What to know about Melbourne
- Parliament of Victoria says there is a bus drop-off area on Spring Street for school tours of Parliament House and that there is no public parking at Parliament House.Source: Parliament of Victoria
- At Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, bus parking is on Birdwood Avenue opposite the education entrance and Anderson Street, nearest to Bridge Gate (Gate A).Source: Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
- For school excursions to Cranbourne Gardens, bus parking is available onsite at the southern end of the car park.Source: Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria
- In Victoria, anyone operating a bus service with seating positions for 10 or more adults, including the driver, must be accredited. This includes community and courtesy services provided without charge.Source: Safe Transport Victoria
- The Melbourne Significant Urban Area had 4,817,843 people at the 2021 Census.Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics
Setting groups down in central Melbourne
Many of Melbourne's group destinations have nowhere to park a coach, so trips are planned around a set-down point. For school tours of Parliament House, Parliament of Victoria notes a bus drop-off area on Spring Street and no public parking at the building. At the Royal Botanic Gardens in South Yarra, the Gardens access guide places bus parking on Birdwood Avenue, opposite the education entrance and Anderson Street, nearest to Bridge Gate (Gate A). In the south-east, the excursion planning page says buses can park onsite at the southern end of the Cranbourne Gardens car park. Name the venue in your request so the Melbourne operator can plan the stop.
One request for a city of nearly five million
The Melbourne Significant Urban Area counted 4,817,843 people at the 2021 Census, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. That spread runs from Werribee in the west to Frankston and Mornington in the south-east, with Box Hill, Ringwood and Glen Waverley in between, so the pickup suburb you enter matters. Typical Melbourne requests include wedding buses between a church and a reception, conference shuttles from CBD hotels, club trips to regional grounds and group transfers to the airport.
A Victorian rule worth asking about
Safe Transport Victoria says anyone operating a bus service with seating for 10 or more adults, counting the driver, must be accredited. That rule also covers community and courtesy buses carrying people without charge. It is a fair question to put to the Melbourne operator who picks up your request, along with how many seats the vehicle has.
Organising a Melbourne group trip? Send a request with your pickup suburb and date.
Melbourne charter hire: questions
Can a coach wait outside Parliament House during a Melbourne school tour?
Parliament of Victoria lists a bus drop-off area on Spring Street and no public parking at Parliament House, so plan for your Melbourne coach to set the class down and return at an agreed pickup time.
Which Melbourne suburbs can I request a bus from?
Any suburb in greater Melbourne, from Footscray and Werribee to Doncaster, Dandenong and Frankston. Enter the pickup suburb, choose VIC and describe the trip. We aim to pass your request to a local charter operator within one business day.
Do I need a minibus or a full coach for a Melbourne wedding?
That depends on the guest numbers and the venues. Give the headcount, the ceremony and reception suburbs and any accessibility needs so the Melbourne operator can suggest a vehicle size.