The distance between these two capital cities, Brisbane and Melbourne, is a lengthy 1370 kilometers as the crow flies. On land, the distance appears even longer. Most people would think the process of getting from Brisbane to Melbourne over land is much too long, but really it depends on how much time you have to spend enjoying the ride. You can take a look at the posts on getting from Brisbane to Sydney and getting from Sydney to Melbourne for a more detailed look.
Going from Brisbane to Melbourne by plane is an extremely popular route with around 25 to 32 direct flights per day depending on the day of the week. Direct flights from Brisbane to Melbourne can be booked on Virgin Australia, Qantas, Tiger and Jetstar. Flight time clocks in at just a few minutes less than 2.5 hours. If searching for budget flights to Melbourne, be sure to read more in this article. Otherwise have a search in the quick search boxes below.
Quick search flights to Melbourne (MEL) from Brisbane (BNE), Sydney (SYD) and Adelaide (ADL):
Taking the train from Brisbane to Melbourne is what may be known as the long yet comfortable route, meaning you might be able to book a bed, walk around, mingle and shower on your journey (instead of being cramped in a car or on a bus. The train ride is one of scenic notoriety taking you from the sunny state of Queensland, through New South Wales and on to Victoria.
To get from Brisbane to Sydney, you can book in on a CountryLink XPT train for a ride of 13.5 hours. From Sydney, you can catch a ride down to Melbourne on the CountryLink XPT for another 11. Ticket prices vary according to the class of booking, but an economy class ticket in the low season can be in the $180 to $200 range.
When choosing to drive the route from Brisbane to Melbourne – and I suggest renting or buying a campervan in order to truly enjoy the experience, one can go a number of ways, some a little bit longer than others. According to Google Maps, the route that takes the traveler predominantly along the Newell Highway will go for 1700 kilometers, or a 20.5 hour drive.
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The longer, and possibly more scenic, route will follow the Hume and Pacific Highways for 1790 kilometers.
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Both routes are a long drive, but the experience can be very rewarding if traveling in the summer (or spring or fall) months in this part of Australia. You can stop off at some of Australia’s Big Things for the real road trip experience, or drive into a campsite (caravan park) to get a closer experience with Australia’s natural surrounds.
If you can manage the 30 hours in a bus, then taking the Greyhound from Brisbane to Melbourne is always an option. Greyhound offers this route with a transfer in Sydney and a price tag of around $200. If interested in making this a longer journey, check out the hop-on hop-off passes through Greyhound, or book an organized tour on the Australian tours page. If this sounds like a crazy undertaking, then you may be interested in searching for cheap flights to Melbourne using the search boxes at the top or bottom of this post.
