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. Fares are half price until 1 January 2027, capped at $5.70 a day on weekdays. Driving takes about an hour; the weekend ferry takes 2 hours 10 minutes.
Take the train. The V/Line Geelong line runs from Southern Cross to Geelong in about 59 to 62 minutes, every 20 minutes off-peak and all day at weekends, and the fare is half price until 1 January 2027 (a daily cap of $5.70 on weekdays and $4.00 at weekends). Driving takes about an hour if the West Gate is clear. The weekend ferry from Docklands takes 2 hours 10 minutes and is the slow, scenic choice.
Checked October 2026.
| Option | Time | Cost | Runs | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| V/Line train, Southern Cross to Geelong | About 59 to 62 min | Daily cap $5.70 weekdays, $4.00 weekends (half price) | Every 20 min off-peak and at weekends, more often at peak | Almost everyone |
| Car, Melbourne CBD to Geelong | About 1 hour | Fuel plus parking in Geelong | Any time | Families with gear, onward trips to the Bellarine or Surf Coast |
| Port Phillip Ferries, Docklands to Geelong | 2 h 10 min via Portarlington | Adult $29 one way at weekends, plus an 8% fuel levy ($31.32) | Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only; one sailing each way | A day out on the bay |
| Gull bus, Melbourne Airport to Geelong | About 65 to 75 min | Adult $39 one way, $72 return | Roughly hourly, 6:30 am to 11:55 pm weekdays | Arriving by plane at Tullamarine |
Sources: V/Line timetable effective 23 August 2026, transport.vic.gov.au V/Line fares, Port Phillip Ferries, Gull fares.
The Geelong line leaves from Southern Cross, at the western edge of the Melbourne CBD. Since the Regional Rail Link opened in 2015, Geelong trains have had their own tracks between Southern Cross and Deer Park and on through Tarneit and Wyndham Vale, instead of sharing with Metro’s Werribee line.
On the timetable that took effect on 23 August 2026, weekday off-peak trains leave Southern Cross at 10 past, half past and 10 to the hour. A typical run: the 10.50 from Southern Cross reaches Geelong at 11.49. On Saturdays and Sundays trains run every 20 minutes through the day (the 08.10 arrives at 09.09) and into the evening. The last weekday train leaves Southern Cross at 22.45. On weekend nights, late trains run until about 01.10.
Heading home, weekend trains leave Geelong at 15, 35 and 55 minutes past the hour for most of the day and take about 57 minutes to Southern Cross. The last weekday departure is 23.07.
One quirk worth knowing: going out of Melbourne, Geelong trains only pick up at Footscray and Sunshine. You can’t ride one from Southern Cross to Footscray.
In order from the city, per the August 2026 timetable:
Many trains carry on to South Geelong, Marshall and Waurn Ponds. South Geelong is the stop for GMHBA Stadium on match days. Off-peak trains skip some of Little River, Lara, Corio and North Shore in turn, so check the V/Line timetable if you need one of those.
From Geelong station it is a walk of about 10 minutes downhill to the Geelong waterfront and Cunningham Pier (our estimate from the map).
You pay with a myki card or, since July 2026, a contactless bank card or phone for the full fare. Touch on at Southern Cross, touch off at Geelong.
Fares are unusual right now. Public transport in Victoria was free from 31 March to 31 May 2026, and is half price for everyone until 1 January 2027.
| Fare (checked October 2026) | Weekday daily cap | Weekend daily cap |
|---|---|---|
| Full fare | $5.70 | $4.00 |
| Concession | $2.85 | $2.00 |
| Seniors | Concession cap | Free |
| Under 18 | Free | Free |
A one-way trip can’t cost more than the daily cap, so $5.70 is the most an adult pays to get from Melbourne to Geelong on a weekday. We couldn’t confirm the exact single-trip fare, which the regional fares page works out per trip. Expect these numbers to change after 1 January 2027.
V/Line sometimes replaces trains with coaches on evenings and weekends during works. Check service changes the day before.
Geelong is about 75 km south-west of Melbourne. From the CBD, cross the West Gate Bridge and stay on the Princes Freeway (M1) the whole way. Visit Geelong & the Bellarine calls it “only an hour” from the city, and that holds outside rush hour. Weekday mornings inbound and evenings outbound on the West Gate are slower.
Driving makes sense if you are heading on to the Bellarine Peninsula or Torquay the same day, or travelling with kids and a boot full of beach gear. In central Geelong, parking ranges from free all-day streets above Eastern Beach to $15.90 a day in council car parks. Our Geelong parking guide has the streets, the rates and the apps.
The one argument against the car on a fine summer weekend: the waterfront car parks fill, and the train drops you a 10-minute walk from the water for a few dollars.
Port Phillip Ferries runs one sailing each way on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays: Docklands 10:40 am to Geelong 12:50 pm, and Geelong 4:00 pm back to Docklands at 6:10 pm. It stops at Portarlington on the way, which is why it takes 2 hours 10 minutes, about twice as long as the train.
Ferries are not part of the half-price scheme, and myki doesn’t work on board. Our Melbourne to Geelong ferry guide has the full fare table, the winter pause and where it docks.
From the city centre, not one with a regular timetable that we could find. The train covers that run. V/Line coaches only appear when they replace trains during works.
From Melbourne Airport it’s different. The Gull Airport Service runs direct from Terminal 3 to Geelong station, about 65 to 75 minutes, for $39 one way. See our Melbourne Airport to Geelong guide. If you are flying into Avalon, our Avalon Airport to Geelong guide covers taxis, the shuttle and the bus to Lara station.
Everything above works in reverse. Trains from Geelong to Southern Cross run all day, with more of them in the weekday morning peak. The ferry leaves Geelong at 4:00 pm on weekends. Drivers should allow extra time for the West Gate inbound in the morning.
The station is in the city centre, close to the Geelong Gallery and the National Wool Museum. If you are coming for the day, our Geelong day trip guide has a timed route that starts and ends at the station.
10 hours
Starts with a walk past the Baywalk Bollards on the Geelong waterfront, then Point Lonsdale lighthouse, lunch in Queenscliff and the car ferry across the bay to Sorrento and the Mornington Peninsula.
fromA$199
Check availability10 hours
A food and drink loop of the bay that opens with a stroll on the Geelong waterfront, lunches at Jack Rabbit Vineyard on the Bellarine, then crosses to a Mornington Peninsula brewery and the bathing boxes.
fromA$219
Check availability3.5 hours
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.
fromA$210
Check availabilityPrices and ratings were taken from GetYourGuide and can change. Booking through these links supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Updated
About an hour. Visit Geelong & the Bellarine puts Geelong an hour from the Melbourne CBD via the West Gate and Princes Freeways, and Geelong sits about 75 km south-west of the city. Weekday peak traffic on the West Gate adds time, inbound in the morning and outbound in the evening. Parking in Geelong is covered on our parking page.
On the V/Line timetable effective 23 August 2026, the stations are Southern Cross, Footscray, Sunshine, Deer Park, Tarneit, Wyndham Vale, Little River, Lara, Corio, North Shore, North Geelong and Geelong. Many trains continue to South Geelong, Marshall and Waurn Ponds. Off-peak trains skip some of Little River, Lara, Corio and North Shore in turn, so check the timetable for those stops.
Yes. The Geelong line is part of the myki system, so you touch on at Southern Cross and touch off at Geelong. Since July 2026 you can also tap a contactless bank card for the full fare. Fares are half price until 1 January 2027, with a weekday daily cap of $5.70 and a weekend cap of $4.00. Under-18s travel free.
Yes, through Avalon Airport, about 20 km from central Geelong. The airport's site lists Jetstar, with destinations including Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Bali. Avalon says the drive to Geelong takes about 25 minutes. Most international flights land at Melbourne Airport instead, where the Gull bus runs direct to Geelong station in about 65 to 75 minutes.
Not from the city centre on a regular timetable that we could find. The train is the public transport route, and V/Line runs replacement coaches only when the line is closed for works. From Melbourne Airport, the Gull Airport Service runs direct to Geelong station roughly every hour for $39 one way, checked October 2026.
The Geelong ferry is run by Port Phillip Ferries on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only.
A day trip to Geelong from Melbourne works best by train: V/Line takes about an hour from Southern Cross and runs every 20 minutes.
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.
Council parking in central Geelong costs $3.80 an hour or $15.90 a day in the Haymarket and Busport car parks, and $10.30 all day on a few outer streets.