Driving Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney: Best Travel Mode
Browse more guides: Australia travel | Oceania destinations Driving Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney: Best Travel Mode Last updated: April 2026 · 12 min read I've done the Melbourne-Canberra-Sydney triangle three times. Once in 2 days flat (mistake), once over 5 days with proper country-town stops (right answer), and once on an 8-day loop that swung through the Snowy Mountains in spring. Drive it if you want the country towns and the mountains. Fly it if you're city-hopping in a week and don't care about anything between the airports. TL;DR: Drive if your trip is about the in-between (5-7 days, fuel ~AUD $130-180, 4-6 nights at $150-200 = ~$800-1,200 all-in). Fly if you're short on time and only want city sights (advance fares MEL-SYD or MEL-CBR from AUD $120, total flight time 1.5 hr per leg). Take the NSW TrainLink XPT (~AUD $90-160 economy, 11 hours Melbourne-Sydney) only if you genuinely prefer rail to road. Best months: September to November for spring, March...