I'm putting this page on for a number of reasons. For starters, I am well aware how annoying it can be to get used to a public transport system in another country. When I went to Tokyo in 2005 I knew I would get lost if I didn't have a friend who lived there.

Also, I personally find that the information presented both on the transports themselves and on the website (which I'll detail on later) is very lacking, especially for those who are new to Melbourne. I kid you not: I've had a lot of people come up to me to ask how to buy a ticket.

I hope this section will also be useful for all students who decide to study in Melbourne in regards to both travelling to and from school and also to travel to other places as well!

Melbourne has three modes of public transport: Train, tram and bus.
The train system consists of a main 'city loop' in the centre of Melbourne, with all the other train lines extending from there.
The tram system is slightly more complicated but all lines end up in the city centre.
The bus system is like everywhere alse; there is a starting point and there is an ending point and the bus travels along those lines.

Buying a ticket is what confuses most visitors. I will explain here how to avoid the hassles involved with ticketing.

All 3 forms of public transport use what's known as a metcard.
You can buy 2 hour, daily, weekly, monthy and yearly tickets. There are also some other tickets but these are the ones you will most likely be using.
Unlike some other countries, when you buy a ticket, you can use all 3 modes of transport within the time limit on the card.
If you want to obtain the cheaper concession rate, you can obtain a student concession card through your place of learning. Otherwise you have to buy the full fare ticket.
There are three zones: Zone 1, 2 and 3. There are maps of where each zones are at train station and such, but as a rule of thumb, Zone 1 is the inner city area, zone 2 is the outer city area and zone 3 is the 'outer, outer' city area. Try to find out what zones you are travelling in before buying a ticket.
Believe me when I say that the best way to buy tickets is through shops with the blue metcard sign displayed out the front. This is because some train stations and all trams are coin only so you would hate to be caught out without a ticket just because you have no change!

How to use a ticket:

With the EXCEPTION of tickets bought from the tram and bus all tickets bought are blank. So if you bought a daily ticket from a store or a train station machine, it won't be in use until you validate it.
To validate a ticket simpy put your ticket through a validator (don't worry, you'll know what it is where you are there).

For more information go to www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au

I really hope this information is helpful to you! As I add more and more links I'll be writing information with public transport in mind as I'm fairly sure that you'll be using transport. Oh yes and one more thing: don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it when taking the transport!