Bendigo to Melbourne train: Timetable, journey time and fare costs
According to the Bendigo to Melbourne train timetable, the Bendigo to Melbourne train takes just under two hours to reach Southern Cross Station. Ticket fares cost $23.80 off-peak and $34 at peak times.
The Bendigo to Melbourne train is a convenient way to get from one of the biggest cities in regional Victoria to the state capital.
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Upon arrival in Melbourne, consider ticking you may want to tick Melbourne Cricket Ground tours, Yarra River dinner cruises and cross-city hot air balloon flights off your wish list. For a great range of Melbourne tours and experiences, explore here. To track down the best value Melbourne accommodation, come this way.
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Perhaps more than other states, Victoria is pretty well connected by train. The V/Line trains often prove a viable alternative to driving.
This is particularly the case with Bendigo and Melbourne. The Melbourne to Bendigo drive takes about an hour-and-three-quarters up the Calder Freeway. Going by train takes slightly longer, but allows you to switch off along the way rather than watching out for other traffic.
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.
Bendigo to Melbourne train timetable
The Bendigo to Melbourne train departs roughly every hour, although it’s about every half hour during busy commuter periods. The journey durations are inconsistent, but most Bendigo to Melbourne trains take just under two hours. Check the Bendigo to Melbourne timetable for exact timings.
If you’re getting an early train, hotels within a short walk of Bendigo Station include the budget-friendly City Centre Motel, the more charming Allawah and the Brougham Arms Hotel. The latter offers surprisingly cheap two bedroom apartments.
The Bendigo to Melbourne V/Line service connects several Victorian towns, starting with Castlemaine, Malmsbury, Kyneton and Woodend. The Bendigo line then passes through Macedon, Gisborne, Riddells Creek and Sunbury. After Sunbury, the Bendigo to Melbourne train enters suburban Melbourne. It stops at Watergardens and Footscray before arriving at Southern Cross Station.
👇 7 great day trips while you’re in Melbourne 👇
- Great Ocean Road tour – with koalas 🐨.
- Brighton Beach, Moonlit Sanctuary and Phillip Island tour – with penguins 🐧.
- Yarra Valley wine tour – with gin, cider and cheese 🍷.
- Grampians National Park tour – with bushwalks and LOADS of kangaroos 🦘.
- Mornington Peninsula tour – with hot springs bathing 🛀.
- Wilsons Promontory tour – with all manner of native wildlife 🦘🐨.
- Dandenong Ranges steam train ride – plus wildlife at Healesville Sanctuary and chocolate-tasting in the Yarra Valley.
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Southern Cross Station is inside the Melbourne Free Tram Zone. If you need to get to elsewhere in Melbourne CBD, you hop on one of several trams that run down Spencer Street without charge.
Cost of Bendigo to Melbourne train fares
The Myki card is used to pay for most public transport in Melbourne. You’ll also need it for the Bendigo to Melbourne train fares. Fares on the Bendigo train line cost $34 one way during peak hours and $23.80 during non-peak hours. The same applies in the opposite direction on the Melbourne to Bendigo train. Full fare, ticketing and timetable information is available on the V/Line website.
Other key rail services in Victoria include the Shepparton to Melbourne train and the Warrnambool to Melbourne train.
Where to stay in Bendigo
The best Bendigo accommodation options are:
- For good quality, spacious apartments: Quest Bendigo Central.
- For art, liveliness and personality: Mercure Bendigo Schaller.7
- For historic charm: Hotel Shamrock.
- For central location and (usually) cheap rates: City Centre Motel.
More Victoria travel
Where is the best Lake Tyrrell accommodation for visiting the stunningly reflective Lake Tyrrell?
Tackle the Mount Stapylton Loop Walk in the Grampians near Horsham.
Travel through suburban Melbourne on the 903 bus route.
See native wildlife at Tower Hill on the drive from Warrnambool to Port Fairy.
What are the best attractions on a Bendigo to Mildura road trip?