Melbourne Airport to Geelong
Geelong is about 85 km from Melbourne Airport. Gull Airport Service runs direct coaches roughly hourly from Terminal 3 for AUD 39 (70โ75 minutes); a taxi or pre-booked car takes about an hour for roughly AUD 160โ240.
Victoria's second city sits at the head of Corio Bay, an hour and a quarter southwest. Its waterfront was rebuilt around a swimming enclosure and a line of painted bollards, and it is the last real town before the Great Ocean Road begins.
How far is Geelong from Melbourne Airport?
Geelong is 85 km (53 miles) from Melbourne Airport by road, about 1h 10m by car outside rush hour. In a straight line it is 68 km. By public transport, SkyBus to Southern Cross + V/Line Geelong line takes about 2h including a change and costs A$25.9.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: SkyBus to Southern Cross + V/Line Geelong line is the cheapest way at A$25.9 (2h, with a change on the way). A taxi from A$160 saves roughly 55 min and takes you to the door.
What it costs for your group
The train is charged per person, while a taxi is one price for the whole car โ so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Train (per person) | Taxi (per car) | Best value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solo ยท 1 traveller | A$26 | A$160 | Train |
| Couple ยท 2 travellers | A$52 | A$160 | Train |
| Family of 4 ยท 4 travellers | A$104 | A$160 | Train |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority isโฆ | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | SkyBus to Southern Cross + V/Line Geelong line | From A$25.9, about 2h, with a change on the way. |
| Speed | Melbourne Airport taxi rank | 1h 5m and door-to-door, from A$160. |
| A group of 4 | SkyBus to Southern Cross + V/Line Geelong line | Four tickets still come to about A$103.6 โ less than a car. |
| A late-night arrival | Taxi or pre-booked transfer | SkyBus to Southern Cross + V/Line Geelong line does not run all night; check the last departure before you land. |
By transport mode
Shuttle
Direct, no change. Stops at Corio Village (7-Eleven), Geelong Railway Station (bus bay 7) and Gull's office at 45 McKillop St in the city centre. Adult AUD 39 one way (AUD 72 return), child 3โ17 AUD 26, family fares from AUD 65; fares rise on 2 Nov 2027. Surfboards and bike boxes carried free if declared.
Where to catch it: Ground level in front of Terminal 3 (Virgin Australia): cross the pedestrian crossing and turn right; shelter signed 'Gull Geelong' in blue and white.
Times: MonโFri 06:30โ23:55 (plus 00:55 TueโSat, 05:30 school holidays) ยท SatโSun & public holidays 05:25โ23:55 ยท no service Christmas Day
Best for budget travellersTrain
SkyBus to Southern Cross costs AUD 25.90, then a V/Line train to Geelong on myki (regional myki fares are capped at the metropolitan daily fare). About two hours in total; only worth it if you are stopping in Melbourne anyway.
Where to catch it: SkyBus stands outside Terminals 1, 3 and 4.
Best for budget travellers near a stationTaxi
Metered fare, typically around AUD 160โ230 to central Geelong depending on traffic, plus the airport and any toll charges.
Where to catch it: Taxi rank on the ground floor outside the terminals.
Times: 24 hours
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
Fixed price per car. Gull also runs door-to-door VIP transfers for small groups.
Where to catch it: Driver meets you in the terminal; flight tracked.
Times: Any time
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsCar rental
M80 Western Ring Road to the Princes Freeway (M1), about an hour. Useful for the Bellarine Peninsula, Torquay and the Great Ocean Road.
Where to catch it: Rental counters in the terminal precinct; cars in the multi-storey car park.
Best for travellers who want to exploreGeelong & Melbourne in photos
Step-free access in Melbourne
Melbourne Airport runs its own free assistance service on the landside, while the airline covers check-in to seat.
- Pre-book Melbourne Airport Assist with at least 24 hours' notice; the service is free and run with Travellers Aid.
- No booking is strictly needed: approach staff at any of the 11 Mobility Hubs or call 0492 868 960 on the day. Hours are 3am to 1am daily.
- Airport Assist covers the terminal entrance to check-in, and baggage reclaim to the exit; your airline handles check-in to seat and seat to arrivals.
- Buggy transfers link the Terminal 4 ground transport hub (car park, PTV bus, taxi rank and Uber) with Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Rex arrivals.
- Pick-up from the Overheight Vehicle Zone needs a pre-booking with 24 hours' notice.
Getting from MEL to Geelong
An hour and a quarter southwest, and a coach that has run it since 1980
Geelong sits at the head of Corio Bay, about eighty-five kilometres from Tullamarine via the Western Ring Road and the Princes Freeway. It is Victoria's second city, a former wool and manufacturing town that spent the last two decades rebuilding its waterfront โ a swimming enclosure, a restored carousel, and a line of painted timber bollards along the promenade that have become the thing everyone photographs.
For most travellers it is also a staging post. The Bellarine Peninsula is east of it, Torquay and the start of the Great Ocean Road are south, and the Otways are beyond that.
Gull Airport Service
The direct link is run by Gull, a Geelong operator that has been doing this route since 1980 and puts about 170 services a week on it. Departures from the airport are roughly hourly from early morning until 23:55, so there is usually something within an hour of your landing. The adult fare is AUD 39 one way.
The pickup point is worth memorising because it is nowhere near the SkyBus stands. Go to ground level in front of Terminal 3, cross the pedestrian crossing and look immediately to your right โ the stand is signed Gull Geelong in blue and white. People miss it and end up at the SkyBus kerb, which is the wrong side of the terminal row entirely.
Book ahead if you can, as coaches fill during summer and school holidays. The coach stops at Corio Village, Geelong Railway Station (bus bay 7) and Gull's office at 45 McKillop St in the city centre, walking distance from the waterfront.
The train alternative, and its hidden cost
V/Line runs frequent, fast trains between Southern Cross and Geelong, every twenty to forty minutes, and on paper that looks attractive. The catch is the first leg: you pay the AUD 25.90 SkyBus fare into the city, then cross to the regional platforms and pay a myki fare for the train. Two hours all told and not much cheaper than the direct coach.
It makes sense if you were going into Melbourne anyway โ dropping bags, meeting someone, breaking the journey. As a straight airport-to-Geelong transfer it is the slower and more complicated of the two.
Cars, private and hired
A pre-arranged transfer runs AUD 170 to 240. Gull itself also offers door-to-door VIP transfers for small groups, which sits between the scheduled coach and a full private car on price โ worth asking about if there are three or four of you going to the same address.
Hiring is the option that opens the region up. The drive is motorway almost the whole way and needs no navigation beyond following the signs to Geelong. Rates start around AUD 45 a day. The argument is not the journey itself, which the coach does perfectly well, but everything afterwards: the Bellarine's beaches, Queenscliff and the ferry across to Sorrento, and the surf coast running southwest. None of that is reachable on a timetable.
One practical note on luggage and surfboards
A lot of people making this trip are heading for the coast with boards or bikes. Gull carries surfboards and bike boxes at no extra cost, but asks you to declare them when booking. The same applies on V/Line, where the regional trains have luggage space but not much of it on a busy Friday evening.
Arriving late
Gull's last daily departure from the airport is at 23:55, with an extra 00:55 run on Tuesday to Saturday mornings. A landing after that means either a night in Melbourne or a taxi or private car for the full distance, at roughly AUD 160 upwards. Travellers on long-haul routes into Tullamarine โ which frequently arrive in the small hours โ should check the first morning departure before assuming the coach is a night-time option.
The reverse trip is easier to plan: Gull runs early enough for most morning departures, but the Western Ring Road backs up on weekday mornings, so allow extra time; Gull itself warns that airport construction work can delay buses.
Bottom line
Take the Gull coach โ it is direct, frequent, and the only scheduled service that goes airport to Geelong without passing through Melbourne. Use the train if the city was already on your route. Hire a car if the Great Ocean Road or the Bellarine is the real destination, which for most visitors arriving this way it is.
MEL to Geelong โ FAQ
How far is Geelong from Melbourne Airport?
What is the cheapest way from Melbourne Airport to Geelong?
Is there a direct bus from Melbourne Airport to Geelong?
What is the fastest way to get to Geelong?
How much is a taxi from Melbourne Airport to Geelong?
When is the last Gull coach from Melbourne Airport?
What if I land after midnight?
Sources
Fares and times on this page were last held against their official sources on 21 October 2026. Operators change prices without notice โ if you spot a difference, the operatorโs own page is the authority. How we check fares.
- Gull Airport Service โ timetables ยท checked 2026-10-21
- Gull Airport Service โ fares ยท checked 2026-10-21
- Gull Airport Service โ pickup points ยท checked 2026-10-21
- Australian Frequent Flyer โ SkyBus 2026 fare and alternatives ยท checked 2026-10-21
- 13cabs โ taxi Melbourne Airport to Geelong estimate ยท checked 2026-10-21
- PTV โ regional fares (cap equal to metro daily fare) ยท checked 2026-10-21
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