Melbourne Airport

Description

Melbourne Airport is located at a distance of 23 kilometres from the city centre. It boasts of four major terminals with each serving as an independent facility in itself. Terminal 2 serves international traffic whereas Terminal 1 and 3 are used for domestic flights. Terminal 4 is the first budget terminal of Australia and caters to regional traffic.

Address

Departure Dr, Melbourne Airport VIC 3045, Australia

Phone

+61 3 9297 1600

Prayer Facilities

Melbourne Airport has a Muslim prayer room at Terminal 2. It is located near the international departures lounge. The facility is gender segregated and offers Qiblah direction. Adjacent washrooms have footstools for people doing ablutions. Although directions to the prayer rooms have clear signage, passengers can ask the airport staff in case of any difficulty in finding the place.

Travelers that have just arrived in Melbourne and want to offer their prayers regularly can benefit from the dozens of mosques present in different neighborhoods and suburban areas.

Following is a brief list of major mosques in Melbourne. Melbourne West Mosque (66-68 Jeffcott Street) Broadmeadows Mosque (45-55 King Street, Broadmeadows) Islamic Centre of Australia (660 Sydney Road, Brunswick) Albury Wodonga Prayer Centre (25 South Street, Albury-Wodonga) Deer Park Mosque (283-285 Station Street, Deerpark) Arlton Mosque (765 Drummond Street, Carlton) Melbourne (RMIT) Musalla (Bourke St Campus)

Halal Food

 Melbourne Airport has a few Halal eateries: Nandoƒ??s (Departures, 1st floor) Noodles and Krispy Kremes ( T2 International and T3 Domestic).

The city of Melbourne, on the other hand, offers many authentic Halal dining options. Travelers can enjoy food from all parts of the Muslim world, including Indian, Pakistani, Lebanese and Indonesian, among other varieties.

City Little Malaysia (26 Liverpool Street) Minang Restaurant (242 Swanston Street) Gaylord Indian Restaurant (4 Tattersalls Lane) Nelayan Indonesian Restaurant (265-267 Swanston Street) Sawasdee Thai Restaurant (139 Little Bourke Street) Satay Inn Malaysian Restaurant (270 Victoria Street) Suburbs Halal Hot Bread Shop (170 Union Road, Ascot Vale) Bismi Restaurant (848 Sydney Road, Brunswick) Central Kebab House (661 Sydney Road, Brunswick) Tandoori Nights (167 Sydney Road, Brunswick) Moroccan Soup Bar (183 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North) The Kilim Turkish Restaurant (366 Victoria Street, Richmond) Marmara Restaurant (68 Chapel Street, Windsor 3181)

Transport

Melbourne Airport has good connections with the CBD and suburbs. Unfortunately, there are no railway connections that can provide the fastest commute to the city. Passengers, therefore, have to rely on taxis and public transport. They can also go for private car rentals though it is an expensive option.

SkyBus is the fastest connection to CBD and other areas of central Melbourne. It is the most viable option due to its 24/7 service and a frequency of 10 minutes. It also allows hotel transfer facility during 0600-2200 from Monday to Friday and 0730-1730 on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are available from the airport counters as well as their Web site. For suburban travel, public buses are the only option. They provide services to all major suburban areas from early morning until midnight. Please contact the booking counters at the international arrivals terminal for details about their routes.

Taxis are a relatively expensive option but the most suitable for passengers traveling in groups and families. A taxi holding area is present outside the international arrivals lounge.

Shopping

Melbourne Airport has a dedicated shopping area in all four terminals. Terminal 2, in particular, is home to stores and outlets that sell from basic Australian handicrafts to global brands. FIRST Tax & Duty Free is the place to go for if you are looking for tax-free shopping. The outlet has its presence at three places at the international departures area. Two of them are located in the restricted zones while the third one is in the public area.

There is also a FIRST Tax & Duty Free at the international arrivals lounge. Apart from the duty-free shops, there are great options for conventional shopping. There are two great stores at Terminal 2 that offer purely Australian products. There are boutique stores at Terminal 2 that offer all the branded products related to sunglasses, beauty care, apparels and clothing, menswear, fragrances and other products.

If you are not interested in spending large amounts of money on branded products, there are convenience stores that sell items on discounted rates. There are bookshops and newspaper stalls at the departures lounges. Additionally, passengers can also hire Vodafone mobile phones from their counter at international arrivals. Basic convenience stores are located at both the departures and arrivals lounges

Amenities

Melbourne Airport has transformed itself into a major entertainment centre. Plasma TV screens are present at all major areas of the airport and provide local and international programming. There are some screens allocated for childrenƒ??s movies and cartoons.

Melbourne airport provides money changing facilities at the international arrivals and departures lounges. Additionally, ATMs are also located at all convenient locations at the airport. Terminal 2 ANZ (Departures, 1st floor) ANZ (Departures, 1st floor) ANZ (Arrivals, ground floor) Travelex ((Departures, 1st floor) Travelex ((Arrivals, ground floor).

Baby change facilities are available at Terminal 2 of Melbourne Airport. There are four changing rooms and all of them are located in the restricted area. Bassinettes, however, are provided in some of the female restrooms in the public area. Please ask the airport staff for further details. They can also help with stroller hire, among other things.

Wireless Internet access is available at selected hotspots at the airport. Internet access, however, is not free and passengers have to pay a small fee to use these services. Melbourne Airport is fully equipped with handicap-access facilities. Ramps have been built at both the arrivals and departures areas. Disabled toilets are also available at both the restricted and public areas of Melbourne Airport.

Showers are available in both the restricted and public areas of the airport. Baggage storage facilities can also be availed by passengers arriving at Terminal 2. A property lost/found counter is available at the travelersƒ?? information services counters. There are three main hotels near Melbourne Airport.

The Hilton Hotel is located within the airport and a covered walkway has been provided from the domestic and international terminals. The Holiday Inn and Hotel Formule 1 are located within walking distance of the terminals.