Melbourne Airport to the CBD, in a Car That Is Already Waiting
About 22 kilometres, 25 to 40 minutes outside peak. One fixed, all-inclusive quote, a driver who tracks your flight, and 90 minutes of complimentary waiting time on international arrivals.
Twenty-two kilometres, and a very variable half hour
The drive between Melbourne Airport and the city centre is about 22 kilometres. Off-peak it takes 25 to 40 minutes on the Tullamarine Freeway and CityLink. In the morning and evening peaks — roughly 7am to 9am and 4pm to 7pm — the same trip can take 50 to 80 minutes.
We build that into the plan rather than discovering it on the road. Your driver knows what time of day you are landing, checks the traffic before leaving, and leaves early enough that you are not the one watching the clock.
Your quote is fixed before you travel. Tolls and GST are included, and peak traffic does not change the number.
Every CBD transfer includes
Flight tracking
You give us your flight number when you book. If the aircraft is early, your driver is early. If it is delayed by three hours at 2am, your driver is still there — and the quote does not change.
A name board, inside the terminal
No hunting for a rideshare pickup bay with four suitcases and a tired child. Your driver is waiting in the arrivals hall with your name, takes the bags, and walks you to the car.
90 minutes of complimentary waiting
Ninety minutes on international arrivals and sixty on domestic, measured from when your aircraft actually lands rather than from the time it was scheduled to. Most operators write complimentary waiting time and leave you to find out what they mean. Ours is 90 and 60.
Child seats at no cost
Infant capsules and booster seats are supplied free of charge. Tell us your children’s ages when you book and the seats are fitted and checked before you land.
One fixed, all-inclusive quote
Tolls and GST are in it. There is no meter, no surge pricing, and no surprise at the end of the ride.
24 hours, seven days
A 5:40am departure and a 1am arrival are both ordinary bookings for us.
Which vehicle suits your arrival
The right vehicle is decided by your bags as much as by your head count. Tell us how many cases you are travelling with and we will match it.
Mercedes-Benz CLA 200
Up to 3 passengersA sedan for one or two travellers with cabin-sized luggage. Quiet, discreet, ideal for a solo executive arrival.
Toyota Alphard
Up to 6 passengersIndividual reclining seats and a flat floor make this the easiest vehicle to get in and out of with children or older parents.
Toyota Alphard 40
Up to 6 passengersThe newer generation of the same, for guests who would rather have the latest car in the fleet.
Kia Carnival
Up to 7 passengersThe practical choice for a family arriving with full-size checked luggage.
Mercedes-Benz V-Class
Up to 7 passengersA more formal finish. The usual choice for corporate arrivals and for guests being met on behalf of a company.
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Up to 11 passengersFor larger groups, and for anyone travelling with golf bags, ski gear or instrument cases.
Crown Towers and the hotel precinct
Crown Towers and the rest of the Southbank hotel strip sit about 24 kilometres from Melbourne Airport — a few minutes further than the CBD grid, and the same fixed quote applies.
Departing from Crown Towers, your driver arrives at the hotel entrance at the time you set, not at the time an app decides. For an early flight that means a car already there when you walk out, with the bags loaded before you have finished checking out. If you are travelling with colleagues in separate rooms, one vehicle and one pickup time replaces three rideshare bookings that arrive five minutes apart.
The same applies at the Sofitel, the Grand Hyatt, the Park Hyatt, the Langham and the rest of the city’s hotels. Give us the address and the time.
Arriving, and departing
Arriving
- Send us your flight number, the number of passengers and the number of bags.
- Your driver meets you inside the terminal with a name board.
- 90 minutes complimentary waiting on international arrivals, 60 on domestic.
- Nothing else is required of you.
Departing
- We suggest leaving the city three hours before an international departure and two before a domestic one.
- We recommend a pickup time when we quote.
- If your flight is at 6am, so are we.
- Door-to-door from any CBD or Southbank address.
Melbourne Airport to CBD, answered
How long does the drive from Melbourne Airport to the CBD take?
About 25 to 40 minutes outside peak hours, and 50 to 80 minutes in the morning and evening peaks. It is roughly 22 kilometres via the Tullamarine Freeway and CityLink. We plan your pickup around the time of day you are travelling.
What happens if my flight is delayed?
We track your flight. Your driver’s arrival time moves with the aircraft, and a delay does not change your quote.
How much free waiting time do I get?
Ninety minutes on international arrivals and sixty minutes on domestic, included in every transfer. The clock starts when your aircraft lands, not when it was scheduled to. That covers a slow immigration queue, a delayed baggage belt or a bag that has to be reported missing.
Will my driver meet me inside the terminal?
Yes. Your driver waits inside the arrivals hall with a name board, helps with your luggage, and walks you to the vehicle. There is no separate meet-and-greet fee.
Do you charge extra for tolls or for travelling at night?
No. Your quote is fixed and all-inclusive: tolls and GST are in the number you are given. We do not apply surge pricing, night loadings or public holiday surcharges.
Do you provide child seats?
Yes, and they are free. We carry infant capsules and booster seats. Tell us your children’s ages when you book so the correct restraint is fitted before you arrive.
Can you take a group of eight or more from the airport to the city?
Yes. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter carries up to eleven passengers. Larger groups can be quoted across more than one vehicle with a single arrival time.
Is this a maxi taxi service?
No. MPJ operates pre-booked commercial passenger vehicles, not taxis. There is no meter and no rank work — every trip is booked in advance and quoted as a fixed, all-inclusive price before you travel. If you want a people mover for a group, the Carnival, Alphard and V-Class all seat six or seven.
Can you pick up from Crown Towers or another city hotel?
Yes. We collect from the hotel entrance at the time you set, for any Melbourne hotel. Give us the address and your flight time and we will recommend a pickup time.
Related services
See all Melbourne Airport transfers, or the specific runs to South Yarra and to Avalon Airport.
Staying a while? We also run private day tours from Melbourne, a corporate chauffeur service on account, and multi-day journeys across Australia.
Book your Melbourne Airport transfer
Send us your flight number, date, passenger count and bag count, and we will come back with a fixed, all-inclusive quote.
Or call or message +61 437 384 719, or email Enquiry@mpjaustralia.com.au.