Landing at Melbourne Airport (Tullamarine)

What MEL is like

Melbourne is where a great many trips begin rather than end: the Great Ocean Road, the wine country, and the small towns out west all start from this kerb. Unlike Sydney, there is no rail link from the terminals into the city, so everyone leaves by road one way or another. That makes the first half hour after the doors the busiest stretch of the whole arrival for your phone. The terminals sit close together, which at least keeps a domestic connection simple.

On arrival

Switch the line on as the wheels touch down and follow the signs to the checks; automated passport gates move the first queue along quickly. The slow part is the biosecurity check after the bags come out, where detector dogs working the line are routine rather than a sign of trouble. If you have landed in the morning off an overnight sector, several aircraft will be emptying at once. Use the wait at the belt to settle where your coach, rental desk shuttle or car is meeting you, because once you are through the doors things move faster than expected. Everything up to that point is indoors and on your own data.

How far the airport Wi-Fi gets you

Terminal Wi-Fi is free behind a short sign-in page, and its speed depends mostly on how many aircraft emptied in the last ten minutes. At the early morning peak, when the hall is fullest, it is also at its slowest. The bigger problem is reach rather than speed: the coach stands and the rental car lots are outside the building, so the signal fades before you have finished arranging a ride. If the plan is to pick up a car and drive, do not leave a booking confirmation dependent on airport Wi-Fi at the last minute.

Getting into town

The way out is the motorway, about half an hour to the centre when the road is clear and noticeably longer at peak. Airport coaches run into the central station district, while taxis and app cars have their own marked ranks. During the ride the map will recalculate several times, which is light on data but needs you online throughout. If you are driving on to another town the same day, download the coastal and regional map sections before you leave the terminal. Once you are past the outer suburbs, coverage clings to the main highways and thins out as soon as the road turns off them.

What people ask about this airport

• No train into town — Every way out of this airport is a road, so allow more than the map app suggests at peak hours and do not plan a tight onward connection around it.
• Download the map before you drive — If you collect a hire car and head straight out of town, save the offline map while you are still inside the terminal, because the rental lot is not where the signal is strongest.
• The terminals are neighbours — Unlike Sydney, the buildings here sit close together, so a domestic connection is usually walkable rather than a shuttle ride across the field.