins st. Have a meal down flinders lane, or in one of the lanes off little collins street, walk to the top of collins street, or if the weather is good, have a meal by the river down at southbank. Grab a taxi and you'll be back on the the citylink express way back to the airport 20-30 mins later.

It would also depend on your time of arrival as to whats available.....everything is shut in the airport in the late evening & early mornings. Even a transit passenger is going to need to arrive back at the airport an hour before departure, so after you allow for taxis & transport, you've got about 3.5 to 4 hours in melb, which would be enuf to have a quick stroll around & get something to eat, take a few pics etc. Melb is one of a kind, its worth a look.

[ozfarang81]

if your flying business just sit in one of the lounges, Air New Zealand or Singapore Airlines

[tw25rw]

If it's in the evening, you could always sit in Men's Gallery for a few hours.. I'ts just near the airport shuttle bus terminus!