Bus 901 Melbourne Airport: Complete Guide to Melbourne's Cheapest Airport Transfer (2026)

$5.70 versus $24.90. That is the only number most travellers need to know about Bus 901. It is Melbourne Airport’s cheapest public transfer, it runs seven days a week, and almost nobody tells arriving visitors it exists. This is the honest 2026 guide: what it costs, how long it actually takes, where the bus stop hides, and the trade-offs you are signing up for when you choose the $19.20 saving over the SkyBus.

A quick reality check before we start. Bus 901 is a SmartBus, not an express. You will walk further, wait longer at Broadmeadows for a connecting train, and fit less luggage than you would in a rideshare. For the right traveller (solo, light-packed, not in a hurry), that is a fair deal. For a family of four with six suitcases after a 14-hour flight, it is a false economy. We will tell you honestly which camp you are in.

Bus 901 vs SkyBus vs taxi: the cost comparison

Option	One-way cost (adult)	Return same day	Door-to-CBD time	Luggage reality
Bus 901 + Craigieburn train	$5.70 (Myki)	$11.40 (daily cap)	70 to 100 minutes	Carry-on or one soft bag only
SkyBus Express	$24.90	$41.70	35 to 55 minutes	Dedicated luggage hold
Taxi	$60 to $85	$120 to $170	25 to 45 minutes	Boot plus back seat
Uber / rideshare	$50 to $80	$100 to $160	25 to 45 minutes	Boot plus back seat

The maths gets interesting on a return trip. Myki’s $11.40 daily cap means a same-day return on Bus 901 still costs $11.40, while SkyBus charges $41.70 for a return. That is a $30.30 gap. Over a week, factoring in a single airport run each way, the saving pays for a couple of decent dinners in Fitzroy. On a one-way single trip, the saving is $19.20.

Where rideshare and taxis stop being silly: groups of three or four splitting a $65 Uber pay about $16 to $22 per head. Still more expensive than the bus, but now in the same postcode. Solo or couple? Bus 901 wins on price every time.

For a full breakdown of every option between the terminals and the city, see our Melbourne Airport to CBD guide.

The route: what Bus 901 actually does

Route 901 is Australia’s second-longest bus route: a 115-kilometre orbital SmartBus running from Melbourne Airport all the way to Frankston. For airport travellers, only the northern 18 minutes matter. The bus leaves the airport, runs through Gladstone Park and Westmeadows, and drops you at Broadmeadows Station. From there, the Craigieburn Line train takes you into Southern Cross or Flinders Street in about 32 to 36 minutes.

The airport stop is in the Ground Transport Hub on the ground floor of the Terminal 4 Car Park, Bay 17. Not outside T1 arrivals. Not at the SkyBus kerbside. Finding it is half the battle.

Route: Airport T4 Car Park >> Broadmeadows Station >> Southern Cross Station
View the route map and timetable for the 901 bus.
View the route map and timetable for the Craigieburn Line

Myki: the only way to pay (no tap-and-go yet)

Heads up: as of April 2026, tap-and-go with your bank card is not available on Bus 901. Victoria is rolling tap-and-go out on some metro train lines, but it has not reached Melbourne’s buses yet. Myki is still mandatory. No cash on the bus. No card payment on the bus. No machines at the bus bays. If you board without a touched-on Myki, you are not going anywhere.

Free travel window in effect: all Victorian public transport is free for every passenger until 31 May 2026 and half-price fares from June 1 until 1 January 2027.

The fares (current from 1 January 2026):

Adult 2-hour fare (Zone 1+2): $5.70 (covers bus and connecting train)
Adult daily cap: $11.40 weekdays, $8.00 weekends and public holidays
Blank Myki card: $6.00
Your very first trip total: $11.70 (card + single fare)
Myki Explorer Pack: $16.00 (card preloaded with $10 plus attraction discount vouchers)

Where to buy Myki at the airport

T2 (international): vending machine near the water fountain in the arrivals hall, plus the SkyBus ticket booth which sells the Myki Explorer Pack for $16 and accepts cash.
T3 (Qantas domestic): vending machine in the baggage reclaim area, opposite carousel 1.
T4 (Jetstar, Rex): vending machine inside the baggage reclaim hall, opposite carousel 5.
WHSmith: stores in the terminals also sell Myki cards.

Buy and load your Myki before you leave the terminal. You need at least $5.70 on the card to touch on, but load $12 if you want a buffer for the return leg. Full Myki walkthrough for first-timers: Myki explained for tourists.

Step-by-step: airport to CBD on Bus 901

Buy Myki before you leave the terminal. T2: machine near the water fountain in arrivals. T3: baggage reclaim opposite carousel 1. T4: baggage reclaim opposite carousel 5. Load a minimum of $6, ideally $12. Or grab a Myki Explorer Pack ($16) at the SkyBus booth in T2. Do not skip this step: there is no machine at the bus stop.
Walk to the Ground Transport Hub at the T4 Car Park. Follow ‘Public transport’ signs, not ‘Bus services’ (that leads to SkyBus). From T1, T2 or T3 it is roughly 800 metres, or 10 to 15 minutes with luggage. From T4 it is about 100 metres. Smarter move: take the free inter-terminal shuttle from outside T3 to T4 (every 10 minutes, 24/7). Enter the ground floor of the T4 Car Park and walk to the far end, past the regional coaches. Bay 17 is Bus 901.
Check the next departure on the PTV app. Weekdays 6:30am to 9:30pm: every 15 minutes. Outside those hours and on weekends: every 30 minutes. There are no real-time screens at the bus bays. Use the PTV Journey Planner (transport.vic.gov.au/journey), not Google Maps, which can be unreliable for this route.
Board Bus 901 at Bay 17. Yellow SmartBus, destination board says ‘Broadmeadows’ or ‘Frankston’. Both are correct for you. Touch your Myki on the yellow reader at the front door. The bus is air-conditioned, low-floor and wheelchair accessible.
Ride 18 to 22 minutes to Broadmeadows Station. Roughly 12 stops through suburban streets. Listen for the announcement or watch the PTV app. Your stop is ‘Broadmeadows Station/Pascoe Vale Rd’.
Touch off and walk straight to the train platform. Touch your Myki off as you exit the bus. Broadmeadows Station is directly adjacent on the same side of Pascoe Vale Road. Do not cross the road. Board any Craigieburn Line train heading toward the city. Do not touch on again: your 2-hour Myki window already covers the train.
Alight at Southern Cross or Flinders Street. 32 to 36 minutes from Broadmeadows. Southern Cross is the main hub with tram connections across the CBD. Touch off at the fare gates when you leave.
Total door-to-door time: 70 to 100 minutes. Breakdown: 10 to 15 minutes walking, 0 to 30 minutes waiting for the bus, 18 to 22 minutes on the bus, 0 to 20 minutes waiting for the train, 32 to 36 minutes on the train.

Step-by-step: CBD to airport on Bus 901

Plan with PTV before you leave. Open the PTV app from wherever you are starting and search to Melbourne Airport. Allow at least 90 minutes before your check-in deadline.
Take the Craigieburn Line to Broadmeadows. Board at Southern Cross or Flinders Street (touch on at the gates). About 32 to 36 minutes. Trains run every 5 to 20 minutes on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends.
Find the Bus 901 stop at Broadmeadows. Exit the station, turn right. The 901 stop is directly on your right under an awning, same side of Pascoe Vale Road as the station. Do not cross the road. The bus shows ‘Melbourne Airport’ on the front.
Ride 18 minutes to the airport. Touch your Myki on the reader. The bus drops at Bay 17 in the Ground Transport Hub on the ground floor of the T4 Car Park.
Walk to your departure terminal. T4 (Jetstar, Rex): roughly 100 metres. T1, T2 or T3: roughly 800 metres, or use the free T4-to-T3 shuttle. International departures (T2): about 400 metres from Bay 17. Touch off your Myki before leaving the hub.

Timetable at a glance

Weekdays: every 30 minutes from first service until 6:30am. Every 15 minutes 6:30am to 9:30pm. Every 30 minutes until the last service around 11:40pm.
Saturdays: every 30 minutes from around 6:00am until midnight.
Sundays: every 30 minutes, but only 8:00am to 9:00pm. No early morning and no late night service.

The Sunday gap is the single biggest trap. If your flight lands before 8am on a Sunday, or leaves at dawn, Bus 901 is not an option. Same if you arrive after 11:40pm on any night or after 9pm on a Sunday. For those gaps, default to SkyBus, Uber Reserve or a booked taxi.

Luggage reality check

Bus 901 is a standard urban SmartBus. That means:

No underfloor hold. Nothing. Your bag rides with you.
Overhead racks above the seats fit carry-ons and small cases.
One medium check-in suitcase is workable if the bus is quiet.
Two large suitcases per person is awkward bordering on antisocial.
Peak hour (7 to 9am and 4:30 to 7pm weekdays) the bus fills with commuters. Your suitcase will not be welcome.

The bus was built for commuters, not tourists. Backpacker with one pack? Perfect. Couple with carry-on rollers only? Fine. Family of four after a long-haul flight with bags for everyone? Get the SkyBus or split a rideshare.

Who should use Bus 901

Solo backpackers or light travellers with one bag and 90 spare minutes.
Melbourne locals who already have Myki loaded.
Long-stay visitors (working holidaymakers, exchange students) using Myki for the whole trip.
Budget travellers for whom saving $19.20 actually matters.
T4 arrivals (Jetstar, Rex): you are already next to the bus stop.
Anyone heading to the Mornington Peninsula. More on this below.
Eastern suburbs travellers who can connect at Ringwood or Dandenong without touching the CBD.
Off-peak weekday travellers getting a clean connection.

Who should skip it

Anyone with multiple large suitcases.
Families with kids and full luggage.
Travellers collapsing off a long-haul flight.
Anyone with a tight connection or early Sunday departure (no service before 8am).
Arrivals after 11:40pm weekdays or 9pm Sundays.
Business travellers on a company account. Your time costs more than $19.20.
Groups of three or four who can split a rideshare for a similar per-head cost.

The Frankston and Mornington Peninsula hack

Here is the angle nobody talks about. Bus 901 is not just an airport-to-CBD route. It runs 115 kilometres all the way to Frankston, which means if you are heading to Mornington, Rosebud, Sorrento or Portsea, you can ride 901 directly to Frankston Station for the same $5.70 Myki fare. No CBD detour. No extra train. No taxi chain.

The full journey takes around two and a half to three hours depending on traffic, so it is best suited to light-packed travellers with time on their side. But for Peninsula visitors arriving at Tullamarine, skipping the CBD entirely is a genuinely useful move. From Frankston Station you can grab a local bus or a short rideshare to your Peninsula accommodation. See Melbourne public buses for the broader network.

Gotchas: the stuff that trips people up

No Myki, no ride. No cash. No contactless. No machines at the bus bay. Buy it inside the terminal.
Touch on AND touch off. Buses require both, unlike trams. Forgetting to touch off charges you the maximum zone fare.
The walk is real. 800 metres from T1 with luggage in summer is not fun. Take the free T3-to-T4 shuttle.
No real-time screens at the bus bays. Check the PTV app before you leave the terminal.
Bus 901 does not serve T1, T2 or T3 directly. The stop is inside the T4 Ground Transport Hub.
Bus and train are not coordinated at Broadmeadows. Your connection wait can be 1 minute or 28. Check Journey Planner.
Sunday service gap: no buses before 8am or after 9pm.
Late night gap: last bus around 11:40pm weekdays and Saturdays.
Minimum balance: $5.70 on your Myki to touch on. Check before you travel.
Tap-and-go is not on buses yet as of April 2026. Myki only.
Google Maps is unreliable for Bus 901. Use the PTV Journey Planner.

Insider tips that save real time

Check the connection before you leave. Use the PTV app from baggage reclaim. If the next 901 drops you at Broadmeadows with a 25-minute train wait, waiting 15 minutes for the following bus might get you to the CBD sooner.
Take the free shuttle, not the 800-metre walk. From outside T3 to T4, every 10 minutes, 24/7. Your back will thank you.
Bus 901 can beat SkyBus during Tullamarine Freeway gridlock. The Craigieburn train is immune to road traffic.
Load your Myki before you land. The PTV app accepts top-ups online, so you can arrive with $12 already on the card and walk straight past the queue at the airport machine.
The Myki Explorer Pack ($16) is a reasonable first-time buy: card, $10 preloaded, plus attraction vouchers that often pay for themselves.
At Broadmeadows, if the next 901 toward the CBD is more than five minutes away, walk three minutes to the earlier stop at ‘Broadmeadows SC/Tanderrum Way’ and catch it there.
Sunday dawn arrival? Pre-book SkyBus or Uber Reserve. Bus 901 will not be running.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Bus 901 cost from Melbourne Airport to the CBD in 2026?

$5.70 per adult with a Myki card, which covers the bus and the connecting Craigieburn Line train within a 2-hour window. A same-day return is capped at $11.40 on weekdays and $8.00 on weekends. Add $6.00 if you need to buy a blank Myki card first.

Free travel window in effect: all Victorian public transport is free for every passenger until 31 May 2026 and half-price fares from June 1 until 1 January 2027.

Can I use tap-and-go or my bank card on Bus 901?

Not as of April 2026. Tap-and-go is being rolled out on some Melbourne train lines but has not reached buses yet. You need a Myki card (or Mobile Myki on Android). Cash is not accepted on board.

Where does Bus 901 stop at Melbourne Airport?

Bay 17 in the Ground Transport Hub, on the ground floor of the T4 Car Park. From T1, T2 or T3, follow ‘Public transport’ signs (not ‘Bus services’) or take the free inter-terminal shuttle to T4.

How long does Bus 901 take to get to the CBD?

70 to 100 minutes door-to-door: 10 to 15 minutes walking at the airport, up to 30 minutes waiting for the bus, 18 to 22 minutes on the bus, up to 20 minutes waiting at Broadmeadows, and 32 to 36 minutes on the Craigieburn Line train.

Does Bus 901 run at night?

Last service leaves the airport around 11:40pm on weekdays and Saturdays. On Sundays the last bus runs around 9:00pm. If your flight lands outside those windows, use SkyBus, a taxi or rideshare.

Is Bus 901 suitable with big suitcases?

No underfloor luggage hold and no dedicated luggage racks. One medium check-in case is workable. Two large suitcases per person is awkward, and during peak hour it is impractical. Light luggage only.

Can I use Bus 901 to get to the Mornington Peninsula?

Yes. Route 901 continues from Broadmeadows all the way to Frankston for the same $5.70 Myki fare. From Frankston Station you can connect to local Peninsula buses or a short rideshare to Mornington, Rosebud, Sorrento or Portsea.

Is Bus 901 cheaper than SkyBus?

Yes. $5.70 versus $24.90 one-way is a $19.20 saving per adult. On a same-day return, Myki’s $11.40 daily cap saves you $30.30 against SkyBus’s $41.70 return. The trade-off is an extra 45 to 60 minutes each way.

Do I need a separate ticket for the train from Broadmeadows?

No. The $5.70 Myki fare covers both the bus and the connecting Craigieburn Line train within a 2-hour window. Touch on when you board the bus, touch off when you leave the bus, then board the train without touching on again. Touch off at your CBD fare gates.

Does Google Maps show Bus 901 accurately?

Not reliably. Always cross-check with the official PTV Journey Planner at transport.vic.gov.au/journey or use the PTV app. Google Maps sometimes misses the route or returns outdated connection times.

The bottom line: if you are travelling solo or as a couple with light luggage, and you have 90 minutes to spare, Bus 901 is genuinely excellent value. Load your Myki, download the PTV app, take the shuttle to T4, and keep the $19.20 for a decent coffee and a pastry at Patricia once you arrive. If you are moving a whole household through the airport, spend the money on SkyBus or split an Uber: the saving isn’t worth it.

More transport guides: all Melbourne transport | Metro trains Melbourne | Melbourne public buses.