5 Best Road Trips from Melbourne (and the Right Car for Each)

Melbourne is one of the best cities in Australia to drive out of. Within three hours you can be on a surf coast, in a wine region or halfway up a mountain range. We run District Rentals, a Turo host based in Deanside in Melbourne’s west, and a lot of our guests book for exactly these trips. Here are the five we recommend most, with honest drive times and a note on what kind of car actually suits each one.

Quick housekeeping first. Our cars start from $40 a day and every trip is insured through Turo, so there’s no separate insurance to sort out. Pickup in Deanside is free, we can deliver across Melbourne on request, and Melbourne Airport pickup is available by request too.

1. The Great Ocean Road

Torquay is about 90 minutes from Melbourne. The famous stretch runs from there through Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay to the Twelve Apostles near Port Campbell. Driving the whole thing and coming back is a big day, roughly eight to nine hours behind the wheel once you add stops, so if you can stretch it to a night in Apollo Bay or Port Campbell, do it.

The road hugs the coast for most of the run and it earns its reputation. Stop at Bells Beach early before the car park fills, grab lunch in Lorne, and slow down through Kennett River, where koalas sit in the trees right beside the road. Aim to reach the Twelve Apostles late afternoon. The light is better and the tour buses have mostly cleared out.

The right car: a small hatch. The road is narrow and winding in places, parking in Lorne on a summer weekend is tight, and a light, economical car makes the corners fun instead of tiring. You don’t need anything big unless you’re carrying boards.

2. Mornington Peninsula

About 75 to 90 minutes from the city, and the easiest weekend trip on this list. You get hot springs at Fingal, wineries around Red Hill, calm bay beaches on one side and wild ocean beaches at Portsea and Sorrento on the other. It works as a day trip but it’s better slow. Book the springs for the morning, do a long lunch at a winery, then walk the Millionaires Walk in Sorrento before heading back.

The right car: a comfortable hatch or small SUV. The roads are sealed and easy the whole way. What you actually want is boot space, because towels, wine boxes and market bags have a way of multiplying down there.

3. Yarra Valley

About an hour northeast of Melbourne, which makes it the shortest drive here. Healesville is a good base. You’ve got dozens of cellar doors, Healesville Sanctuary for Australian wildlife done properly, and hot air balloons at dawn if you’re organised enough to book one. It suits a lazy Sunday as much as a full weekend.

The right car: any comfortable sedan or hatch. This trip is about the passengers as much as the driver, so pick something with a decent back seat if you’re going as a group. And sort out your designated driver before the first cellar door, not after.

4. The Grampians

Halls Gap is about three hours west of Melbourne, and this is the trip that feels furthest from the city. The Pinnacle walk, MacKenzie Falls and Boroka Lookout are the big three sights, and kangaroos graze on the Halls Gap oval at dusk like they’re paid to be there. Plan at least one night. Two is better.

One bonus if you hire from us: Deanside sits on Melbourne’s western edge, so you skip the crawl across the city and you’re pointed at the Western Highway almost straight away.

The right car: an SUV. You don’t need a serious four wheel drive for the main sights, but plenty of the car parks and side roads are gravel, and the extra ride height and space make a three hour highway run far more pleasant.

5. Phillip Island

Around 90 minutes to two hours southeast. The penguin parade at Summerland Beach is the headline and it deserves to be. Little penguins waddling up the beach after dark never gets old. Before that, do the Cape Woolamai walk, see the seals from the Nobbies boardwalk, and if you like motorsport the grand prix circuit runs tours. Since the penguins arrive after sunset, plan for a late drive home or stay the night in Cowes.

The right car: anything reliable and economical does the job here. Taking kids? A small SUV gives you room for the pram and the snack bag. The roads are easy the whole way.

Before you go

• Book the car for the full day. Coastal traffic always takes longer than the map says.
• Fuel up before you leave the city. Prices climb the further out you get.
• Check the weather for the Grampians and the Great Ocean Road. Both can change fast.
• Penguin parade tickets sell out in holiday periods, so book ahead.

Every District Rentals trip is booked and insured through Turo. No separate insurance forms, no surprises. We’re rated 5.0 stars across 370 reviews and 436 trips, and if anything comes up mid trip you can call or WhatsApp us on 0414 829 388. A real person answers.