Melbourne is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Australia. With its balmy weather, magnificent natural splendors, man-made wonders, electrifying nightlife, mouth watering cuisines as well as endless events and concerts, Melbourne entices millions of tourists to reserve flights to take a visit here. Melbourne International Airport is the key international gateway to the city serving this bustling metropolis and the nearby area.

Melbourne Airport handles scheduled services on flights with several leading airlines such as Etihad Airways, China Southern, Thai Airways, Air France, Cathay Pacific, KLM Royal Dutch, Air India, Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines. Britons flying to the cultural capital of Australia often board flights with the destination carrier Qantas Airways or UK’s national carrier British Airways. Travelers who disembark flights get plenty of options to reach the city and following are the top choices.

Taxis

Travelers can hire a taxi from the designated taxi stand outside the terminals. This is an easy and convenient way to travel from/to the place. There is an option for pre-booking cabs. Do not forget to collect your electronic receipt from the driver before getting off at your destination. Passengers landing at the airport on flights can also book pre-paid taxis.

SkyBus

Another popular mode of transportation to get to Melbourne city from the airport is the SkyBus. They operate frequent bus services throughout the day including public holidays. Holidaymakers arriving on flights to Melbourne can also purchase tickets after arrival or book the tickets online to avail the facility. SkyBus also offers a complimentary hotel transfer at specific hours of the day except Christmas day.

Rental Cars

Every year millions of tourists arrive on flights at the cultural capital of Australia for work or seeking a gratifying holiday experience. To commute to the main city and surrounding areas, people often prefer to avail rent-a-car services. From the information desk of the domestic terminal, you can rent cars or directly contact the cab hiring companies online to avail these cars.

The metropolis of Melbourne is among the top urban attractions in Australia but sightseeing is only a part of the holiday experience. Australia and specially Melbourne is renowned globally for the wide selection of cuisine on offer and a lively restaurant scene. Gourmands aboard international flights to this city have numerous restaurants and cafés to choose from that ensures the choice of cuisines in this part of Australia is unmatched. Following are the popular eating joints at this leading urban haunt.

Lady Bower Kitchen

This eatery is located in the suburb of Melbourne and provides the quintessential feel of hospitality that visitors seek after landing on flights in this metropolis of Australia. All recipes are prepared from locally sourced products and reasonably priced too. The leading choices at this establishment include salmon cured with salt, grilled Tasmanian Mersey Valley as well as the chicken and avocado.

Mocha

The premier Japanese restaurant in town, Machi, has been making waves since it opened its doors. Located strategically close to the business centre of the city, it is a favourite haunt among business travellers looking to party or have a business lunch in between meetings and long haul flights. The popular dishes at this leading Melbourne eatery include omakase, miso soup and a range of lamb recipes.

Mamasita

This famous Mexican restaurant of Melbourne has been a top favourite among those who seek authentic cuisine from Central America. A perfect place to chill out after a day of sightseeing, Mamasita is perfect for both intimate meetings and group get-togethers. Those interested in sampling Mexican cuisine ranging from tacos to tostadas can ill afford to miss out on the tasty food on offer before they board their return flights.

Railway Club Hotel

For more than two decades this joint has been a favourite among the locals and with good reason. A lot of restaurants serve good food but only a few like Railway Club Hotel delight their customers in such a fashion that the waiting line keeps on growing year in year out. This premier steak house is an extremely popular destination for non-vegetarians booking flights to Australia and its delicious barbeque dishes are not to be missed.

A significant portion of Melbourne bound travellers in the UK prefer to book their tickets with Qantas Airways, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading long distance airlines. From London Heathrow, the airline runs regular services to the city. For those who have their flights from LHR to Melbourne with Qantas, here is a brief airport guide.

Transport

Fliers can locate London Heathrow at 24km (15 miles) west of London. There are multiple transport options available for fliers who wish to travel to the United Kingdom’s busiest airport from various parts of London. One can opt to travel by car, which takes approximately 30 minutes from the city. Taxis can also be hired for the purpose. National Express Coach services operate from Heathrow to Gatwick and to many parts of the UK. Visit their website, www.nationalexpress.com, for information on cost of tickets.

Heathrow Express Train operates between Paddington Station and Heathrow. A train journey to and from Central London takes 15 minutes. One can also opt for the London Underground to travel around.

Qantas Flights

All Qantas flights and all Emirates operations on which the Australian airline code shares run from Terminal 3 of LHR.

Check-in

Those who are flying to Melbourne will find that the Check-in is located in Zones F and G of Heathrow. Zone F is for those with economy class tickets. Zone F is also for on-line check-in bag drop and for those who desire to use the self bag drop facility which is only for Qantas fliers.

Zone G is for First, Business and Premium Economy Class travellers, Platinum and Gold Frequent Flyers and Qantas Club members.

Online Check-in is available for the airline’s international services and other connecting flights operated by oneworld, partner and codeshare carriers. Those holding tickets for Melbourne flights must keep in mind that online check-in starts 24 hours before flight departure and closes 2 hours before departures.

With an undying passion for food, music and art, Melbourne celebrates every day of every year! No matter what time one visit in, it is always quivering with entertainment and colourful jamborees to offer fun galore. And August is no exception! The time is, by all odds, ripe for taking flights for holidays in Melbourne and wallowing in its perennial festive fervour. Here’s why!

Melbourne Day

It is the Melbourne’s birthday! On August 30, the latter-day’s dazzling city was founded when colonists set down on the bank of Yarra River in 1835. On this day Melbourne takes a new form with hundreds of jovial events to cater all and sundry. Most of the pubs, hotels, cafes, restaurants and city attractions go the extra mile and offer special discounts to the locals and tourists. Britons are often found to be a part of mad scramble to book flights to Melbourne from London for this popular affair. They strive hard just to behold the wonderful carnivals dappling the city with multihued hues. Some of the prominent baits include Flag Raising Ceremony, the Lord Mayor’s Melbourne Day Oration and week-long activities.

Melbourne Writers Festival

The two week literary festival, Melbourne Writer Festival is one of the most popular events in Melbourne, enticing global travellers to look for cheap deals on flights to this Australian city. Running from August to September, it showcases works of eminent writers and thought-provoking insights of creative thinkers. A good number of graphic novelists, fiction and non-fiction writers, journalists, biographers, poets and artists from across the globe take flights to this Aussie metropolis for witnessing the grand occasion. In addition, the festival hosts an array of performances by international musicians and artists. Then there are reading sessions and workshops to amuse the little ones and families. All in all, Melbourne Writers Festival truly rewards the bibliophiles and all creative types who visit the city during this time.