How does the Melbourne Free Tram Zone work?
The Melbourne Free Tram Zone offers fare-free public transport in Melbourne CBD and the Docklands. It’s for all trams, not just the free City Circle Tram.
Melbourne loves its trams. And for visitors, one major bonus of the Melbourne trams is that they can be used without charge. Well, they can within the Melbourne Free Tram Zone, anyway.
The Melbourne Free Tram Zone is a relatively recent introduction. It was introduced in 2015 as part of a bid to reduce car use in the city centre. The local government wanted to get people using public transport instead.
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.
Before then, there was the free City Circle Tram. This tourist-focused tram has always been free since it was introduced in 1994.
Melbourne Free Tram Zone: City Circle Tram
Locals don’t use the free City Circle Tram – other tram routes get them where they need to be more quickly. The audio commentary on the free City Circle Tram quickly grates if you’re commuting too. For tourists, though, it provides a good orientation to the city, providing information about city landmarks.
Major Melbourne attractions covered on the City Circle Tram route include the Melbourne Museum, Federation Square, the State Library of Victoria, Parliament House and the Princess Theatre.
However, the creation of the Free Tram Zone makes getting around central Melbourne without paying much less laborious. While the City Circle Trams come along every 20 minutes and do a full circle, you can now just hop on any tram going in the direction you want. Want to go down Collins Street on the 109 tram? That’s free now.
👇 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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Where does the Melbourne Free Tram Zone cover?
The Melbourne Free Tram Zone covers Melbourne CBD and the Docklands. There is no need to pay within this zone – and you don’t have to touch your myki card on or off. Only touch the myki card on if you’re getting a tram within the free zone and travelling outside of the zone.
The most important boundaries to be aware of are Flinders Street to the south, the corner of William Street and Victoria Street in the north and Spring Street in the east.
Attractions worth booking within the Melbourne Free Tram Zone include the Melbourne Skydeck, the Queen Victoria Market foodie tour and Icebar Melbourne.
Within the Melbourne Free Tram Zone you can also see a lot of Melbourne’s best street art. There are also the heritage buildings of Collins Street , barefoot bowls in Flagstaff Gardens and the Immigration Museum. You can go shopping in the Block Arcade, eat Peruvian food at Pastuso and drink in the laneway bars, all without spending a cent on public transport.
More things to do in Melbourne
Take a helicopter tour from Moorabbin Airport.
Fish for rainbow trout in Karkarook Park.
Gorge yourself on fine food at Prahran Market.
Go barefoot bowling in Flagstaff Gardens.
Top up your tan on Sandringham Beach.