Avalon Airport is about 20 km from central Geelong, roughly 25 minutes by car on a toll-free road. A taxi costs about $40 to $50. The MyBus shuttle runs door to door if you book two business days ahead, and public bus route 18 links the terminal with Lara station for V/Line trains to Geelong.
Avalon Airport is about 20 km from central Geelong, and the drive takes about 25 minutes on a toll-free road, according to the airport. A taxi costs about $40 to $50. Without a car, book the MyBus shuttle at least two business days ahead, or take public bus route 18 to Lara station and a V/Line train into Geelong.
Avalon is Geelong’s airport, though it markets itself as Melbourne Avalon. Its site names Jetstar, flying to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Bali.
Checked October 2026.
| Option | Time to central Geelong | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi | About 25 min | About $40 to $50 | No, rank outside the terminal |
| MyBus shuttle | Door to door, time varies | Fare not published | Yes, at least two business days |
| Bus 18 to Lara, then V/Line train | Bus plus about 10 to 15 min by train | myki fare, half price until 1 Jan 2027 | No |
| Hire car or your own car | About 25 min | Fuel; Geelong parking | Hire cars: yes |
Sources: Avalon Airport driving, taxi and bus pages; V/Line timetable effective 23 August 2026.
Avalon says the trip to the Geelong CBD is 20 km, about 25 minutes, and toll-free: take the Princes Freeway towards Geelong. Visit Geelong & the Bellarine quotes 20 minutes; we use the airport’s figure.
The same page gives about 35 minutes to the start of the Great Ocean Road and 45 minutes to the Bellarine. If your trip is mostly about the coast, a hire car from Avalon makes sense. Once you reach the city, our Geelong parking guide covers rates and free streets.
The rank is directly outside the terminal. The airport’s own estimate is $40 to $50 to Geelong. Three companies serve it:
Rideshare cars also pick up. Taxis and rideshare cars pay the airport an access charge under their own agreements, and other commercial vehicles have paid $4.40 per pickup since 15 March 2025.
MyBus Airport Transfers is the shuttle listed on the airport’s bus page for Geelong, the Bellarine and the Surf Coast. It picks up and drops off at your home, hotel or holiday rental.
The catch is the notice period. The airport asks you to book at least two business days before you fly, and the booking team works Monday to Friday, 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. So a Monday flight means booking by the Thursday before. Phone 1300 169 287 or use the MyBus website. We couldn’t find a published fare, so ask when you book.
Route 18 runs between Avalon Airport and Lara station, with 21 services on weekdays and 20 at weekends. It is timed to flights: buses reach the airport 75 to 120 minutes before departures and leave about 30 minutes after arrivals. Reports on its March 2026 launch say you need a myki or contactless card to ride.
At Lara, change to a V/Line train heading for Geelong. Lara is four stops before Geelong on the same line, and the train from Lara to Geelong takes about 10 to 15 minutes on the August 2026 timetable. Some off-peak trains skip Lara, so check the V/Line timetable and the Transport Victoria journey planner before you rely on a connection.
Fares are half price until 1 January 2027. The V/Line daily cap is $5.70 on weekdays and $4.00 at weekends for a full fare, and under-18s ride free. It is the cheapest way in by a long way, but with a bag and a change of mode it takes longer than a taxi.
You’ll see SkyBus coaches at Avalon. The airport lists them as an express service to Southern Cross Station in Melbourne, with a stop in Werribee. They don’t go to Geelong. If you are staying in Melbourne first, SkyBus is the obvious choice; then our Melbourne to Geelong guide covers the train down.
For a departure, reverse any of the options above, with two extra notes.
Leave enough margin. Route 18 buses are timed to reach the terminal 75 to 120 minutes before flights, which tells you how much time the airport expects you to allow. If you are driving, allow at least 25 minutes plus time to park and drop off.
A taxi from the city centre is the simplest choice for an early flight. Book it the night before through Geelong Taxi Network on 131 008. For MyBus, the two-business-day rule applies to departures as well.
Most visitors head for the waterfront or the city centre. Hotels by the water are a short walk from the Geelong waterfront and the station; see where to stay in Geelong. If you’re flying out early, a city-centre hotel puts you about 25 minutes from the terminal.
Avalon also sits near the You Yangs, the granite range north of Geelong, so you can fit a walk there in on the way back to the airport if you have a car.
Arriving at Tullamarine instead? Our Melbourne Airport to Geelong guide covers the Gull bus and the train route.
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Snorkel at Popes Eye and with the young fur seals at Chinaman's Hat, then go looking for dolphins in Port Phillip Heads, with an optional bus transfer from Geelong Station.
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A guided look round the working Little Creatures brewery in an old 1920s wool mill in South Geelong, finishing with a tasting paddle.
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About 20 km by road from central Geelong, according to the airport, and about 25 minutes by car on a toll-free route. Avalon is north-east of the city, off the Princes Freeway between Geelong and Melbourne, so it is much closer to Geelong than Melbourne Airport is.
Avalon Airport puts the fare at about $40 to $50 to Geelong, checked October 2026. The taxi rank is directly outside the terminal. Geelong Taxi Network is on 131 008, and 13 CABS and Black & White Cabs also serve the airport. For comparison, the airport estimates $120 to $130 for a taxi to Melbourne, which is 55 km away.
Not a direct public one. Route 18 runs between the airport and Lara station, timed to meet flights, and you change there to a V/Line train for Geelong, about 10 to 15 minutes further. You need a myki for the bus. The private MyBus shuttle goes door to door across Geelong if you book at least two business days ahead.
No. The airport lists SkyBus as an express service from Avalon to Southern Cross Station in the Melbourne CBD, with a stop in Werribee. It does not go to Geelong. For Geelong, take a taxi, book the MyBus shuttle, or ride bus route 18 to Lara station and change to the V/Line train.
Avalon Airport's own site names Jetstar and lists flights to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Bali, checked October 2026. Most other domestic and international flights to the area land at Melbourne Airport at Tullamarine, about an hour or more from Geelong by car or the Gull bus.
The direct way from Melbourne Airport to Geelong is the Gull Airport Service: a coach from outside Terminal 3 to Geelong station in about 65 to 75 minutes, roughly every hour, for $39 one way or $72 return.
The quickest way from Melbourne to Geelong is the V/Line train from Southern Cross: about 59 to 62 minutes, every 20 minutes off-peak and at weekends.
Stay on the waterfront at the Crowne Plaza or Novotel if you have no car and want the bay at the door.
The You Yangs are a granite range rising from the plains about 35 minutes' drive north of Geelong, inside a free Parks Victoria regional park.