Albury to Geelong road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops
The Albury to Geelong drive covers a distance of 385km, with a driving time of around four hours and three minutes. Top road trip stops to add to the itinerary include Albury, Benalla and Werribee.
The drive from Albury to Geelong is something of a slog along the Hume Highway. It’ll never go down as one of Australia’s classic drives, but it’s a significant chunk of the drive from Sydney to Geelong or Brisbane to Geelong.
For Albury accommodation picks, head here.
Geelong is a surprisingly fun place, offering water-biking, hot air balloon flights and electric picnic boat rentals. For the best Geelong accommodation deals, head this way.
This guide should help you plan your perfect Albury to Geelong road trip itinerary.
Click through on the links for more detailed links about individual towns and attractions.
If you need a hire car, search for the best car rental deals here – and remember to stock up on your road trip essentials before setting off.
Albury to Geelong distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Albury to Geelong is 386km. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and three minutes.
Things to do in Albury include kayaking along the Murray, admiring Aboriginal art on the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and delving thoroughly into Australian immigration history at the brilliant Bonegilla Migrant Experience.
The latter is in Wodonga, Albury’s twin town on the Victorian side of the border.
Best Albury accommodation picks
The best places to stay in Albury are:
- For a heated pool and spa in a gorgeous location next to a riverside park: Best Western Plus Hovell Tree Inn.
- For apartments with kitchenettes in a central location: Mantra Albury.
- For a good quality motel next to the train station: Winsor Park Motor Inn.
- For a holiday park with lots of facilities for the kids: Big4 Albury Tourist Park.
- For a motel with cheap rates and fairly central location: Allawa Motor Inn.
Albury to Geelong road trip: Wangaratta and Glenrowan
Once over the border, the Barnawartha Scenic Reserve next to the highway can be used as a leg stretch, and the Chiltern Motor Museum in Chiltern caters for petrol-heads.
Wangaratta is the next biggish town. Highlights here include swimming in the Ovens River and seeing the Aboriginal sculptures on the Bullawah Cultural Trail. Most, however, use it as a gateway for visiting the King Valley wineries around Milawa.
For Wangaratta accommodation, take a look at the riverside Big4 Wangaratta North Cedars Holiday Park and the well-equipped Quest apartments.
Road trip essentials that many travellers forget
Search on the web, and you’ll find ludicrously long lists of equipment to take on a road trip. Australia Travel Questions isn’t going to do that to you. But it is worth buying the following road trip items before setting off. Click through for a good range of options.
- Charging cables – yes, you’ll probably need a spare at some point.
- Car charger adaptor – in case your rental car has the old-fashioned cigarette lighter rather than a USB.
- Multi USB charger – for those hotel rooms that don’t have enough power sockets.
- Fold-up chairs – to make anywhere a picnic spot.
- A really good water bottle – go for a bigger one than usual to last the longer drives.
- Packing cubes – save space but, more importantly, avoid unpacking everything every night.
Further along the highway you’ll come to Glenrowan, scene of the infamous shoot-out where notorious bushranger Ned Kelly was finally captured. Head to Siege Street, where a series of signs and cut-outs tells the story.
Albury to Geelong drive: Benalla to Seymour
Continue until you reach mural-dotted Benalla, where the Benalla Art Gallery is one of Australia’s best regional art museums. You can also learn about pilot training during World War II at the Benalla Aviation Museum.
Pick the best Benalla accommodation options
The best places to stay in Benalla are…
- For a solid, affordable motel with a pool: Glider City Motel.
- For family-friendly cabins: Benalla Tourist Park.
- For central location: Top of the Town Motel.
Further south, the Reef Hills State Park offers plenty of wildlife and wildflowers, while you can also get a nature fix at the Euroa Arboretum and Balmuttum Walking Track in Euroa.
On the way to Seymour, you can taste wines at the Magyars Hill Vineyard and Cottage or Fowles Wine, or get lost in the Avenel Maze.
Things to do in Seymour include the eerily moving Vietnam Veterans Commemorative Walk and trainspotter’s paradise, the Seymour Railway Heritage Centre.
Seymour accommodation possibilities include the family-friendly Big4 Holiday Park and the impressively reviewed New Crossing Place Motel and Apartments.
Click through to the next section: Seymour to Melbourne.