Oceania > Australia > Melbourne (MEL)
The Car or no Car advice for Melbourne can be broken down into three similar questions - do you need a car in Melbourne ; is it worth it (based on costs), and ultimately - should you rent one? (a balance of the two).🚆 🚌⛴️ Do we need to rent a car in Melbourne ?
These scores are based on the quality of public transport and other travel options. If these are good enough to see the main points of interest, then you don’t need to rent a car.
💰💶💳 Is it worth hiring a car in Melbourne?
These scores reflect the practical factors that affect whether renting a car is convenient, good value, and stress-free.
Melbourne without a car 🚋🚶♀️
To start with, Melbourne’s tram network is one of the most comprehensive anywhere in the world. Trams blanket the inner city and the surrounding suburbs, running frequently and intuitively. In fact, the Free Tram Zone in the city centre makes it especially easy for visitors to get around without paying a cent. As a result, most major attractions — museums, galleries, sporting venues, shopping streets, and restaurants — are easy to reach on foot or by tram.
In addition, Melbourne’s inner suburbs are much denser than the city’s overall footprint suggests. Areas like Fitzroy, Carlton, St Kilda, South Yarra, and Richmond are lively, walkable, and extremely well served by public transport. Trains and buses fill in the gaps where trams don’t run, and overall coverage is excellent by Australian standards.
It’s also worth noting that Melbourne regularly ranks near the top of global livability indexes. That’s not just about quality of life for residents, but also about how easy the city is to navigate, enjoy, and settle into as a visitor — especially without a car.
Iconic experiences without driving 🚂
Even some classic day trips don’t require a rental car. A great example is the Puffing Billy steam railway, one of Australia’s most famous heritage railways. You can reach it by train from central Melbourne, followed by a short connection, making it a rare case where a quintessentially “outdoors” experience remains accessible without driving.
Similarly, beaches around Port Phillip Bay, bayside suburbs, and many cultural events are all easy to reach by public transport.
When a rental car becomes useful 🍷🌿
That said, Melbourne is still, at heart, a car city. Once you start looking beyond the tram network, a rental car becomes very attractive. Victoria’s wine regions, including the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula, are difficult to explore properly without one. The same applies to nearby national parks, coastal drives, and longer scenic routes such as the Great Ocean Road.
Public transport exists to some of these areas, but it is slow, infrequent, or indirect. In contrast, driving gives you flexibility, time savings, and access to places that tours often rush through.
Conclusion: should you rent a car in Melbourne? 🤔
In the end, Melbourne offers a clear split. For the city itself, a car is unnecessary thanks to world-class trams and dense, walkable neighbourhoods. However, for wine country, national parks, and coastal scenery, a rental car quickly becomes the best option. Many visitors find the ideal balance is to enjoy Melbourne car-free first, then rent a car for a few days to explore Victoria beyond the city.
