Melbourne trams

[Greg]

Hi. I'm visiting Melbourne again in a few weeks and really want/need to get a tram into the city.

Can anyone with experience of using trams over there explain in simple terms how to pay for a ride?

I only want a ticket to and return from East Melbourne into the city (CBD) for one day, or two at the most. Basically all I want to do is visit Queen Victoria markets, but getting to the city for the free tram around town and then back to the apartment is the issue.

I've checked out the official website but I'm a bit simple and can't quite work it out.

The apartment is within walking distance to the nearest tram stop, but I can't even find out if the trams stop at every stop!

Thanks for any advice.

[johcar]

You can buy tickets all over the place - 7-11's supermarkets, maybe even your hotel. Day tickets are the best value, rather than individual rides. They last 24 hours from activation (from memory)...

Don't get caught without a ticket - penalties are large...

Have fun (wish we still had the trams in Auckland)!!!

[Greg]

Cheers Johcar... appreciate your response!

[FoxyMX]

If you are near a ticket seller (they have signs in the window of dairies, etc) then buy a ticket as johcar says. You can buy one prior to the day required but you need to be sure to insert it into the onboard ticket machine to validate it as soon as possible when you get on the tram. This puts a time and date stamp on it and indicates how long it is valid for. If you don't do this and get caught the fine will be pretty stiff.

It's cheaper to buy multi-day tickets so if you think you might need to use the tram for more than a couple of days then have a look and see if it is worth getting one. There are lots of options.

The other option is buying your trip ticket on the tram itself. You will need sufficient coinage for this, however, and be good at reading instructions.

Trams are like our buses - they only stop if you ring the bell to let them know you want to get off. To get on, make sure you are standing right by the tram stop so they can see you. Many tram stops are in the middle of the road so remember to check for cars before hopping off. They are legally required to stop behind the tram and wait while passengers are hopping on and off but I have seen cars that don't.

It took me a couple of days to work out the tram system when I was over there but soon got the the hang of it. We bought a weekly pass and could hop on and off any tram, bus or train at any time of the day or night as many times as we wanted for the week. It was fantastic.

[Greg]

Ta Vixen. Oops, I meant Foxy.

Your advice is helpful

[paulw]

One good thing about the trams is that unlike a bus you can easily see where they go to if you get of. Tram tracks are like road-maps..

[R2x1]

One good thing about the trams is that unlike a bus you can easily see where they go to if you get of. Tram tracks are like road-maps..

Yep. Just as hard to fold up neatly.

[wratterus]

We can also thank them for our stupid give way rule, may it soon be abolished.

[paulw]

We can also thank them for our stupid give way rule, may it soon be abolished.

Don't think that had much to do with trams..

[wratterus]

Don't think that had much to do with trams..

[snip]
The AA has long lobbied for the right hand rule to be changed, he says.

It was introduced here in 1977 and originally came from Melbourne where it assisted trams.

Here it was seen as a way to deal with a large number of intersections, before many intersections were replaced with roundabouts, Noon says.

Melbourne has since got rid of the rule but in New Zealand attempts to also revoke, supported by Ministry of Transport, Minister of Transport Safety, police, local government, Institute of Professional Engineers, cycling groups, and the AA, have been voted down by Cabinet as "too hard for the public to cope with".
[snip]

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