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A Few Travel Tips For Visiting Melbourne On A Budget
Melbourne is an exciting place to visit and there are great ways of …
🌺 Visiting Melbourne On A Budget
Having been named as the World’s “Most Livable City” by 📰 The Economist, for seven consecutive years, it gives tourists a lot to look forward to.
With its; 🏛 World-Class museums, Restaurants and 🛍 Shopping centers, you’re probably thinking it’s a very expensive destination to visit. My collaborating guest writer offers a few ways to enjoy Melbourne’s vibrant culture, while on a strict 💰budget.
As well, my wife and I visited this beautiful city a few seasons ago and have also added, a few budget minded tips below.
Best Time To Visit Melbourne
Melbourne for the most part, is an enjoyable destination throughout the year. But the weather here can be unpredictable, so to make the most of your travel, it’s important to pick a month that will suit you best.
The ideal time will vary, depending on the activities you’re interested in while visiting.
- Summer (December to March)
During this season the weather is ☀ hot, but still typically pleasant and perfect, for sightseeing.
Popular events like the; 🏎 Australian Grand Prix, 🎾 Australian Grand Slam Open and Boxing Day Test Cricket matches, are typically scheduled during this period.
Because this time of year is the peak season for tourists, expect merchandise and services, to be at their most expensive.
These months are their off-season for the majority of tourists. Visiting during this time, will definitely help reduce ✈ airfare costs, and lower prices for 🏨 accommodations.
It 🌨 snows in the hills at the city outskirts, making the nights chilly. ⛷ Skiing is one popular activity during this period and you can hit the slopes, just three to five hours away, from the urban areas.
If physical activity is not your thing, you can explore dining and art centers indoors, which are great this time of year.
- Autumn (March to May) and Spring (September to November)
Pleasant weather is enjoyed during autumn and spring. Come during these months, if you want to visit Melbourne without the influx of tourists. Autumn is the time for food and fashion festivals, while spring is great for spending time outdoors.
Both these seasons provide an opportune time for; 🚶 walking, 🚲 bike riding and enjoy picnics and barbeques at any of the beautiful city parks.
Where To Stay In Melbourne On A Budget
There are affordable 🛌 hostels to be found in and around Melbourne. I suggest you book your accommodation ahead of time, to get their discounted rates.
Melbourne is definitely not a cheap city to stay in and especially if left, until after arriving into the city. For dorm options, check out; Home at the Mansion, United Backpackers and Space Hotel.
Also, have a look at my detailed post here on …
🛌 How to Book A Room With Airbnb 🛌
This is a great option for budget travelers and definitely worth checking out. We have used Airbnb on many occasions, in many different parts of the world and with excellent results.
As well, Booking.com is another excellent online booking portal, we’ve used for many years.
Free Activities In Melbourne Galore
Explore Laneways
There are about 230 unique {lane ways} to see in the city. A visit to Melbourne is incomplete without basking in the creativity of street arts and architecture, that each lane way features.
You can also do some great window-shopping, at the same time!
Hang Out At St. Kilda Beach
Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Quiet_before_midday_-_St_Kilda_Beach_and_Pier_.jpg
If you’re a 🏖 beach lover, there are a lot of activities that happen at; 🏖 St. Kilda Beach.
If you like spontaneous music festivals and pop-up markets, it’s the place to go to. Before the night activities set in, you can walk along the shoreline, or wait for the evenings beautiful sunset.
A great place to enjoy a beach day! 😎
Ride The Trams
Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/tram-city-urban-transport-966460/
It’s free to ride the 🚊 trams within Melbourne’s central business district. Be sure to look out for signs to know which stops are within the; free-tram zone.
An excellent way to see the downtown area and get around, for free!
Enjoy A Picnic At The Royal Botanical Gardens
Image Source:https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Royal_Botanical_Garden.jpg
Thousands of 💐 flowers, trees, and shrubs span across this 86-acre garden. It houses plants from across Australia and the world. You can have free guided walks or self-guided audio tours, available from the
visitor’s center.
It’s an ideal place for a picnic!
To save money, buy your picnic food from the local supermarket.
The Instagram photo above is an outstanding eco-friendly 🚴 bike tour, that my wife and I enjoyed on our visit to Melbourne a few seasons ago. We stopped at the 💐 Royal Botanical Gardens 💐 and they were, absolutely beautiful!
Visit The Local Museums & Galleries
Image Source:https://pixabay.com/en/state-library-of-victoria-melbourne-1956331/
Eat For Under Fifteen Australian Dollars
Melbourne indeed encourages appreciation for the arts.
You can observe Melbourne Arts and Culture for free, in numerous locations such as; The State Library of Victoria, Federation Square, NGV International and the Old Treasury Building.
The city center is full of amazing restaurants and bars. However, they tend to be pricey. There are many great places to dine outside the main central district, for excellent and much cheaper food choices.
Below, are just a few examples of some great budget eateries in the city.
Lygon Street – Head to this street if you’re craving for hearty Italian cuisine.
Brunswick Street
Dubbed as hipster’s paradise, it hosts specialty cafés. It’s a great place to find a; vegetarian or vegan menu. University students come here to eat, so there’s lots of affordable eateries here.
Lucky Coq
It has a rooftop lounge where you can enjoy affordable; pizza, beer and dancing.
Colonel Tan’s
Located on Chapel Street, it’s a fusion Thai restaurant, that boasts a nice ambiance.
Messina
Locals says that it has the best ice cream in Melbourne. Try their daily special flavor, when you come.
Chapel Street Kebabs
End an activity-filled day with deliciously greasy snacks. It’s a Melbourne tradition, definitely worth checking out.
Melbourne is a place where in every turn, a hidden 💎 gem looms, a masterpiece unfolds and an adventure awaits. Satisfy your curiosity and make the most of your stay.
Don’t let your limited budget, stop you from enjoying what the city has to offer!
I’ve listed the 🌺 Official Tourism Victoria {Melbourne} link below to their website. The link will take you to their page on; Melbourne.
It’s filled with excellent information on everything this amazing city and region, has to offer.
✨ Visit Victoria – Melbourne, Australia ✨
🗺 Be sure to check out the {Google Map} box at the bottom of this post for the cities exact location. 🗺
Cal Bailey runs mountainleon.com, a travel blog he started after two years of backpacking, around the world. If you want to learn more about life on the road or his blogging, check out his latest blog posts.
I am happy to present this collaborative post on Visiting Melbourne On A Budget, offering some helpful travel inspiration and information to you, as well.
Update
My wife and I were fortunate enough to return to Australia, stopping over in Melbourne, for 5 nights on our way back home to 🍁 Canada. A great planned stop over, after a wonderful vacation in Thailand.
Visiting Melbourne should definitely be on our list when visiting this vast country. There is so much to see and do!
We stayed in a 🛌 Condo Rental Unit, 🛌 with a large grocery store, right across the street. This made for a very affordable and convenient stay for us.
Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash
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Questions & Answers
When is the cheapest time to visit Melbourne?
Shoulder Season from mid-March to May & September to early November for the better prices & milder weather.
How many days should I spend in Melbourne?
Ideally, 3 days gives you time to see popular attractions in and outside the city limits .
Can I get to Melbourne from Sydney by train?
Yes, there is daily train service operating between the cities. The trip takes about 11 hours.
😎 Safe and Healthy Travels! 😎
All personal 📸 photographs on this post are the property of gr8traveltips.com and are copyright protected.
🚫 Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. 🚫
✨ Did You Know …
Great Ocean Road Tour – Review
Real Melbourne Bike Tours – Review
Foodie Trails Melbourne – Foodie Culture Tour
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