At a glance
- To the city
- SkyBus Melbourne City Express to Southern Cross Station, average journey 30 minutes
- Hours
- 4am to 1am, 7 days a week, departures every 10 minutes
- SkyBus fare
- Adult $25.90 one way, $43.40 return; child $6.60; senior $20.70 (as of October 2026)
- myki
- Cannot be used on SkyBus City, Peninsula or Eastern Express. Needed for route 901 and routes 478, 479 and 482
- Taxi
- Ranks near Terminals 1, 2 and 4; about a 30-minute fare to the CBD
- Pick-up
- New free Pick Up and Drop Off zones for Terminals 1 to 3 are open
The direct way from Melbourne Airport to the city centre is the SkyBus Melbourne City Express, which runs to Southern Cross Station from 4am to 1am every day, with departures every 10 minutes and an average journey of 30 minutes. An adult ticket is $25.90 one way or $43.40 return, as of October 2026, and Transport Victoria says you can’t use a myki on it.
Other buses that serve the airport, including route 901, use myki. This guide sets out each option, what it costs, where it leaves from, and how pick-ups work since the airport’s new pick-up and drop-off zones opened.
How does SkyBus Melbourne City Express work?
The SkyBus Melbourne City Express is an express service between the airport and Southern Cross Station. SkyBus says it operates from 4am to 1am, seven days a week, on a “turn up and go” basis, so you do not need to book a specific time. The service has free WiFi on board.
Transport Victoria lists the SkyBus stops at Terminals 1, 3 and 4, and says the Terminal 4 stop is pick-up only. In the city, buses towards the airport leave Southern Cross Station from Bay 75 at the bus interchange on Spencer Street. SkyBus also states that its e-kiosks sit kerbside outside Terminals 1, 2 and 4, so check the signs at your terminal for the stop you need.
| Ticket | One way | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | $25.90 | $43.40 |
| Child | $6.60 | $11.00 |
| Senior | $20.70 | $35.10 |
These are the Melbourne City Express fares on SkyBus’s fares page, checked on 18 October 2026. SkyBus describes them as fixed price fares.
How do I buy a SkyBus ticket?
SkyBus lists three ways: online, in the SkyBus app, or at an e-kiosk. After an online purchase you receive an electronic ticket to show the driver from your phone, with no printing needed. Tickets are saved to a wallet in the app.
- At the airport, the self-serve e-kiosks are kerbside outside the terminals where you board.
- In the city, there are six e-kiosks near the Bourke Street entry to Southern Cross Station, opposite Degani’s café.
- All SkyBus e-kiosks accept card payment only.
Can I use my myki on SkyBus?
Not on the City Express. Transport Victoria says you can’t use a myki on it, and the same applies to the Peninsula Express to St Kilda and Frankston and the Eastern Express to Watsonia, Doncaster and Box Hill. For the Sunshine Express, Transport Victoria says that depending on your trip you might need a myki card and a SkyBus ticket. The state’s half-price fares also do not apply to SkyBus: the Victorian Government’s announcement says the discount excludes SkyBus, ferries and non-subsidised regional bus services.
Half-price fares do apply to myki-based public transport. From Monday 1 June 2026 until 1 January 2027, the daily cap for a full fare is $5.70 on weekdays and $4.00 on weekends, and concession caps are $2.85 and $2.00, according to Transport Victoria’s tickets and payments page. Standard fares return on 1 January 2027, so check the page if you are reading this later.
What is route 901, and who is it for?
Transport Victoria lists route 901 as serving Broadmeadows, Roxburgh Park, Epping and Greensborough, and says it needs a myki. Transport Victoria says it runs seven days a week. On weekdays it comes every 15 minutes during busy times and about every 30 minutes at other times and on weekends.
Routes 478, 479 and 482 connect the airport with Airport West and Sunbury. All of these myki buses use the bus interchange on the ground floor of the Terminal 4 car park. To check a connection to a train or tram, use the Journey Planner, because the airport and state pages do not list connection times.
Which SkyBus services go beyond the city?
| Service | Where it goes | Airport stops | myki |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne City Express | Southern Cross Station | T1, T3, T4 (T4 pick-up only) | No |
| Peninsula Express | St Kilda, Frankston | T1, T4 | No |
| Eastern Express | Watsonia, Doncaster, Box Hill | T1, T4 | No |
| Sunshine Express | Sunshine Station | T1, T4 | Not stated; may need myki and a SkyBus ticket |
The Sunshine Express stops at Bay 6 in the bus hub on Station Place at Sunshine Station, where Transport Victoria says V/Line, metropolitan train and bus services connect. The Peninsula Express stops at the bus interchange on Fletcher Road at Frankston Station. SkyBus lists adult fares of $17.00 one way for Sunshine Express and “from $21” for Eastern Express. SkyBus says the Peninsula, Eastern and Sunshine services run every day of the year, including public holidays.
What about taxis and rideshare?
Melbourne Airport says taxi ranks are close to all terminals, that the Melbourne CBD is approximately a 30-minute fare from the airport, and that for your safety you should not accept taxi offers outside the designated ranks at Terminals 1, 2 and 4. Rideshare has dedicated pick-up and drop-off areas serving all terminals. Chauffeurs can be pre-arranged and meet passengers at meeting points inside the airport. The airport does not publish taxi fares on that page.
Where do I get picked up or dropped off?
The airport’s Pick Up and Drop Off Hub says free zones for Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are now open in the new T123 Transport Hub, part of the Naarm Way Stage 2 project, with a new elevated road linking to the Tullamarine Freeway. As of 18 October 2026 the details are:
- Pick-up: free undercover zones on Level 2 of the T123 Transport Hub and Level 1 of the T4 Transport Hub.
- Drop-off: free zones on Level 3 of the T123 Transport Hub and Level 2 of the T4 Transport Hub.
- Wait zone: a free Wait Zone is available if you arrive too early to collect someone.
- Vehicles over 2.2 metres high: a free Overheight Vehicle Zone is open 24 hours a day.
The airport says there are no changes to the T123 car park, car rental return, buses, shuttles or coaches, or to pick-up for Uber, taxi and rideshare. It also says its Melbourne Airport Assist Service for accessible pick-up and drop-off operates from 3am to 1am.
Quick plan by situation
- Staying in the CBD with luggage: SkyBus Melbourne City Express to Southern Cross Station.
- Landing after 1am or before 4am: the SkyBus City Express does not run (it operates 4am to 1am), so taxi, rideshare or a pick-up are the options listed by the airport.
- Heading to Broadmeadows, Epping or Greensborough: route 901 with myki.
- Heading to St Kilda, Frankston, Box Hill or Sunshine: the matching SkyBus express.
- Being collected by a friend: use the new free pick-up zones, or the Wait Zone if you land early.
Timetables, fares and stops can change. For SkyBus questions, use SkyBus’s FAQs and support page. For myki buses, use the Transport Victoria Journey Planner.
Sources
- SkyBus — Home (checked 18 October 2026)
- SkyBus — Melbourne City Express (checked 18 October 2026)
- SkyBus — Fares (checked 18 October 2026)
- SkyBus — Timetables (checked 18 October 2026)
- SkyBus — Sunshine Express
- Transport Victoria — Getting to and from Melbourne and Avalon airports (checked 18 October 2026)
- Transport Victoria — Public transport now half price for everyone (22 May 2026)
- Transport Victoria — Tickets and payments (checked 18 October 2026)
- Melbourne Airport — Getting to and from the airport (checked 18 October 2026)
- Melbourne Airport — Pick Up and Drop Off Hub (checked 18 October 2026)
Featured image: SkyBus double deck bus, West Melbourne (photo: Wongm / CC BY-SA 4.0) (text added)
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with SkyBus, Melbourne Airport or Transport Victoria. Fares, timetables and stop locations can change; check the official pages above before you travel.