Can your myki card get you all the way from Melbourne's CBD to the airport?
The short answer is yes, but whether it's worth doing is another question entirely.
With the school holidays just around the corner, I decided to test whether it's viable to skip the Skybus in favour of catching a train/bus combo to Tullamarine.
Why would you even?
Myki, Melbourne's public transport payment card, is used on most trams, trains and buses — but the Skybus airport express service uses its own ticketing system.
Assuming you're a single full fare-paying passenger, a trip to the airport from Southern Cross Station using your myki saves you $13.90 compared to the cheapest one-way Skybus ticket.
For the budget-conscious traveller that's the cost of a meal (provided you're not buying it at the airport).
There's a catch, however — the myki-powered journey takes twice as long as the express airport service which makes the trip in about 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
I've got the time, let's go!
OK then! Apart from the Skybus, the most direct route from Southern Cross to Tullamarine is to take a train to Broadmeadows Station, then change for the route 901 Smartbus to Melbourne Airport.
Laden with my favourite carry-on bag and my trusty two-wheeled backpack, I headed through the gates to catch a Craigieburn line train to Broadmeadows.
I arrived at platform 11 just as the train had left and waited 20 minutes for the next one, in which time two shiny red Skybuses left for the airport without me.
My next mistake was not catching a train direct to North Melbourne and changing there; by the time the first of those two Skybuses was due to reach the airport I was still trundling around the City Loop.
Change at Broadmeadows
Alighting the train 40 minutes later, I was momentarily confused by the signage to the 901 bus stop.
And I was not the only one; during my 15 minutes onboard the 901 I met the friendly but photo-shy Vincent Cheung who had all but circumnavigated Broadmeadows Station in search of the stop.
He was returning home to Perth after a short break in Melbourne and had chosen the Smartbus over the Skybus because of the savings it afforded.
We soon arrived at the airport, one hour and 17 minutes after my experiment began.
So is it worth it?
That depends.
The bus deposits you a short walk from Terminal 4 which is used by most of the budget-friendly domestic airlines, but it's a decent trek to check-in if you're travelling internationally.
If you're a solo traveller or backpacker with time to spare, then the Smartbus could indeed be the smart option.
But if you're travelling with children you may be better served by pre-purchasing one of the family tickets available from the Skybus website.
And be warned, the Smartbus driver informed me that anyone with too much luggage will not be let on the bus — so if you are taking the myki option, it's probably best to leave the surfboard at home.
