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Car Hire at Melbourne Southern Cross Station - Gateway to South-east Australia

An essential part of the local transportation system, Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station is the main hub for all the city's regional departures, with easy connections to the Metro, tram and bus networks. Catering for aover 60 million passengers annually, it has played a pivotal role in the growth of public transport over the years throughout the entire state of Victoria. Noted for its architectural innovation, particularly its undulated trapezoidal roof system covering an entire city block, it serves as a terminus for many long-distance V/Line trains, including the twice-daily Countrylink XPT service to Sydney and The Overland to Adelaide three times per week.

Owned, operated and maintained by Civic Nexus under a 30 year concession to 2036 from the Victorian State Government, Southern Cross Station is Melbourne’s only true transport interchange and is an important gateway to many destinations in the city's environs and beyond. Located at the western edge of the Central Business District on Spencer Street, between Collins Street and La Trobe Street, it is in close proximity to many of the city's top tourist attractions, such as the Old Melbourne Gaol which once housed many of Australia's most notorious criminals. Marvel Stadium (just a five-minute walk from the station exit) is home to the local Australian Rules football team and is open for guided tours throughout the year.

Melbourne is not only Australia's second-largest city but one of the world's great multi-cultural metropolises. Once a magnet for gold rush prospectors in the 19th century, today it is a much-favoured tourist destination that attracts a great number of annual visitors with a plethora of first-rate sights and attractions. Chief amongst these are the National Gallery of Victoria (arguably the ost glittering jewel in the city's cultural crown), Melbourne Zoo (inaugurated more than 150 years ago), Captain Cook's Cottage located in Fitzroy Gardens and Queen Victoria Market, one of the best places in the city to eat, drink and buy souvenirs for friends and family back home.

Visitors are spoilt for choice when it comes to which outings to opt for with a car hire from Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station. The most popular day-trip from Melbourne of them all though is the exhilrating drive along the Great Ocean Road to see the famous limestone stacks known as the Twelve Apostles, one of the great natural wonders of Australia. Other first-choice day-trip possibilities from the centre of Melbourne include the scenic Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges, followed by a few hours of rest and relaxation on the golden beaches of the Mornington Peninsula. In less than a two-hour drive you can also immerse yourself in all the rich Gold Rush history of Ballarat, Bendigo and the Macedon Ranges close by.

With more than 65 years' experience in the heart of the international car hire industry, Auto Europe continues to provide high-quality car rental at the lowest rates and always with the widest choice of vehicles. Please contact our award-winning rental specialists for assistance if you require any assistance and they will be more than happy to find you the best deal for your cheap car rental at Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station. For added peace of mind, please don't forget to check out the user ratings and comments posted by some of our previous customers in the city on our Melbourne car hire reviews page.

Station Information

More than just a railway station, Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station is a combined rail terminus, shopping centre and bus station. Located on Spencer Street, the main thoroughfare between Collins and La Trobe Streets at the western boundary of Melbourne's central business district, it is the hub of Victoria's regional railway network and serves as a terminus for long-distance V/Line trains. A public holiday was declared on the 13th of January 1859 when the station officially opened its doors for he first so that the local people could witness the departure of the first passenger train from Batman's Hill Railway Station to Williamstown. The station's design is innovative and very ecological which won it the prestigious Lubetkin Prize in 2007, one of the top architecture awards from the Royal Institute of British Architects.

Where to pick up my car hire at Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station

The station is one of the main gateways to the city, so travellers who rent a car at Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station have the best of both worlds by being able to enjoy the best of the city's attractions before setting off on a road-trip around the state of Victoria, including an exhilarating ride along the Great Ocean Road. Being a large transport hub, several rental companies operate at Southern Cross, such as Alamo, Europcar and Sixt whose offices are situated within the station complex. Don't forget to have all your documents ready when you arrive to collect your vehicle in order to make the pick-up process as speedy as possible.

	Alamo at Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station 99 Spencer St, Unit 28 Melbourne, Australia 3000 +61 2 9353 9399	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-4pm and Sat & Sun 8am-midday
	Europcar at Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station Spencer Street Melbourne, Australia 3000 +61 2 992 064 88	Opening Hours: Daily 8am-5pm
	Sixt at Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station Spencer Outlet Centre (Shop 10) Melbourne, Australia 3008 +61 3 8661 6000	Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 7.30am-3pm and Sat & Sun 8am-midday

Station facilities

Although the station was built over 160 year ago, Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station has is blessed with all the modern conveniences and amenities you'd expect to find in a large city, from luggage-storage facilities to a wide range of on-site café, bars and restaurants. As well as being a busy transport hub, the station has a number of retailers on site, including a supermarket, chemist, fast-food outlets, a bookshop and various essential travellers' services such as car hire offices and bureaux de change. For passengers both arriving and departing, there are several comfortable air-conditioned waiting areas, a 30-bay coach terminal, security officers in attendance, efficient baggage-handling facilities and a secure car park for around 800 vehicles. Public facilities include toilets, Internet services and a large shopping centre with a supermarket and over 100 shops, bars and restaurants. The entire station is wheelchair accessible and over a hundred lockers are available for the safe storage of possesions. The local company Travellers Aid Australia provides a rest area with lounge facilities, a free buggy transport service for the elderly and people with disabilities, as well as several public information booths.

How to get to and from Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station

The city is very well organised in terms of town planning so finding your way around with a car hire from Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station is a relatively straightforward affair if you do a bit of planning prior to picking up your vehicle. Several metropolitan, regional and interstate bus services operate from the station, including the Skybus service to and from Melbourne (Tullamarine) Airport. The station is located on the western side of the city centre with excellent public transport connections to the rest of Melbourne. Te NSW Trainlink service operates between Sydney and Melbourne and leaves twice daily in the morning and evening, while the popular Overland line runs between Adelaide and Melbourne and takes around 11 hours with twice-weekly departures in each direction

Parking tips

There are quite a number of car parks in the city, but the closest is located at Southern Cross Station itself with the entrance via Bourke Street. Located at 163-235 Spencer Street, in the Docklands area of the city, Wilson Parking is an affordable and very secure option for people who book their car rental at Melbourne Southern Cross Train Station. This car park is located to many Docklands attractions, including Marvel Stadium and the Spencer Outlet Centre.

Useful links

Melbourne Tourist Info

Victoria Tourist Info