Last updated on November 15, 2025
German bus and train operator, Flixbus, has started operations in Australia. Flixbus is offering $9.99 tickets between the three most popular routes: Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra for a limited time from November 20th, 2025.
That makes it the cheapest way to get from Melbourne to Sydney and vice versa at the moment, making it a great way to travel to these 3 cities on a budget.
At a glance:
Routes: Sydney <-> Melbourne, Sydney <-> Canberra, Melbourne <-> Canberra
Limited time Promotional Cost: $9.99 one way
Booking: On their website: https://www.flixbus.com.au/bus-routes
What is Flix?
Flix started in Munich, Germany, in 2011. In Europe, they run trains and buses in over 3000 cities in over 40 countries, including Berlin, Bremen, Dresden, Hamburg, in Germany, Villach in Austria, Rotterdam, Amsterdam in The Netherlands, Barcelona in Spain, and Rome, Florence, and Venice in Italy.
Check out their website below:
How long does it take to travel between Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra by bus?
Sydney to Melbourne:
The Flixbus trip from Sydney to Melbourne takes 11 hours and 40 minutes, and it stops at Canberra and Albury on the way to Melbourne, covering a total of 946 kilometres.
Melbourne to Sydney:
The Melbourne to Sydney trip takes 20 minutes shorter at 11 hours and 20 minutes and covers 934 kilometres.
Sydney to Canberra:
The trip from Sydney to Canberra takes 3 hours and 30 minutes and covers 289 kilometres.
Canberra to Sydney:
The trip from Canberra to Sydney takes 10 minutes less at 3 hours and 10 minutes and covers 272 kilometres.
Melbourne to Canberra:
The trip from Melbourne to Canberra takes 7 hours and 30 minutes and covers 662 kilometres.
Canberra to Melbourne:
The trip from Melbourne to Canberra also takes 7 hours and 30 minutes and covers a few kilometres less at 657 kilometres.
Here’s handy table that summarises this for you:
|
Departure city🚌 |
Destination city 🚩 | ||
|
Sydney |
Canberra |
Melbourne | |
|
Sydney |
|
Duration: 3:30 hours Distance: 289 kilometres |
Duration: 11:40 hours Distance: 946 km |
|
Canberra |
Duration: 3:10 hours Distance: 272 kilometres |
|
Duration: 7:30 hours Distance: 657 kilometres |
|
Melbourne |
Duration: 11:20 hours Distance: 934 km |
Duration: 7:30 hours Distance: 662 kilometres |
|
How many buses are there a day?
There are different amounts of services for each of the 6 possible routes. For specific information, check out their website. As a guide:
12 buses run from Sydney to Canberra daily, departing from different locations in the city. The first bus departs Sydney at 6:45am from Central Station and arrives in Canberra at 10:15am. The last one departs Sydney at 10:40pm and arrives in Canberra at 1:45am the next day (after midnight).
There are 2 buses from Sydney to Melbourne, the first one departs Sydney from Central Station at 7:45am (Sydney domestic airport at 8:05am and Sydney international airport at 8:10am) and arrives in Melbourne at 7:25pm. There is an overnight bus departing from Sydney to Melbourne, departing Sydney from Central Station at 7:45pm (Sydney domestic airport at 8:05pm and Sydney international airport at 8:10pm) and arriving in Melbourne at 7:40am the next day.
There are only two bus services from Melbourne to Sydney: one at 10:20am departing Melbourne from Southern Cross station and arriving in Sydney at 9:40pm at Sydney Central Station, and the second one at 10:05pm arriving in Sydney at 9:40am at Sydney international airport the next day (the same bus arrives at 9:55am at Sydney domestic airport, and 10:00am at Sydney Central Station).
Where do the buses depart from?
The Flixbus services from Sydney to Melbourne depart from either Sydney’s Central Station, Sydney Domestic Airport, or Sydney International Airport. From Melbourne, it departs at the bus terminals in the Southern Cross station, and in Canberra, at the bus terminal at 67 Northbourne Ave.
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