The Victorian towns to visit now that free public transport continues

Until the end of May, these regional escapes won’t cost a cent to reach. From June, you’ll be able to get there at half price.

In recent weeks, fuel prices across Australia have skyrocketed as the global oil supply crisis continues. To help ease the strain, select state governments have introduced free public transport periods.

Victoria was the second state to offer its residents some much-needed relief, following Tasmania’s lead back in March. Now, the Victorian government is extending its free public transport period until 31 May, and will halve all passenger fares from June until the end of the year.

So if there was ever a time to swap the road for the railway tracks, it’s now. Next stop? A spontaneous weekend getaway.

How it works

Melbourne trains — Victoria’s metropolitan and V/Line networks will be free of charge throughout April.

The Victorian government has extended the duration of its free public transport initiative, now ending on 31 May 2026. In addition, public transport fares will be half price for all passengers until 1 January 2027.

“With fuel prices rising, free public transport for a month takes pressure off the pump," says Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan. “This won’t solve every problem, but it is an immediate step to help Victorians right now."

The initiative covers all metropolitan and V/Line services, including trains, trams and coaches. Barrier gates at stations will remain open throughout the month, so passengers no longer need to tap their Myki card or buy a ticket for V/Line trains. However, this does mean seat reservations will be unavailable during the free travel period. From 1 June, passengers can book seats on V/Line as usual, at the half price fare.

Myki Card, Melbourne — Those using public transport will no longer need to tap on with a Myki card.

All yearly Myki passes have also been paused, with some cardholders eligible to request a refund through Transport Victoria. Tickets are still required for V/Line coach services to secure a seat before boarding, but are free to obtain.

Passengers with accessibility needs are encouraged to arrive early for their service and reach out prior to travelling. Staff will be on hand to assist and support priority passengers, ensuring everyone has a safe and comfortable journey.

Where should you go in Victoria to make the most of free train travel?

Melbourne train — Skip the fuel bill and jump on a V/Line train or coach for free.

While restricted to the state border, Victorians are spoilt for choice. From coast to country, Victoria is brimming with beautiful destinations – and the V/Line connects to many of them. If you’re one to look for silver linings, this is it.

So instead of fuelling up the car or splashing cash on train tickets, consider this your sign to escape the city – without spending a cent on travel. We’ve even done the hard work for you, so all that’s left to do is pick a train line, pack a bag and hop on board*.

Need tips, more detail or itinerary ideas tailored to you? Ask AT.

Gippsland Line (East)

Bairnsdale, Victoria — Bairnsdale is tucked into the rolling hills of Gippsland Lakes.

Your stop: Bairnsdale
Travel time: 4 hours
Best for: Nature enthusiasts

Stretching east from the city, this line quickly opens up to the Gippsland region’s verdant rolling landscapes. Those seeking an outdoor escape should disembark at the end of the line in Bairnsdale.

Mitchell River silt jetties, Victoria — The region is home to the longest silt jetties in the Southern Hemisphere.

The historic town acts as a gateway to the Gippsland Lakes, home to the longest silt jetties in the Southern Hemisphere. Whether you cosy up at a cafe on the main strip or opt to explore the surrounding forests, it’s an easy way to swap city life for country living.

Geelong Line (South West)

Geelong, Victoria — For lovers of the ocean, Geelong is a natural playground.

Your stop: Geelong
Travel time: 1 hour
Best for: Beach lovers

Tracing Victoria’s picturesque south-west coast, this line is great for a seaside escape. Jump off in Geelong, around an hour from Melbourne, where days are shaped around the tides and life follows the rhythm of the waves.

Quest Geelong, Victoria — Quest Geelong is a short stroll from the train station.

Spend your weekend hopping between the city’s bountiful beaches, hiking scenic coastal trails or hanging ten at famous surf spot, Bells Beach. Base yourself at Quest Geelong, just a 10-minute walk from the station, so the waterfront is always just a moment away.

Ballarat Line (West)

Ballarat, Victoria — The streets of Ballarat are alive with colour and creativity.

Your stop: Ballarat
Travel time: 90 minutes
Best for: Culture vultures

Don’t let its gold-rush heritage and grand architecture fool you. The regional hub of Ballarat is home to a thriving arts scene – hidden in plain sight just 90 minutes out of Melbourne.

While its history is undoubtedly rich, the city’s creative community has sparked a contemporary buzz that’s hard to ignore. Spend the weekend browsing local galleries, artisan workshops, record stores and antique emporiums to meet the makers behind Ballarat’s artistic boom.

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Bendigo Line (North)

Echuca, Victoria — Wander the vibrant laneways of Echuca’s historic port.

Your stop: Echuca
Travel time: 3 hours
Best for: History buffs

Echuca may mark the end of the Bendigo Line, but it is definitely worth the journey. Just below the NSW border on the banks of the Murray, life here matches the rhythm of the river, which has moved at its own quiet pace for centuries.

At Echuca’s core is its historic port, the beating heart of the settlement since its establishment in 1850. Today, visitors can either step back in time on board a restored Echuca Paddlesteamers vessel or embrace modern river life with a houseboat stay.

Seymour/North East Line

Albury, Victoria — Albury is surrounded by cellar doors pouring local drops.

Your stop: Albury
Travel time: 3.5 hours
Best for: Foodies

Cutting a path north-east from Melbourne, this line is all about enjoying the journey and the destination. Spend the morning watching pastoral scenes pass you by before arriving in Albury, which shares twin-city status with nearby Wodonga.

Described as a gourmet goldmine, it delivers a masterclass in food and flavour, with long lunches and local wines setting the tone. Base yourself at Quest Albury so you can fully lean into the dining scene – and an easy stroll to bed at the end of it, too.

*All outbound V/Line services listed depart from Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station. Travel times are approximate – check Transport Victoria for the latest timetables.

Wind through fern tunnels, stop for a wine in a tram bar, or chase giant murals across the wheatbelt. These drives and rides prove Victoria’s best stories are found off the straight and narrow.

There’s something unmistakably Australian about a road trip: car packed, playlist on, landscapes shifting. Travelling down the highway toward Healesville, in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, the mountains rise, flanking me on both sides. I feel its embrace, a silent invitation to explore what lies beyond.

Moss-covered embankments rise on either side, and towering mountain ash trees form a green tunnel overhead. Road signs warn of wombats and cyclists but with giant ferns lining the roadside, the landscape feels prehistoric, as if a dinosaur might suddenly emerge. This, the Black Spur, is one of my favourite road trips.

The Black Spur

Location: Yarra Ranges
Duration: 30 kilometres / 30 minutes

The Black Spur is short compared to other Victorian road trips, just 30 kilometres, stretching from Healesville to Narbethong. But what it lacks in distance, it makes up for in scenery. Just outside Healesville, Maroondah Dam offers bushwalks and scenic views. However, if pressed for time, Selover’s Lookout is an easy roadside stop offering uninterrupted views of the dam.

In Narbethong, close to the Marysville’s snowfield, is the Black Spur Inn, a charming double-storey brick hotel that’s been welcoming travellers since 1863. Here, diners cosy up by the roaring fire or gaze through the floor-to-ceiling windows, imagining horse-drawn coaches carrying hopeful gold seekers to the eastern goldfields.

Victoria’s Silo Art Trail

Location: Various towns across the Wimmera Mallee region
Duration: More than 200 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

What began as a way to draw travellers back into town bypassed by highways – places such as Nullawil, Sea Lake and Patchewollock – has grown into a celebrated outdoor art movement. The Silo Art Trail now includes 23 silos, each transformed with large-scale mural portraits sharing local stories, celebrating community heroes, Indigenous history, farming life, or regional identity.

The Nullawil silo, for example, is a portrait of a local farmer in a chequered flannelette shirt alongside his loyal kelpie, painted by artist Sam Bates (AKA Smug). And the silos at Albacutya in the Grampians, painted by artist Kitt Bennett, depict her joyful memories of growing up in the countryside. Many of the murals sit right in the heart of small towns, such as Rochester and St Arnaud, making them perfect spots to pause for a country pub meal or something sweet from a local bakery.

Metung to Mallacoota

Location: Gippsland
Duration: Approximately 220 kilometres / 4 hours

The Gippsland Lakes are a much-loved holiday spot in Victoria, but road-tripping further east reveals much more. Begin in Metung and time your visit with the monthly farmers’ market, or simply linger over lunch on the lawn of the Metung Hotel. Twenty minutes away is Lakes Entrance, where you can watch the fishing boats return with their catch.

Lakes Entrance. (Image: Visit Victoria/Iluminaire Pictures)

Continue to Marlo, where the Snowy River spills into the sea, and Cape Conran for its many beaches and walks. If needing to stretch your legs, Croajingolong National Park is home to the historic Point Hicks Lighthouse and the Wilderness Coast Walk. Birdwatching and rainforest trails near Bemm River are worth a pit stop before arriving in Mallacoota, where the forest meets the sea.

Great Ocean Road

Location: South-west Victoria, from Torquay to Allansford
Duration: Approximately 250 kilometres / 4–5 hours but best over a minimum of three days

Victoria’s most famous road trip delivers it all: world-class surf breaks, rainforest walks, clifftop lookouts and wildlife encounters. The journey begins in Torquay, the state’s surf capital, then hugs the coast past Anglesea and Lorne to Apollo Bay, before curving inland through the lush rainforest of the Otways. Stop at Cape Otway Lightstation or take to the treetops at Otway Fly.

Between Cape Otway and Port Campbell lies the most photographed stretch – seven of the Twelve Apostles still standing, alongside the golden cliffs of Loch Ard Gorge. Further west, Warrnambool is a winter whale-watching hotspot, before the road winds to Port Fairy, a charming fishing village of whalers’ cottages, walking trails and offshore seal colonies further along the coast.

Bellarine Taste Trail

Terindah Estate. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Bellarine Peninsula
Duration: Approximately 80 kilometres / 2–3 hours

The Bellarine Taste Trail is a feast for the senses, winding through coastal towns, past boutique wineries and artisan producers. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure style trail – simply grab a map and build your own delicious journey.

You might wander historic, seafront Queenscliff, sip wine in a converted tram bar at Terindah Estate, sample a locally distilled whisky at The Whiskery in Drydale or pick up a jar of honey at Wattle Grove in Wallington. Seafood lovers can head to Portarlington, famous for its mussels. Eat them fresh at local restaurants or head out on the water with Portarlington Mussel Tours.

O’Keefe Rail Trail – Bendigo to Heathcote

Pink Cliffs Reserve in Heathcote can be seen on the O’Keefe Rail Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria/Emily Godfrey)

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 50 kilometres / 4 hours cycling

Travellers first journeyed between Heathcote and Bendigo in 1888, when the railway line was built to link the towns. Trains stopped running in 1956, but today the route has a new life as the O’Keefe Rail Trail. The path is mostly level for easy riding, and along the way you’ll cycle past bushland, waterways and reserves. There are plenty of places to picnic, birdwatch, and if you’re lucky, spot a platypus.

The trail is well supported with water stations, bike repair points, shelters, and signage. Axedale makes a great halfway stop, with the pretty Campaspe River Reserve for a rest and local cafes for refuelling. Begin in Heathcote, known for its wineries and cafes, or in Bendigo, which is easily reached by train from Melbourne/Naarm. Shorter sections, such as Heathcote to Axedale, are also popular.

Goldfields Track – Ballarat to Bendigo

Location: Central Victoria
Duration: Approximately 210 kilometres / 2–3 days cycling

The Goldfields Track traces a route once so rich in gold it made Melbourne one of the wealthiest cities in the world. Starting at Mt Buninyong, south of Ballarat, the trail leads mountain cyclists and walkers north through Creswick, Daylesford and Castlemaine before finishing in Bendigo. Along the way, you’ll encounter granite outcrops, eucalypt forests, rolling farmland and remnants of the region’s mining past.

As it passes through the lands of the Dja Dja Wurrung and Wadawurrung people, the track shares gold rush history and Indigenous stories brought to life by interpretive signs. Walk or ride the full trail or choose from one of its three distinct sections. With cosy stays, cafes and pubs, it’s easy to mix wilderness with comfort.

The Victorian towns to visit now that free public transport has been extended

Until the end of May, these regional escapes won’t cost a cent to reach. From June, you’ll be able to get there at half price.

How it works