Cheapest€22.18
- Transport for New South Wales TN376817:146h 16m23:30Melbourne AirportCanberra Civic Coach Stop
Door to door 7hCO2 12.6 kgChanges 0Changeable for a fee
Traveling from Melbourne to Canberra costs €22.18 at the cheapest and takes 3h 55m door to door at the fastest, across 3 modes and 3 operators. The route covers 470 km. Cheapest is by Coach, fastest is by Flight.
At a glance
- Distance
- 470 km
- Fastest
- 3h 55m
- Average
- 5h 21m
- Services per day
- 10
- Cheapest
- €22.18
- CO2 per passenger
- 40.0 kg
Every way to make this journey
Journey times below are door to door, so they include getting to the terminal and away from it at the other end. Fares are the cheapest we currently sell on September 28, 2026.
| Mode | Door to door | Moving | At the ends | From | CO2 | Per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight | 4h 12m | 1h 2m | 3h 10m | €59.73 | 118.1 kg | 2 |
| Train | 4h 13m | 3h 29m | 44m | €63.59 | 15.4 kg | 5 |
| Coach | 7h | 6h 16m | 44m | €26.03 | 12.6 kg | 3 |
- 4h 12mFastest, by Flight
- €26.03Cheapest, by Coach
- 12.6 kgLowest CO2, by Coach
- 470 kmDistance traveled
The cheapest and the fastest on September 28, 2026
Two journeys we can sell today, with the service number each operator files them under.
Fastest€45.57
- Virgin Australia VA861314:311h 2m15:33Melbourne MELCanberra CBR
Door to door 4h 12mCO2 118.1 kgChanges 0Fixed, no changes
Today's real departures
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modeled until our booking connectors are live.
No live timetable for this trip yet.
Live from the operators' own published timetables, through the open transit feeds they publish. Times and services are real. Fares are modeled until our booking connectors are live.
Prices over the next three weeks
Live from our own engine, refreshed on every request. The cheapest days for each way of traveling are marked.
| Cheapest fare by mode and day for Melbourne to Canberra | FriSep 11 | SatSep 12 | SunSep 13 | MonSep 14 | TueSep 15 | WedSep 16 | ThuSep 17 | FriSep 18 | SatSep 19 | SunSep 20 | MonSep 21 | TueSep 22 | WedSep 23 | ThuSep 24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coach | €47.48 | €52.98 | €41.43 | €33.18 | €33.73 | €35.38 | €35.93 | €32.08 | €33.18 | €38.13 | €26.58 | €26.03 | €29.33 | €28.78 |
| Flight | €92.77 | €112.24 | €95.13 | €89.23 | €82.74 | €74.48 | €78.61 | €65.63 | €78.02 | €66.22 | €59.73 | €60.91 | €60.91 | €68.58 |
| Train | €127.39 | €151.04 | €103.74 | €81.19 | €82.84 | €89.99 | €83.94 | €89.99 | €87.24 | €73.49 | €67.44 | €63.59 | €70.19 | €73.49 |
Cheapest day: 2026-09-28 · €22.18
Arriving in September changes what you want from a room in Canberra. It is not a thing we sell, so here is who does.
Rooms within reach of Canberra railway station
Hotels and apartments near downtown, most of them with free cancellation, on a map that shows what is walkable.
Search Canberra on AgodaOr compare on Booking.com
Partner links. We do not sell accommodation. We earn a commission when a booking completes, and it never changes what you pay.
When to book Melbourne to Canberra
The same search run across the whole booking window, so the shape of the curve is visible rather than described.
- €26.0390 days
- €18.3360 days
- €25.4845 days
- €22.7330 days
- €31.5321 days
- €28.7814 days
- €35.937 days
- €41.433 days
- €47.481 days
- Cheapest lead time
- Fares bottom out around 60 days ahead, at €18.33.
- How much it moves
- The gap between the cheapest and most expensive lead time is 159 percent. The most expensive point is €47.48, 1 days out.
- What that means
- Today sits inside the cheap window, which closes about 60 days before departure. Waiting from here has usually cost money on this corridor rather than saved it.
Book now Fares on this route are lowest around 60 days ahead. You are inside that window.
Which departure day costs least
Median cheapest fare for each weekday, taken across the next three weeks of real prices.
- €38.13Sun
- €26.58Mon
- €26.03Tue
- €29.33Wed
- €31.53Thu
- €32.08Fri
- €33.18Sat
How the fare moves month by month
The same journey priced on the fifteenth of each of the next six months.
- €33.73Sep
- €24.93Oct
- €22.18Nov
- €24.38Dec
- €22.18Jan
- €18.33Feb
The route
What the journey actually looks like
Direct or connecting, how far the route really runs, and what happens when a connection is missed.
- Direct or connecting
- 80% of the services we sell on this corridor run through without a change. The remaining 20% involve one connection.
- How far it really runs
- The route covers 470 km against 466 km in a straight line, a detour of 1 percent. Track and road geometry account for the difference.
- Where the change is
- Connections are made at Sydney, Wollongong. The gap between arriving and leaving is 55 minutes, of which about 5 is walking.
- If the connection is missed
- The tightest connection we sell here has a 17 percent chance of not being made on the timetable alone. Both legs are sold on one booking, so a missed connection is ours to fix and you are rebooked at no charge.
- First and last departure
- The first service of the day leaves Melbourne at 06:44 and the last at 14:31, across 2 departures. The return direction keeps its own timetable, so the times back are not these times reversed.
Where you leave from and where you arrive
The stations, airports and ports each mode on this corridor actually uses.
Melbourne
Rail
- North Melbourne
- Melbourne Central
- Kew railway station, Melbourne
Bus
- Melbourne Airport
- Williamstown
Air
- MEL
- AVV
Ferry
- Spotswood
- Como Landing
Canberra
Rail
- Canberra railway station
- Burbong railway station
- Queanbeyan railway station
Bus
- Canberra Civic Coach Stop
- Cohen Street
Air
- CBR
Who runs this route
Speed, flexibility and what is on board. Nothing here is a rating, because we have not earned one.
| Operator | From | Fastest | Typical speed | Flexibility | On board |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW TrainLink | €54.79 | 3h 55m | 140 km/h | Refundable | Power outlets, Wi-Fi |
| Transport for New South Wales | €22.18 | 6h 50m | 72 km/h | Changeable | Power outlets, Restrooms, Wi-Fi |
| Virgin Australia | €44.98 | 4h 11m | 740 km/h | Fixed fare | Not published |
What the fare is made of
Every part of the total, so the number at checkout is the number here.
| Part | Amount | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Operator fare | €17.00 | 77% |
| Taxes | €1.70 | 8% |
| Supplier fees | €1.49 | 7% |
| Our service fee | €1.99 | 9% |
| Total you pay | €22.18 | 100% |
A day in Canberra hauling a suitcase is a shorter day than it needs to be. We do not store bags.
Baggage storage near Canberra railway station
Priced by the bag and by the day, booked before you get there, and insured while it sits.
Check Canberra on StasherOr try Bounce
Partner links. We do not run these networks. We earn a commission on a booking, and the price is the same as going direct.
Questions about Melbourne to Canberra
The questions people actually ask about this trip, answered from the same prices and times the page above is built on rather than written once and left to go stale.
How long does it take to get from Melbourne to Canberra?
The fastest journey from Melbourne to Canberra takes 3h 55m door to door, of which 1h 2m is spent moving, on the Flight. Most services take around 5h 21m, because that average includes slower stopping services and journeys with a connection. Times include reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end.
How much does it cost to travel from Melbourne to Canberra?
The cheapest fare from Melbourne to Canberra is €22.18, checked on September 28, 2026. A typical fare across the next three weeks is €65.44. Both figures are the total for one passenger, including taxes, supplier fees and our service fee, so nothing is added at checkout.
What is the cheapest way to get from Melbourne to Canberra?
The cheapest way from Melbourne to Canberra is by Coach, at €26.03 for one passenger on September 28, 2026. That journey takes 7h door to door. Cheaper is rarely faster on this corridor, and the comparison table on this page shows what each mode costs against what it saves.
What is the fastest way to get from Melbourne to Canberra?
The fastest way from Melbourne to Canberra is by Flight, at 4h 12m door to door. Only 1h 2m of that is spent moving; the remaining 3h 10m is reaching the terminal and leaving it at the far end. The cheapest fare on that mode is €59.73.
When should I book Melbourne to Canberra?
Fares from Melbourne to Canberra bottom out around 60 days before departure, at €18.33. Across the whole booking window the gap between the cheapest and the most expensive lead time is 159 percent, measured on September 28, 2026. Booking inside the last week has consistently cost more on this corridor.
Which day of the week is cheapest for Melbourne to Canberra?
Tuesday is the cheapest day to depart from Melbourne to Canberra, at €26.03. That is the median of 21 priced departure days across the next three weeks, checked on September 28, 2026. Shifting a departure by one day is usually worth more than shifting the booking by one week.
Which month is cheapest for Melbourne to Canberra?
February is the cheapest of the next 6 months to travel from Melbourne to Canberra, at €18.33 for one passenger. Each month is priced on its fifteenth, so the comparison is like for like rather than a mix of weekends and midweek departures.
Who runs service from Melbourne to Canberra?
3 operators sell services from Melbourne to Canberra across 3 modes: NSW TrainLink, Transport for New South Wales, Virgin Australia. Journey times, fares and fare conditions differ between them, and the operator table on this page compares all of them on speed, flexibility and what is provided on board.
Is there a direct service from Melbourne to Canberra?
80 percent of the services we sell from Melbourne to Canberra are direct. The rest connect at Sydney, Wollongong, with about 55 minutes between the two services. Both legs are sold on one booking, so a missed connection is rebooked at no charge.
How much CO2 does the journey from Melbourne to Canberra produce?
Traveling from Melbourne to Canberra by Coach produces about 12.6 kg of CO2 per passenger, the lowest of any mode on this corridor. The same journey by Flight produces about 118.1 kg, roughly 9 times as much for one passenger.
Which station or terminal do services from Melbourne to Canberra use?
Services from Melbourne to Canberra by Flight leave from Melbourne MEL and arrive at Canberra CBR. Allow about 3h 10m in total for reaching the departure terminal and leaving the arrival one, which is already included in every door to door time on this page.
Can I change or refund a ticket from Melbourne to Canberra?
2 of the 3 operators we sell from Melbourne to Canberra allow a change or a refund. A change on a changeable fare costs €5.00. The operator table on this page names which is which, and the condition is shown again before you pay.
Where these numbers come from
Observed service A carrier record shows this named operator serving this named pair, and we carry that through unchanged.
Schedules, seat counts and fares are generated by our own model until the supplier contracts are signed. Places, coordinates, operators, which operator serves which pair, and every distance are real. We would rather say that on every page than let a modeled number pass for a filed one.
Defined in full at Door to door, Fares, The booking window, Carbon, Distances
- On this page
- Every figure above was computed for Melbourne to Canberra on September 10, 2026: 470 km of route against 466 km in a straight line, 10 services a day, 3 operators, a cheapest fare of €22.18, and 3h 55m door to door on the fastest mode. The return direction is computed separately and its numbers are not these numbers.
Plenty of what is worth seeing sits outside Canberra and elsewhere in Australia. None of it is ours to sell.
What to book in Canberra before you go
The tickets worth having in advance, because the line at the door is usually the whole morning.
See Canberra on KlookOr browse GetYourGuide
Partner links. We do not sell tours or tickets. We earn a commission on a booking, and it never changes the price.
Other ways to make this journey
Arriving in Canberra
Leaving Canberra
- 17Places you can leave for
- 1Countries
- 7Operators
Plan a trip from here
Ask Ori for the same corridor under a different constraint, or for a longer trip that starts on it.