Sydney to Melbourne

Sydney to Melbourne

Sydney
Melbourne
Thu, Apr 16
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Sydney to Melbourne Destination Reviews

L
Lakshmi
I booked on 30th March bus tickets from Melbourne to Sydney - 1st April 7PM Sydney to Melbourne - return 8th April 7PM Firefly bus said my tickets were not booked in when I reached the stop to catch my bus on 8th March from Sydney to Melbourne. I booked those tickets on 30th March, I got confirmation email with itenary on the same day but there is no seats booked from firefly side and they said to rebook to get my tickets for next day that is today 9th April as 8th April bus is fully booked. With kids' nighttime I don't have any accommodation, don't know where to go, how to rebook and manage the situation. I got freaked out, luckily there was another bus service going to Melbourne and it do have seats. It is way expensive and not in my budget but I booked those Flixbus tickets to return to Melbourne with kids because I need to return to work, no planned accommodation for us in Sydney. I paid $598.97 for 3 of us to return, this is an unplanned, out of budget expense as my booking was not confirmed with Firefly bus service by 12go organisation. It is not my mistake but I faced panic situation with kids. So I request you to pay this amount back. Thanks for understanding.
Sydney to Melbourne, Bus Express, Firefly Express, Apr 13, 2026
HJ
Hannah J
Coach was really comfy, Loos good, however I was charged over £20 more than the advertised price and I’m still not getting a resolution or answer as to why from 12GO.
Sydney to Melbourne, Bus Standard, FlixBus, Apr 11, 2026
JM
Jose M
The aircon was on all night even though was very cold. You have a lot of leg room, but very hard to sleep comfortably because of the head support.
Sydney to Melbourne, Train #621 Economy Class, NSW TrainLink, Feb 12, 2026
AS
Amar S
Only thing toilet was not clean and stopped working by next day morning
Sydney to Melbourne, Bus Express Lite, PopUp Express, Jan 8, 2026
DM
Daniel M
10
Sydney to Melbourne, Bus Express, Firefly Express, Jan 5, 2026
JS
Jacob S
Bus was dirty, driver would not shut up
Sydney to Melbourne, Bus Express, Firefly Express, Dec 8, 2025
JP
Joe P
Peter the driver was fantastic. I feel he is a real asset to your firm. Very kind and clear with instructions.. I will definitely be travelling with you guys again. Thank you Peter. Joe Palma
Sydney to Melbourne, Bus Express, Firefly Express, Nov 14, 2025
MM
Md M
everything was good only we suffer alot because there was no power point to charge our phone. we were inside 11 hours so in this 11 house of course we need to charge our phone. thank you
Sydney to Melbourne, Train #623 Economy Class, NSW TrainLink, Oct 16, 2025
AC
Aris C
It was good but not the experience inside the first class cpuch… no charging outlet ant it miist have pillows yo lean on
Sydney to Melbourne, Train #621 First Class, NSW TrainLink, Jun 15, 2025
TM
Tanya M
I was apprehensive about overnight coach travel having had difficulty sleeping many decades ago. Although my seat belt (seat #9) was constantly stuck so I was challenged to move easily then took about 15-20 mins getting myself re-belted in, the sleeping was still a challenge. What made up for the experience was your exceptional coach captain Peter. What an asset he is to your company. His hospitality was extraordinary. I trust you treat him like gold; his service to the country and to your business is extraordinary. PS - how's your sustainability reporting? If you'd like to conduct a team-building day for staff and their families, I'd love to speak further - see https://bio.site/futuresilienceevents
Sydney to Melbourne, Bus Express, Firefly Express, Apr 25, 2025
4.4
64 customer reviews
5
56%
4
23%
3
16%
2
3%
1
2%

Sydney to Melbourne Schedule

TypeOperatorClassDeparture TimeArrival TimePriceRating
Flight
Jetstar Airways
Economy
06:00
07:35
$89.13
  4.5
Flight
Qantas Airways
Economy
06:25
08:00
$152.46
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
06:45
08:20
$70.36
Flight
Qantas Airways
Economy
07:05
10:10
$371.01
Flight
Qantas Airways
Economy
07:25
09:00
$136.04
Train
NSW TrainLink
Economy Class
07:41
18:40
$87.39
  4.5
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
08:00
09:35
$122.55
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
08:20
16:20
$173.44
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
08:40
20:05
$248.79
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
09:00
10:35
$144.54
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
09:20
08:25
$150.23
Flight
Jetstar Airways
Economy
09:40
11:15
$112.58
  4.5
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
10:00
11:35
$144.54
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
10:20
09:25
$136.70
Flight
Qantas Airways
Economy
10:40
15:30
$349.41
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
11:00
12:35
$140.14
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
11:20
23:55
$164.99
Flight
Jetstar Airways
Economy
11:40
13:15
$179.43
  4.5
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
12:00
13:35
$236.89
Flight
Virgin Australia Airlines
Economy
12:20
20:05
$382.82

How to get from Sydney to Melbourne

Travelling between Sydney and Melbourne is possible by Flight, bus and train. Flight guarantees the fastest travel on this route. Flight is the slowest option.

The most expensive ticket will cost you USD 641.39 if you go by flight; to keep it budget-friendly, opt for a bus which will set you back mere USD 28.71.

How long does it take to get from Sydney to Melbourne?

It can take you anywhere between 2 and 23 hours to travel between Sydney and Melbourne depending on the means of transport you choose.

Flight is the fastest way to travel between Sydney and Melbourne. Flight will bring you to your destination in 1h 30m. Flight does a much slower job and take about 22h 15m to reach Melbourne.

How much does it cost to get from Sydney to Melbourne?

Travelling between Sydney and Melbourne can be as cheap as USD 28.71 if you opt for a FlixBus bus and as expensive as USD 641.39 if you buy a Qantas Airways flight ticket.

Here is the list of how much you can expect to pay travelling by each means of transport available for this route.

How many trips per day are there between Sydney and Melbourne ?

  • 461 from Sydney to Melbourne starting from 06:00 Sydney Airport Australia until 22:00 Sydney Airport Australia
  • 7 from Sydney to Melbourne starting from 10:30 Sydney Central Station until 23:45 Sydney Central Station
  • 3 from Sydney to Melbourne starting from 07:40 Sydney Central Station until 20:42 Sydney Central Station

Check above for a bus, train, flight and ferry timetable from Sydney to Melbourne.

What mode of transportation is the best one for my route?

Flights

Flying is the fastest and often the most expensive way to travel from Sydney to Melbourne, but with a bit of luck you can score very good deals for as little as USD 102.40.

Things to remember: Note that some of the airlines may have restrictions on checked luggage weight or require paying extra for check-in, choosing seats or transportation of oversized luggage.

If opting for a flight, calculate the time you will spend getting to and from the airports as well as the waiting time before your flight, getting through immigration in case of an international flight and recovering your checked luggage.

In certain cases all these procedures can add no less than 5 hours to your total travel time.

Airlines flying between Sydney and Melbourne

Air India, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, China Airlines, Emirates, Hawaiian Airlines, IndiGo, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Airways, LATAM Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qantas Airways, Qantas Airways, Qantas Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia

Bus

Travelling from Sydney to Melbourne overland will inevitably take longer but in many cases it is the cheapest option if you opt for a bus.

Things to remember: For a more comfortable ride opt for a higher-class bus wherever possible. These buses usually have soft reclining seats and are equipped with air-conditioning and on-board toilets.

They often include water, snacks or a light lunch into your ticket price and make bathroom stops en-route.

Companies operating bus routes between Sydney and Melbourne

FlixBus, Greyhound Australia

Train

Train is a often a great choice for long-haul travel especially if you opt for a night sleeper train with berths which will allow you to sleep all your journey through. To make the most of your train journey, choose the class of your ticket wisely.

Note that there are air-conditioned and fan-only carriages; private compartments for 2 or 4; hard and soft seats.
Though the upper class you get the smoother is your journey, often second class air-conditioned or fan-only sleepers are a good money saving alternative.

What is the most popular transport to get from Sydney to Melbourne?

There is a choice of transportation means any time of the day with Bus+Train remaining the most popular option due to their reasonable pricing and comfort.

Out of 1000 travellers who bought tickets for this route

  • 47% chosen Bus+Train
  • 46% took a train
  • 5% opted for a bus
  • 2% decided to fly

Transportation from Sydney to Melbourne

Facts about the transport from Sydney to Melbourne

Cheapest Transport$29
Fastest Transport1h 30m
Earliest Departure5:08 AM
Latest Departure11:45 PM
Departures per day471
Distance1276 kilometers
Transport CompaniesAir India, Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, China Airlines, Emirates, FlixBus, Greyhound Australia, Hawaiian Airlines, IndiGo, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Airways, LATAM Airlines, NSW TrainLink, NSW TrainLinkBus, Qantas Airways, Qantas Airways, Qantas Airways, Qantas Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia, Virgin Australia