Melbourne to Bairnsdale road trip: Distance, drive time & best stops

Melbourne to Bairnsdale drive: Traralgon and Sale

Traralgon is the hub town for the Latrobe Valley and offers wine-tasting, aerobatic flights and creekside walking trails.

The third leg of the Melbourne to Bairnsdale drive is from Traralgon to Bairnsdale. Worthwhile detours on this last part of the journey include the flora-filled 6.8km Long Swamp Walking Track in the Holey Plains State Park

You can also spend some time in Sale, which has its own botanic gardens and several man-made lakes. Top of the list of things to do in Sale ,however, should be the nature and history-focused Port of Sale Heritage Cruise.

Once at the end of the drive, things to do in Bairnsdale include seeing the frescoes of St Mary’s Church and exploring local Indigenous culture at the Krowathunkooloong Keeping Place.

If you don’t want to drive from Melbourne to Bairnsdale, there is a public transport option. Three Melbourne to Bairnsdale trains per day leave from Melbourne’s Southern Cross station, with a journey time of just under four hours.

Bairnsdale accommodation choices include the historic Grand Terminus Hotel and kid-friendly NRMA Bairnsdale Riverside Holiday Park.

14 fantastic experiences that make the most of your free time in Melbourne

Get the very best views – on a hot air balloon flight over the city.
See the changing colours of the river – on a sunset kayaking tour – with dinner. (Highly recommended ✅)
Feast and see the sights at the same time – on a four course dinner cruise along the Yarra River.
A genuinely excellent street art tour, led by prominent street artists. (Highly recommended ✅)
The also superb Aboriginal heritage, plants and bush food tour in the Botanic Gardens. (💲 Great value 💲)
Best of Melbourne bike tour – you can see more on two wheels than walking.
Hidden laneways bar crawl OR foodie discovery tour OR chocolate and dessert tour.
Combo ticket for Australian Sports Museum and MCG tour.
Hassle-dodging advance tickets for the Melbourne Skydeck, Melbourne Zoo, the Ice Bar (with cocktails) and Sea Life Aquarium.