Your Jetstar flight just landed at Avalon. You open maps, type in your Melbourne hotel, and the number that comes back is not the one you were expecting: 55 kilometres. Not 5. Not 15. Fifty-five.
Welcome to the great Avalon surprise. The airport officially branded “Melbourne Avalon” sits out past Werribee, closer to Geelong than to the CBD, and there is no direct train, no metropolitan rail, and no quick 20-minute taxi ride to your hotel. What there is: a SkyBus that takes 90 minutes, a taxi fare that will make your eyes water, and (new for 2026) a single public bus route with gaps you could drive a truck through.
Here is the honest, fully priced, 2026-current guide to every way of getting from Avalon Airport (AVV) to Melbourne CBD, Geelong, and everywhere in between. We will also run the numbers on whether that cheap Jetstar fare actually saved you anything versus flying into Tullamarine.
The Avalon Airport reality check
Melbourne Avalon Airport (IATA: AVV) is a single-runway, single-terminal airport parked off the M1 Princes Freeway between Werribee and Geelong. It is Jetstar-exclusive. In 2026 it runs domestic flights to Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide (new from March), Gold Coast and Canberra, with Bali now flying 5x weekly from 23 March and Colombo due to launch in August.
Key distances:
- Melbourne CBD: 55 km (40 to 60 minutes by road)
- Geelong CBD: 20 km (20 to 25 minutes by road)
- Werribee: 30 km (20 to 30 minutes by road)
The critical thing to understand: Avalon is not on the metropolitan train network. The Geelong V/Line corridor runs nearby (through Lara Station), but until 15 March 2026 there was essentially no public transport link. Talk of a dedicated rail spur has rumbled on for years. As of April 2026, no construction has commenced.
Every transport option at a glance
Scan this first. Detail for each option follows below.
| Option | Cost | Time | Best for | Pre-book? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route 18 Bus + V/Line (Lara) | ~$7 to $12 (Myki) | ~1.5 to 2 hrs+ | Budget travellers, flexible timing, Myki users | No |
| SkyBus Avalon City Express | $28/person | ~90 min | Solo travellers, couples, standard CBD arrival | No |
| Taxi to Geelong + V/Line | ~$52 to $59/person | ~1.5 to 1.75 hrs | Budget groups with flexible schedule | No |
| Uber / rideshare | ~$74 avg (surge possible) | ~40 to 50 min | Advance-scheduled flexible travellers | Yes |
| Taxi | $120 to $130 (1 to 4 pax) | 40 to 75 min | Small groups splitting cost, late arrivals | No |
| Private Transfer | $180 to $320 to CBD | 40 to 60 min | Families, large groups, business travellers | Yes |
| Rental Car | From $37/day + CBD parking | 40 to 60 min | Regional Victoria, Great Ocean Road | Yes |
| Drive and Park (own car) | $13.50 to $52/day | 40 to 60 min from CBD | South-west Melbourne and Geelong residents | Recommended |
SkyBus Avalon City Express
The default for most Avalon arrivals, and the one we quietly recommend for anyone flying solo or as a couple to the CBD. SkyBus is flight-coordinated (it waits for delayed Jetstar arrivals), picks up directly outside the terminal, and drops at Southern Cross Station. Werribee drop-off is available on request: tell the driver when you board.
Fares (2026):
- Adult single: $28.00
- Adult return: $52.90
- Child single (4 to 16): $6.60 (phone booking only)
- Family pass (2 adults + 4 children, single): $53.90
Journey time is around 90 minutes. No advance booking required: turn up, tap card, board. Buy online at skybus.com.au if you want the peace of mind, but the real advantage of pre-purchase is the return fare discount, not queue-skipping.
The watch-out: SkyBus Avalon is not a fixed-frequency service. Services are scheduled to meet flights. Check the timetable against your specific flight number before you travel, particularly for early-morning or late-night departures. Southern Cross drop-off is the end of the line, so budget onward transport (tram, taxi, walk) to your actual accommodation.
Taxi
The rank sits directly outside the terminal and is active during flight windows. For 1 to 4 passengers, expect $120 to $130 to Melbourne CBD and $40 to $50 to Geelong CBD. A $4.40 airport access fee applies per pickup.
Operators: 13 CABS (13 2227), Black & White Cabs (133 222), Geelong Taxi Network (131 008). Off-peak trip time is around 40 minutes to the CBD; peak hour can push it past 75 minutes.
For two or more passengers splitting the fare, a taxi starts to make sense against SkyBus. For solo travellers heading to the CBD, it is the most expensive per-person option outside private transfers.
Uber and rideshare
There is a dedicated Uber pick-up bay in the public pick-up area, clearly signed. Average fare to Melbourne CBD sits around $74. To Geelong, around $49. A $4.40 airport fee applies per vehicle.
The catch: driver supply at Avalon is thin. Very thin. This is not Tullamarine, where a car is 4 minutes away at any hour. At Avalon, particularly for early-morning or late-night arrivals, walk-up rideshare can mean 20 to 30 minute waits and surge pricing.
The move: pre-schedule your Uber via the app up to 90 days in advance. Upfront pricing is visible, the driver is locked in, and you skip the roulette wheel of airport supply. Schedule 45 to 60 minutes after your scheduled landing to cover baggage.
Route 18 Bus to Lara Station (new from 15 March 2026)
The headline public transport development for Avalon in 2026. The new Route 18 public bus runs from the terminal to Lara Station in 14 minutes. From Lara, V/Line trains run to Southern Cross in about 51 minutes and to Geelong in around 9 minutes.
Fares (Myki): Roughly $3 to $5 for the bus leg, and $4 to $6 for the V/Line leg. Total: approximately $7 to $12 to Melbourne CBD. By a wide margin, the cheapest option on the board.
For budget travellers with light luggage and flexible schedules, this is genuinely useful. A backpacker heading into the CBD can save around $20 per person against SkyBus.
The honest caveats (and they matter):
- 10 to 11 trips per direction per day. Gaps of up to 4 hours between services.
- The bus does not hold for delayed flights. If your Jetstar lands 40 minutes late, you may watch your bus leave without you.
- No confirmed Myki top-up machine at the Avalon terminal. Load your card before you fly.
- Weekend V/Line connections at Lara can be as tight as 5 minutes. Miss it and you wait.
- Carrying a full family’s luggage across platforms at Lara is not the holiday start most people want.
Our read: Route 18 is a brilliant addition for the right traveller. It is not a replacement for SkyBus for the average CBD-bound visitor. If you want to use it, check the Myki guide for tourists first, and cross-reference bus and train timetables against your exact flight before committing.
Taxi to Geelong Station + V/Line (the Geelong workaround)
An older budget hack that still works. Grab a taxi or Uber from Avalon to Geelong Station (20 to 25 minutes, $45 to $50), then board V/Line to Southern Cross (about 1 hour, $7 to $9 off-peak).
Total per person if the taxi is split between two: around $52 to $59. Total journey time: around 1.5 to 1.75 hours. It works particularly well for two budget-conscious travellers who want a cheaper-than-SkyBus option without the Route 18 timetable lottery.
See the V/Line regional trains guide for timetable planning and the Melbourne to Geelong guide for the full route picture.
Private transfer
Fixed-price, flight-tracked, door-to-door. Budget $180 to $320 to Melbourne CBD; $100 to $150 to Geelong. Operators include Premium Chauffeur Cars, Auroo Chauffeurs, Maxi Melbourne (for groups and oversized luggage), Welcome Pickups, and the JayRide aggregator.
Pre-booking 24 to 48 hours ahead is essential. Car seats, maxi vans for groups of 5 to 10, and luggage-heavy loads are all handled. For a family of four heading to an inner suburb, a $220 private transfer split four ways ($55 each) beats the faff of SkyBus-plus-onward-tram with tired kids and full suitcases.
Rental car
All major operators are on site: Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Thrifty, Sixt, and Enterprise/Redspot. Pre-booked rates start from $37 to $55 per day.
The route to Melbourne along the M1 Princes Freeway is toll-free for cars. Tolls only apply if you choose the West Gate Tunnel ($16.78 per 24 hours) or CityLink. A useful quirk: many rental e-tags will auto-charge you for any toll road used, so set your GPS to avoid tolls if you are tight on budget. The West Gate Bridge is free and gets you into the city perfectly well.
For CBD-only stays, skip the rental. Melbourne CBD parking runs $30 to $60 per day and city driving is stressful for first-timers. But if your Victoria itinerary includes the Great Ocean Road, Bellarine, Mornington Peninsula, or regional wineries, pick up the keys at Avalon. You are already closer to the Surf Coast than you would be at Tullamarine.
Drive and park (Avalon residents’ quiet advantage)
If you live in south-west Melbourne or anywhere on the Geelong side, Avalon’s parking is its under-appreciated weapon.
- Drive-up: first 60 minutes free, $22 for 2 hours, $52 per day
- Pre-booked standard: from around $14 per day
- Value Long Stay (pre-book only, 7-day minimum): from $13.50 per day, $94.50 per week
Tullamarine long-stay parking runs $25 to $40+ per day. For a week-long trip, Avalon saves a Geelong or Werribee family $100 to $150 before they have even boarded.
Note: the car park is 100% cashless. Value Long Stay requires pre-booking online.
Avalon vs Tullamarine: the honest cost reality check
This is the section most Jetstar customers wish they had read before booking. Let us run the actual numbers.
Typical Jetstar flight saving (Avalon vs Tullamarine domestic routes, 2026): $15 to $50 per person, sometimes zero, occasionally $80+.
Transfer cost comparison for a CBD-bound couple, return:
- Avalon SkyBus return: 2 x $52.90 = $105.80. Journey: 90 minutes each way.
- Tullamarine SkyBus return: around 2 x $44 = $88. Journey: around 30 minutes each way.
- Difference: Avalon costs $17.80 more AND adds roughly 2 extra hours of travel time per return trip.
Net saving reality:
- Solo traveller saving $30 on flights, paying $6 extra on SkyBus, losing 2+ hours: marginal at best.
- Couple saving $30 each, paying $17.80 extra on combined SkyBus, losing 4+ hours between them: saving largely disappears.
- Family of four saving $30 each ($120 total), paying extra SkyBus, losing 8 family-hours: often a net loss once you factor in dinner-skipped tiredness and missed first-night plans.
When Avalon IS worth it:
- Flight saving is $60 to $80+ per person
- You are heading to Geelong, the Bellarine, the Surf Coast, the Great Ocean Road, or western Victoria
- You live south-west of the city and drive-and-park cheaply
- You are flying the new Jetstar Bali or Colombo international routes and Avalon parking savings stack with the fare
The verdict: For Melbourne CBD stays with modest flight savings, Tullamarine usually wins the real-world value test. For Geelong, the Surf Coast, and western Victoria travellers, Avalon is the obvious choice. Know which traveller you are before you book. For a full Tullamarine breakdown, see the Melbourne Airport to CBD guide.
Who Avalon is genuinely right for
- Geelong, Bellarine, and Surf Coast residents: a short drive vs the 90+ km trek to Tullamarine.
- Great Ocean Road travellers: pick up your rental at Avalon and you are on the M1 heading west in minutes.
- Western Melbourne residents: Werribee, Point Cook, and Hoppers Crossing are all closer to Avalon than to Tullamarine.
- Long-stay drivers: Avalon’s Value Long Stay parking is real money saved over 7+ day trips.
- Jetstar Bali and Colombo flyers from 2026: cheaper international fares combined with cheaper parking may now tip the balance even for CBD residents willing to wear the 90-minute SkyBus.
Gotchas
- Avalon (AVV) is NOT Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL). 55 km and 90 minutes apart. Always check the airport code on your Jetstar booking.
- No direct public train. Route 18 bus + V/Line (from March 2026) has 4-hour service gaps and does not hold for delayed flights.
- SkyBus is flight-coordinated, not frequent. Check skybus.com.au for your flight’s specific timetable.
- Rideshare supply is very thin. Pre-schedule Uber before landing or expect waits and surge pricing.
- No confirmed Myki top-up machine at the Avalon terminal. Load your card before arriving.
- $4.40 airport access fee per vehicle for both taxis and rideshare.
- Peak hour on the M1 (7 to 9am, 4 to 6pm) adds 20 to 30 minutes.
- Value Long Stay parking: 7-day minimum, pre-book only. No drive-up.
- The West Gate Tunnel is optional. Set GPS to avoid tolls if you want the toll-free route via West Gate Bridge.
- Terminal food and beverage options are limited. Pack a snack.
Insider tips
- SkyBus waits for your delayed Jetstar. Track your arrival on Flight Radar 24 via the SkyBus site and stop panicking.
- Groups of 4 to 5: run the numbers on a private transfer. $200 split four ways is $50 each, door-to-door, no Southern Cross handover.
- Pre-book Value Long Stay parking for trips of 7 nights or more. $13.50/day vs $52/day walk-up.
- Route 18 + V/Line is the budget option for light-luggage, timetable-savvy travellers with a topped-up Myki. Check the bus/train timings together before committing.
- Schedule your Uber 45 to 60 minutes after your scheduled landing to cover baggage.
- Werribee residents: SkyBus drops at Werribee on demand. Tell the driver when boarding.
- Planning onward travel? Start with the Melbourne transport hub for trams, trains, and the Free Tram Zone inside the city.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a public train from Avalon Airport to Melbourne?
No direct train. From 15 March 2026, the new Route 18 bus connects Avalon to Lara Station (14 minutes, Myki), where V/Line trains run to Melbourne in about 51 minutes for $4 to $6. Gaps between buses can be up to 4 hours and the service does not hold for delayed flights. SkyBus remains the most reliable public option.
How much does SkyBus cost from Avalon Airport to Melbourne?
$28 adult one-way and $52.90 adult return. Children (ages 4 to 16) $6.60 by phone booking. Family pass (2 adults + 4 children) $53.90 single. No advance booking required. The bus waits for delayed flights.
How far is Avalon Airport from Melbourne CBD?
55 kilometres by road. Off-peak drive time is 40 minutes; peak hour pushes it to 60 minutes. SkyBus takes around 90 minutes. Avalon is only 20 km from Geelong.
Can I get an Uber from Avalon Airport?
Yes. There is a dedicated, signed Uber pick-up bay. Average fare to Melbourne CBD is around $74. Driver supply is thin: pre-schedule via the Uber app before landing rather than relying on walk-up, particularly for early-morning or late-night arrivals.
What airlines fly from Avalon Airport in 2026?
Jetstar only. Domestic routes: Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide (from March 2026), Gold Coast, and Canberra. International: Bali from 23 March 2026 (5x weekly) and Colombo planned from August 2026 (3x weekly).
Is parking cheap at Avalon Airport?
Yes, and notably cheaper than Tullamarine. Drive-up rates: first 60 minutes free, $22 for 2 hours, $52 per day. Pre-booked standard: from around $14 per day. Value Long Stay (pre-book only, 7-day minimum, outdoor): from $13.50 per day or $94.50 per week. All parking is cashless.
What is the cheapest way from Avalon Airport to Melbourne?
From 15 March 2026: Route 18 bus to Lara Station on Myki, then V/Line to Southern Cross, for approximately $7 to $12 total. It requires a topped-up Myki, careful timetable planning, and flexible timing. SkyBus at $28 remains the most reliable budget option with no booking required.
Is Avalon Airport worth it vs Tullamarine for Melbourne travellers?
Generally no, unless the flight is $60 to $80+ per person cheaper. Avalon’s SkyBus costs more than Tullamarine’s, the journey is roughly 60 minutes longer each way, and the flight saving is often modest. Avalon is the right choice for travellers heading to Geelong, the Surf Coast, the Great Ocean Road, or western Victoria.
Do I need to pre-book SkyBus from Avalon Airport?
No. SkyBus Avalon is turn-up-and-go. Buy online in advance if you want a modest return-fare discount, or pay on the day. The bus waits for delayed flights.
How do I get from Avalon Airport to Geelong?
Fastest: taxi or Uber (20 to 25 minutes, $40 to $50). Budget: Route 18 bus to Lara Station (14 minutes, Myki), then V/Line to Geelong (around 9 minutes). MyBus Geelong also runs pre-booked shuttles from $45 per person across the Geelong region.
Is Avalon Airport good for Great Ocean Road trips?
Yes. Pick up a rental car at the terminal and you are on the M1 heading west within minutes. Avalon is closer to Geelong, Torquay, and the Surf Coast than Tullamarine is. For Great Ocean Road self-drive itineraries, Avalon is the obvious airport of choice.
Book your SkyBus. Load your Myki. And if your Jetstar fare saved you $25, do the maths on the 2 extra hours before you celebrate.