Simple Guide to use Myki in Melbourne’s Public Transport
If you are new in town you will probably wonder what is the best way to travel around the wonderful city of Mebourne and its surroundings. The Myki Card is the way to go.
When I first arrived in Melbourne, I was initially confused by the transportation system, particularly the costs and how the myki works. It took me some time to understand it, but once I did, everything became much easier.
Melbourne is known for having a really good transportation system in Australia. They have lots of trams, trains, and buses that make it easy to get around the city. I found it easy to go from one place to another without any problems.
In this post, I’ll explain how the myki card Melbourne works and provide a simple guide to navigating public transportation.
What is a Myki Card?
Myki is your ticket to travel on Melbourne’s trains, trams and buses, V/Line commuter train services and buses in Seymour, Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, the Latrobe Valley and Warragul.
The myki card is a smart electronic card that you can load with money and use for all types of public transportation in Melbourne, like buses, trams, and trains. It’s the only way to pay for rides now, as they don’t accept cash anymore.
This means even if you’re visiting Melbourne as a tourist for a short time, you’ll need to get a myki card to use public transportation.
Where to buy a Myki Card in Melbourne?
You can buy a physical myki card or, if you have an Android phone, you can use a digital myki called Mobile myki.
The first thing you should do once you arrive in Melbourne, is to buy a Myki card, Where?, the most common places to get one are from every 7-Eleven stores which you can find in every corner. Also, on board buses and V/Line services, almost in every railway station (Premium stations) and PTV Hub located in Southern Cross Station.
Where Can I Get a Myki Card at the Airport?
In Melbourne Airport you can buy a Myki Card in terminals 2,3 and 4. Also, you can purchase a Myki Explorer in the Skybus terminal located at Tullamarine.
¿What Myki Card do I need? Types of Myki Cards
Full Fare ($6 for myki card)
- Adults aged 19 and over with no concession entitlement
- International visitors aged 19 and over
Concession ($3 for myki card)
- Cardholders of a Victorian Health Care Card, Australian Pensioner Concession Card or PTV ID (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary or Asylum Seeker)
- Seniors from other states in Australia
Child ($3 for myki card)
- Children aged five to 18 (including children from other states and international visitors)
- Children aged four and under travel free and don’t need a myki
Senior ($3 for myki card)
- Victorian Seniors Card holders (seniors receive a free myki with their Victorian Seniors Card)
- Seniors from other states in Australia need to buy a Concession myki
Latest prices update: October 2024
How to Top Up your Myki
If you don’t use your myki within 90 days of topping up online or by phone, the top-up is temporarily suspended. However, any existing balance on your myki remains available for travel.
If your balance is low, you can top up at a myki retail outlet, 7-Eleven, Premium Station ticket office, or at a myki machine (available at all Metro train stations and some tram stops and bus interchanges) to cover your next trip.
For infrequent travelers, it’s often easier to top up right before traveling at one of these locations.
Your online or phone top-up will be reactivated 24 hours after you:
- Successfully touch on at a myki reader (with a positive balance).
- Top up at a retail outlet, Premium Station, or myki machine (minimum $1).
You can also top up online using the links below:
Where can I check my Myki Balance?
Once you buy your Myki Card/Pass you will need to Register Here so you can check your travel history and Myki Balance.
Purchasing pre-loaded myki cards on board V/Line services
Pre-loaded myki cards are used specifically by V/Line conductors to sell to customers who board trains without a ticket for travel in the commuter area.
- Full fare cards cost $30 and includes $24 worth of pre-loaded travel.
- Concession cards cost $15 and includes $12 worth of pre-loaded travel. Concession myki cards will be sold to seniors and children in this circumstance.
Now, if you travel regularly, a myki pass would be more suitable for you.
How does a Myki pass work?
You can buy a 7-day myki pass, or anywhere between 28 and 365* consecutive days of travel. Your myki pass cannot be suspended and you must use consecutive travel days only. For example, a seven-day myki pass activated on Monday is valid for travel until Sunday.
Once you have a myki pass, you can travel as many times as you want in your chosen zone/s for the duration of your pass.
For example: A Full Fare Myki pass for a 30 days consecutive trip will cost you $140 travelling in Zone 1 & 2. And a 7 Day full fare Myki Pass for travelling in Zone 1 & 2 will cost $39 .
How to Use Myki Card Melbourne
- You should touch on and touch off as you travel so that you have a valid ticket and pay the correct fare for your journey.
- When using myki money, touch on at the myki reader at the start of your journey and each time you change mode or board a different vehicle.
- Touch off at the end of each trip, including each time you change mode or exit a vehicle, so the system charges you the lowest fare for your journey.
- You need myki money to pay for any travel in a zone for which your myki pass is not valid.
- When using myki pass, touch on and touch off to ensure you do not travel outside of the zone for which your pass is valid or beyond the expiry date of your pass.
Quick tips for touching on and off
-Touch on at a myki reader to ensure you have a valid ticket.
-Touch off at a myki reader to pay the lowest fare. (except for trams in Zone 1)
-Touch your myki to the centre of the reader.
-Listen for the beep and look for the green light to indicate a successful touch on or touch off.
Metropolitan Trains
- Touch on at the start and touch off at the end of your journey.
- Default fare: If you don’t touch off, you’ll be charged a two-hour Zone 1 + 2 fare.
- Note: If you switch trains without exiting the station, no need to touch off/on again.
Metropolitan Trams
- Touch on at the start unless traveling in the Free Tram Zone.
- Touch off only if your entire trip is in Zone 2.
- Default fare: If you don’t touch off, you’ll be charged a two-hour Zone 1 fare.
- If traveling entirely in Zone 2, you must touch off to avoid being charged the higher Zone 1 fare.
Metropolitan Buses
- Touch on at the start and touch off at the end of your journey.
- Default fare:
- For buses within one zone, you’ll be charged a two-hour fare for that zone if you don’t touch off.
- For buses across two zones, you’ll be charged based on where you touch on and the end of the service.
V/Line Commuter Trains
- Touch on at the start and touch off at the end of your journey.
- From January 1, 2015, Zone 1 + 2 travel costs the same as a Zone 1 fare. Zone 1 passes now include Zone 2 at no extra charge. If traveling only in Zone 2, you can still buy a Zone 2-only pass.
Zones and Fares 2024
Melbourne’s public transport system is divided into easy-to-understand zones:
- Free Tram Zone: Covers central Melbourne. No Myki needed here!
- Zone 1+2: Includes most of metropolitan Melbourne.
- Zone 2: Covers the outer suburbs.
Free Tram Zone
- Applies to tram travel only.
- If you’re only travelling in the Free Tram Zone, your journey is free and you don’t need a myki. If you accidentally touch on, you’ll be charged a 2 hour Zone 1+2 fare.
- If you start or finish your journey outside the Free Tram Zone you need to pay for your journey and use a myki.
Zone 1+2
- Applies to train, tram and bus travel.
- Travel entirely within Zone 1.
- Travel between the Free Tram Zone, Zone 1 and Zone 2.
- Travel between Zone 1 and Zone 2.
Zone 2 only
- Applies to train, tram and bus travel.
- Travel entirely within Zone 2.
- Travel entirely within the Zone 1/2 boundary overlap.
- Travel to Zone 1/2 boundary overlap from Zone 2.
Here’s a quick look at the fares (as of January 2024):
| Ticket Type | Zone 1+2 | Zone 2 Only |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Hour Full | $5.30 | $3.30 |
| 2 Hour Concession | $2.65 | $1.65 |
| Daily Full | $10.60 | $6.60 |
| Daily Concession | $5.30 | $3.30 |
Myki Money
If you travel occasionally, pay as you go with myki Money. Load a dollar amount onto your myki and your myki will automatically calculate the lowest fare possible as you touch on and touch off.
Myki Daily fare caps
A daily cap is the maximum you’ll pay for a day’s unlimited travel – it’s the same as two 2 hour fares, for the zones you travel in.
Other daily fare caps
| Other ticket / caps | Full fare | Concession | Seniors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekend daily cap | $7.20 | $3.60 | – |
| Public holiday cap | $7.20 | $3.60 | $3.60* |
*Seniors also receive free travel on Saturdays and Sundays for trips entirely within one or two consecutive zones (including within Zone 1+2) and on regional town bus services.
Early Bird train travel
Touch on and touch off within two hours and before 7.15 am on a weekday, and make sure you have a positive Myki Money balance, to receive the free Early Bird fare on your metropolitan train journey.
Please note: V/Line train services are not eligible for the Early Bird fare, except for travel between Pakenham or Sunbury and Melbourne.
Myki Pass
If you travel often, you can buy consecutive days with a myki Pass. Choose where you’ll be travelling and how many days you need. You can buy a myki Pass for 7 days or anywhere between 28 and 365 days.
7 day Myki Pass fares
| Weekly rate 7 day pass | Zone 1+2 | Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Full fare | $53.00 | $33.00 |
| Concession | $26.50 | $16.50 |
Daily rate for 28-365*day Myki Pass
| Daily rate for 28-365** | Zone 1+2r | Zone 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Full fare | $6.36 | $3.96 |
| Concession | $3.18 | $1.98 |
Default fares 2024
| Mode | Fare type | Default zone/s | Default fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train | Full fare | 2 hour Zone 1+2 | $5.30 |
| Concession | 2 hour Zone 1+2 | $2.65 | |
| Tram | Full fare | 2 hour Zone 1+2 | $5.30 |
| Concession | 2 hour Zone 1+2 | $2.65 | |
| Bus | Full fare | 2 hour myki money fare between where a customer boards and the zone at the end of the service. | All zones between and including the zone where the customer touches on and the zone at the end of the service. |
| Concession |
Important
Always Touch On your Myki, travelling outside the Free Tram Zone without a ticket is an offence. You need to have a valid ticket for the journey you are making and if you don’t, you risk being fined by an Authorised Officer. Passengers who are intercepted by Authorised Officers without a valid ticket may be given the option of paying an On-the-spot Penalty Fare of $75, otherwise you will have to pay a $223 fine.
Journey Planner
Public Transport Victoria has an online platform where you can plan your trip in advance.
Also Read: How to get to and From Melbourne Airport for 8 Dollars
