Overview

Australia is an ideal place to experience a dream vacation whether you seek adventure or just want to relax. And one of the best ways to discover Australia is with a trip to its second most populous city - Melbourne. With its size, diversity and countless activities, Melbourne is the perfect choice for your next vacation.

Located on the eastern coast of Australia, Melbourne is the capital of the State of Victoria and was once the second largest city in the British Empire. Melbourne is a center for arts, commerce, education, industry, sports and tourism.

Activities & Attractions

Known as the style-setter for Australia, Melbourne offers a multitude of vacation activities, events and attractions for visitors. The major meeting place in Melbourne is Federation Square. The main tourist information center there provides a large number of information brochures that give great ideas of places to visit while in the city. Birrarung Marr, a park on the Yarra river bank, is located near the square. Melbourne Park, the home of the Australian Open tennis tournament, Melbourne Museum, and Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Center are some of the other famous attractions of the city.

Melbourne is perhaps Australia's sporting capital. The sporting venues there are one of the most popular attractions in the country. A few of the many sporting events that take place there include the Australian Open and the Australian Grand Prix. A large number of sporting events held there have attracted visitors from all over the world.

Visitors can also drive on Great Ocean Road for numerous spectacular views and activities along Victoria's coastline. The beaches at Mornington Peninsula are world renowned. The city also celebrates a wide variety of performing arts, architecture and annual cultural events. In addition, there are many shopping venues in the city, ranging from high end boutiques to modern department stores and outlets. You can get locally designed originals and the best of international brands. Melbourne also has a significant network of small cafes and coffee houses that demonstrate the big diversity in its culture.

Lodging

There is no shortage of places to stay in Melbourne and its surrounding areas. There are hotels, apartments, guest houses, holiday units and more spread across the city at a range of budgets.

Melbourne has the perfect accommodation for you to lay your head after a busy day in the city. Location is important and with a little investigation into the different areas of the city, you will end up exactly where you want to be. For more information check out the links in the resources section found below.

Transportation

The integrated public transportation system of Melbourne is supported by the Metlink brand. Melbourne has the largest tram network in the world and is connected to Sydney and Adelaide by train. The extensive bus network serves the outer suburbs where the rail services cannot reach. Most of the major airlines have direct international flights to Melbourne Airport. From there you can take the aforementioned buses or use one of the many reputed car rental services.