When visiting Melbourne's city center, there's a super tourist-friendly perk: the "CBD Free Tram Zone."
As long as you ride the tram within the designated area, you don't need to swipe a card or buy a ticket; you can simply get on and off. This is incredibly convenient for first-time visitors to Melbourne.
🚋 What is a Free Tram Zone?
The Free Tram Zone is a free tram zone established by the Victorian government, covering the core area of Melbourne's CBD.
You can ride the tram for free as long as your pick-up and drop-off stations are within this area.
No Myki card required
No need to buy tickets in advance
Regardless of whether they are tourists or locals
Get on the bus, sit down, get off and go – it's that simple.
📍 Where exactly is the free zone?
The free zone mainly covers:
Flinders Street Train Station
Federation Square
Bourke Street Mall shopping area
Queen Victoria Market
Parliament House
Docklands, a coastal port area
Simply put, as long as you stay in the city center, most popular attractions are within the free admission zone.
The tram stop signs will clearly indicate "Free Tram Zone", and there will be voice prompts inside the tram to indicate when entering or leaving the free zone.
🗺️ Recommended usage:
✔ Take the bus from Flinders Street to Queen Victoria Market to buy souvenirs.
✔ Take a ride from your city hotel to Docklands to see the harbor night view.
✔ If you get tired of shopping on Bourke Street, take the tram one stop back to the hotel.
Especially when it rains or it's windy in winter, taking the tram is much more comfortable than walking.
⚠️ Precautions
1️⃣ If you move from the free zone to outside the free zone, you must swipe your Myki card.
2️⃣ The free zone is only for trams, excluding trains and buses.
3️⃣ Remember to pay attention to the bus stop signs to avoid missing your stop (there are signs).
✨ Why is this design so thoughtful?
Melbourne is known as the "City of Trams" and has one of the most developed tram systems in the world.
The free zone was established to make it convenient for tourists and commuters in the city center.
This policy is really friendly for friends visiting Australia for the first time.
No need to research complicated ticket prices, and no need to worry about buying the wrong ticket.
When exploring Melbourne's CBD, trams are your free sightseeing bus 🚋
Get on the bus when you get tired, and get off when you see a place you like.
If this is your first time visiting Melbourne, remember to bookmark this hidden perk.
The editor is especially kind to their fans 💛 Here's something to share with you all.
🚋 Tram Route 35 | Melbourne City Circle Sightseeing Tram
If you see a vintage dark green tram in Melbourne's city center with "City Circle" written on the front, it's most likely tram number 35.
It not only offers free rides within the Free Tram Zone, but is also a sightseeing route specifically designed for tourists.
🌟 What's so special about bus route 35?
✔ Retro design, perfect for taking photos
✔ A loop around the CBD
✔ The bus has an English audio guide (introducing the architecture and history along the way).
✔ The entire process is within the free zone and does not require Myki.
Simply put, it's a "mobile city introducer".
📍 Which places will we pass through?
Tram route 35 runs around the outer ring of the city center, passing through:
Parliament House
Treasury Gardens
Docklands, a coastal port area
Flinders Street Station
Federation Square
Spring Street / La Trobe Street area
It basically circles the entire core area of the CBD.
🕒 How to operate
Unidirectional cyclic operation
Buses run approximately every 30 minutes (this may be adjusted on holidays).
One lap takes about 50 minutes
If you want to take pictures, just sit in the whole circle.
Get off the bus midway if you want to go to a certain attraction.
Very flexible.
✨ Recommended Gameplay
✔ Upon arriving in Melbourne on the first day, take a short ride to familiarize yourself with the city.
✔ On a rainy day, if you don't want to walk too much, sit and listen to the explanation.
✔ Want to take photos of vintage trams?
For first-time visitors to Melbourne, bus route 35 is an easy way to get to know the city.
If the Free Tram Zone is a perk, then the No. 35 tram is a "free tram that tells a story." When visiting Melbourne's CBD, don't miss this most ceremonial route.
