Key facts
- Airport in Lorne
- The town’s getting-here page does not name one. It describes a drive, a link through Avalon and Geelong, or a V/Line train and coach.
- Melbourne Airport
- Visit Great Ocean Road calls it Melbourne Airport (MEL), also Tullamarine, with domestic and international flights, transport and car hire on site.
- Avalon routes
- Avalon Airport’s airlines page names Jetstar, connecting the airport with Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and direct to Bali.
- Avalon to Geelong
- The town page says Geelong is 19 km from Avalon Airport, with bus services that operate in line with flight arrivals.
- Cars at Melbourne
- Melbourne Airport says the car rental counters are on the ground floor of the T123 car park, opposite Terminal 2.
- Coach stops
- McHarry’s lists the Lorne Visitor Information Centre on Mountjoy Parade and the Lorne Hotel on the V/Line coach from Geelong.
Last checked
Which airport should you fly into for Lorne?
Use Melbourne Airport (MEL) for domestic and international flights into the main airport, and for the search on this site. Use Avalon Airport (AVV) when Jetstar’s list matches your city and you want the airport near Geelong. 1, 2
Visit Great Ocean Road treats both as gateways. It calls Melbourne the major airport, and Avalon the closest airport to the start of the Great Ocean Road. Neither page puts an airport in Lorne itself. The rest of the trip is by road or by train and coach. 2, 3
- Choose Melbourne Airport (MEL) for domestic or international flights into the main airport, or for a search on this site.
- Choose Avalon Airport (AVV) when the Jetstar cities on the airport’s airlines page match the trip, and Geelong is a useful next stop.
- Stay on the train and coach when you are already in Melbourne and do not need a flight into either airport.
| Option | Arrival | Best for | What you book | Watch-outs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Airport (MEL) | Domestic and international flights, on the Visit Great Ocean Road account. | Most trips, and any search on this site’s flights page. | The flight into MEL, then a car or the train and coach. | The car is a separate booking. This page’s flights search does not offer Avalon. |
| Avalon Airport (AVV) | Jetstar to Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Bali, on the airport’s airlines page. | A Jetstar trip into the airport near Geelong. | The Jetstar flight, then a bus toward Geelong or a car. | This site’s flights page does not search AVV. Check Jetstar for the day you travel. |
| Train and coach | No flight. Southern Cross to Geelong, then the V/Line coach McHarry’s runs. | Travellers who are not driving from Melbourne. | The V/Line trip. It is not included with a flight. | McHarry’s lists the visitor centre and the Lorne Hotel. Check V/Line for your date. |
Fares on that page come from Kiwi.com.
What does Melbourne Airport offer for this trip?
Visit Great Ocean Road describes Melbourne Airport (MEL) as Tullamarine, the major airport for the state, with domestic and international flights. It says transport services and car hire are on site, with a connection to the city by public and private operators. 2
That is the airport this site uses for a Lorne trip. The town page, by contrast, mentions Avalon when it talks about flying in, then sends you on through Geelong. Read both. MEL is the hub. AVV is the airport the town page ties to Geelong. 2, 1
Landing at Melbourne is not arriving in Lorne. The town page’s drive follows the M1 to Geelong and then the Great Ocean Road. It also names an inland road from Geelong through Winchelsea on the C151, and says that road is less scenic than the coast road. 1
What flies into Avalon Airport?
Avalon Airport’s airlines page names Jetstar. It says Jetstar connects the airport with Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, and now flies direct to Bali. The page says to check the airline’s website for schedules. This guide does not copy a timetable. 3
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Visit Great Ocean Road calls Avalon (AVV) the closest airport to the start of the Great Ocean Road, just outside Geelong, and says it has car hire. Its Jetstar city list is shorter than the airport’s own page. Use the airport page for Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Bali. 2, 3
How do you continue from Melbourne Airport?
Drive, or go into the city and change to the train and coach. For a car, Melbourne Airport says to follow the Car Rental signs to the ground floor of the T123 car park, opposite Terminal 2. The town page then points you along the M1 to Geelong and onto the Great Ocean Road. 1, 4
Without a car, the town page says to take a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station to Geelong, then a coach to Lorne. McHarry’s Buslines runs that V/Line coach along the Great Ocean Road. The two legs are separate from the flight. 1, 6
- Land at Melbourne Airport (MEL).
- For a hire car, follow the Car Rental signs to the ground floor of the T123 car park, opposite Terminal 2.
- To drive the coast, the town page says follow the M1 to Geelong and then the Great Ocean Road. It also names the inland road via Winchelsea and the C151.
- Without a car, take a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station to Geelong, then the V/Line coach McHarry’s runs.
How do you continue from Avalon Airport?
The town page says Geelong is 19 km from Avalon Airport, and that bus services from the airport to Geelong operate in line with flight arrivals. The Premier of Victoria said on 23 March 2026 that a Route 18 bus connects the airport to Lara Station, seven days a week. 1, 5
From Geelong, the same town page puts you on the V/Line coach toward Lorne. McHarry’s runs that coach. Visit Great Ocean Road also says Avalon has car hire, which suits a coast drive that starts nearer Geelong than a pickup at Melbourne Airport does. It does not name a desk. 1, 6, 2
To compare cars with Avalon filled in, open car hire for Avalon Airport (AVV). You still choose the dates. That control is a text link. The button below is the Melbourne Airport pickup.
Where can you collect a hire car?
At Melbourne Airport, collect from the car rental counters on the ground floor of the T123 car park, opposite Terminal 2. The airport says to follow the Car Rental signs from the terminal. The flight and the car are separate bookings. 4
The pickup name has to carry the right code. Melbourne Airport is MEL. Avalon Airport is AVV. A search labelled with Adelaide’s code would ask for the wrong airport. Visit Great Ocean Road says both airports have car hire. This site can prefill either name. 4, 2
What changes once you are in Lorne?
The town page says that once you are in Lorne there is no public transport, only a taxi service. If you arrive by coach, it says a stay in the heart of town keeps the beach and the cafes easier to reach. 1
Rooms on the beachfront strip and in the bush are compared in where to stay in Lorne. If you would rather not piece the coast drive together, Great Ocean Road tours that stop in Lorne compares three day tours from Melbourne. The train and coach, stop by stop, is on Melbourne to Lorne by train and coach.
Frequently asked questions
Does the flight button search Melbourne or Avalon?
No. The Kiwi.com button is a ready-made link to Kiwi.com. It does not open a Melbourne Airport or Avalon Airport results page. Use the flights page on this site for Melbourne (MEL). You still choose the dates. This guide does not print a fare.
Is the ride to Lorne included with the flight?
No. The town page treats the flight, the bus from Avalon to Geelong, and the V/Line train and coach as separate parts of the trip. McHarry’s runs the coach for V/Line. Check V/Line for the coach on your date. This guide does not print that fare.
Where does the coach stop in Lorne?
McHarry’s lists two Lorne stops on the V/Line coach: the Lorne Visitor Information Centre on Mountjoy Parade, and the Lorne Hotel. The town page also names the Lorne Hotel. After that, the town page says there is no public transport in Lorne, only a taxi service.
Which code belongs to which airport?
Melbourne Airport is MEL. Avalon Airport is AVV. The flights page on this site arrives at MEL. Car hire can be opened with Melbourne Airport (MEL) or Avalon Airport (AVV) filled in. You still choose the dates on that form.
Which page should I trust for Avalon’s cities?
Use Avalon Airport’s airlines page. It names Jetstar, with Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Bali, and says to check the airline for schedules. Visit Great Ocean Road names Jetstar too, with a shorter city list. This guide follows the airport page.
Search Melbourne arrivals on the flights page, compare a Melbourne Airport (MEL) pickup on car hire, or read the train and coach guide. For a room after you land, start with where to stay in Lorne. For a seat on a day tour, use the tours guide.
Sources and last checked (6)
- Getting here, Lorne.com.au · Checked
- Visit Great Ocean Road: getting here · Checked
- Avalon Airport: airlines and schedules · Checked
- Melbourne Airport: car rentals · Checked
- Premier of Victoria: Avalon international flights · Checked
- McHarry’s Buslines: Great Ocean Road V/Line coach · Checked