Coach transfers at Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine (MEL)
At Tullamarine a charter coach needs a permit before it can load near the terminals. Once the operator has that, the group leader has a short list: know the zone, and get everyone to it together.
Permits come first
A charter bus may load only in the Groups and Charters Permit Areas, and only after the company has registered its vehicles in the airport's online Bus Account System. That registration asks for an ABN, bus accreditation and the seat count of each vehicle. Any vehicle with 10 or more seats, the driver included, must also come from an operator accredited with Safe Transport Victoria. A casual pick-up by an unregistered bus does not work at this airport.
The airport charges each time a bus leaves the forecourt or the hub, and adds a congestion charge when a bus overstays its dwell time. That is why the coach turns up close to your time rather than an hour early.
Which zone, which terminal
Coaches load either on the forecourt in front of T1, T2 and T3, or inside the T4 car park, where the Ground Transport Hub takes up the ground level. Qantas domestic uses T1, international flights T2 and Virgin Australia domestic T3. Give each flight number and the operator names the zone.
From October 2026, private-car pick-ups at T1 to T3 shift off the kerb to a new hub on Naarm Way. The kerb that remains is shared by coaches with taxis, rideshare and the express bus. Friends collecting part of your group will be in a different place from the coach.
Where the driver meets you
- Group and charter buses, including casual operators, must use the Groups and Charters Permit Areas mapped in the airport's Commercial Bus Service terms, parking in the area shown on their permit or payment receipt. The airport's bus zones are in the forecourt outside Terminals 1, 2 and 3 and in the Ground Transport Hub on the ground level of the T4 car park.
Where coaches wait
- Melbourne Airport does not publish a separate coach holding area; permitted buses wait only in their allocated zone and may not be left unattended in the forecourt or the Ground Transport Hub.
Drive to the CBD
- about 28 km by road to Flinders Street Station, about 30 min in light traffic; longer at peak times
Tullamarine to the CBD
Flinders Street Station is about 28 km by road. With clear roads that is half an hour on the Tullamarine Freeway and CityLink; peak hour adds time. CityLink is cashless, and a bus with 13 or more seats is charged in the heavy commercial class.
In the CBD, coaches set down in the council's bus spaces, signed for buses stopping less than 15 minutes, or in a Loading Zone, usually for up to 30 minutes. Layover for longer is only outside the CBD. Several CBD corners require hook turns to keep trams moving, so the operator plans the approach to your hotel.
Questions
Can the coach wait at the kerb while we collect bags?
No. Buses may not be left unattended in the forecourt or the hub, and Melbourne Airport has no separate coach holding area. The driver times the arrival to your flight.
Would Avalon work for a Melbourne group?
If your flights use it. Avalon to Southern Cross Station is about 56 km, close to 50 minutes, and the airport has its own bus rules.
How does someone on a later flight get into the city?
The airport express bus stops outside Terminals 1, 3 and 4 and runs to Southern Cross Station.
Cities
Vehicles
- Full-size coach — 45-57 seats
- Midi coach — 25-35 seats
- Minibus — 13-24 seats
- Executive Sprinter van — 10-11 seats
- Executive car (sedan or SUV) — 1-3 seats
- Wheelchair-accessible minibus — Varies by layout; wheelchair positions replace seats seats
Book a coach for a Tullamarine arrival
Tell us the flights, terminals, group size and where you are staying. A permitted partner operator quotes.
Request a quote or call +61485016608