BiziBB

I agree with most if not all of the advice regarding driving to Geelong on the freeway from the airport, then crash (figuratively, in a hotel bed!) once you arrive there.

I do recall some seedy stories about Geelong and footballers and drugs and deaths in hotel rooms, but one tragically dysfunctional footie hero does not make Geelong! It's quite a while ago, too, but if you're there, you might get some entertaining stories if you ask about misbehaving footie players.

Beware the strict enforcement of speed limits by radar cameras in Victoria (strict compared to NSW!). Have a great trip, DON'T drive tired and risk an accident / driving on the wrong side or turning into oncoming traffic. GOR is a highlight for lots of people. I recommend driving VERY early to avoid too much traffic, but locals likely have better advice.

AdMEL

Good point! The Princes Freeway to Geelong has many fixed speed cameras that will fine you at 3km/h over the 100km/h speed limit. These speed cameras are mounted on the back of bridges and signs. Fines start at about $150.

jpatokal

Apparently it's 100 km/h speed limit + 5 km/h speedometer tolerance + 3 km/h speed camera tolerance = 108 km/h or over is a fine. Of course, if you're going to cut it that close to the line, you'd better make sure your speedo is indeed exactly calibrated!

AdMEL

I'm not sure which part of Australia you're from, but as someone who lives in the state we're discussing, I can assure you that the current blanket tolerance is a total of 3km/h. Previously, the tolerance was 10% speedo tolerance + 3km speed camera tolerance, but the 10% was removed several years ago. There is also talk of removing the 3km tolerance. As far as I am aware (I've been driving 22 years), there has never been a 5km + 3km tolerance.

jpatokal

I stand corrected on the 5km; however, it's not quite that cut and dried. While the official tolerance is indeed apparently 3 km/h, there is also "a discretionary tolerance" on top of that, which explains why a lot of traffic on the freeways moves at ~105 km. And until a few years ago, the official tolerance was 6 km/h.

AdMEL

Interesting. That's the first I've heard of the 6 km/h tolerance! Also the first I've heard of the discretionary tolerance above the 2 or 3km/h. It appears it's not that cut and dried. Having said that, I know people who have received speed camera fines for 3 and 4 km/h over the limit, which tends to suggest that the discretionary tolerance can be zero!

shahr04360

Newbie here. I'll be in Melbourne on first week of March. I'm about exciting now.

dj506

I wanted to thank you all for the suggestions - we used a lot of them. Once we arrived in Melbourne, we got our car and headed to Geelong. Once we got to the divided highway, driving was pretty simple. In even Geelong, it wasn't bad. Headed out on the Great Ocean Road. That day, we stopped pretty early. As suggested, we didn't want to be tired and trying to drive as it got dark.

Next day, we headed to Philip Island to see the penguins (as suggested) and paid the extra to go on the ranger led tour. Money well spent!

We had a great holiday, thanks to all your good suggestions.

serfty

NEVER is anyone fined for a recorded speed of 3 over the limit - a court would toss such a case out.

What happens (and as I have posted MANY times in this forum) is that 3kmh is deducted from the recorded speed to make an 'alleged' speed and it is that 'alleged' speed on which the fine is based.

So your 3kmh speeding driver in a 60kmh zone would have been doing at least 66kph ... 10% over the speed limit.

Those who tell you 3kmh a simply quoting the 'alleged' speed in an endeavour to mitigate their perceived fault.

As for the OP, I am glad your trip went fine.

I would have advised, depending on how long you were around, that it may have been be better to head to the city by (sky)bus or cab, staying one night before hiring the car in the morning from the city and heading West.

Rental cars hired from the airport have an onerous "premium Location fee" tacked on the the daily rental cost while if collected from the city, no such fee is charged.

number_6

This fee is much more reasonable in Australia than in most US cities (which often have city taxes of over 50% added to airport car rentals, typically to pay for sport stadium construction). The last time I priced it at Hertz, renting from the airport for 1 week was a full AUD 8 more than the same car from Franklin St. in the CBD. In US cities like PHX it would have been USD 100+ more typically as a point of comparison.

AdMEL

Whilst the airport fee in Australia is not 50%, it is up around 20% at most major airports. For some reason, Hertz at Melbourne airport often charges a lower base rate than Downtown, resulting in the nominal difference you saw. This is not usually the case - usually the airport will be approx. 20% dearer.

LOLABUNNY

The thing is do you really need a car?If I was a visiting tourist I would play it safe and stick to using DAY Tours for everything.

jpatokal

I'm the kind of guy who uses public transport in Los Angeles, but if you have more than a few days to spend in Melbourne, you pretty much need a car. Not so much for the city itself, but for exploring anything in the vicinity (Yarra Valley, Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island etc), your only sensible options are to either join an overpriced guided bus tour that sticks firmly to the beaten path, or to rent a car and set your own pace and itinerary.