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Sydney to Melbourne drive: Princes Highway route stops
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Sydney to Melbourne drive options come down to two roads: the inland Hume Highway at about 870 km, or the coastal Princes Highway at about 1,040 km. The Hume is the fast one. The Princes Highway is the scenic one, and it needs at least two days.
The summer holidays are close, so this guide sets out both routes, realistic driving times and good places to stop for the night.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Hume Highway and Princes Highway (versions of mid November 2017).
The two routes at a glance
| Route | Distance | Our driving estimate | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hume Highway (inland) | About 870 km | 9 to 10 hours with short breaks | One long day, or an easy two days |
| Princes Highway (coast) | About 1,040 km | 13 to 15 hours with breaks | Beaches, forests and small towns over 2 to 3 days |
The distances come from Wikipedia. The times are our own sums, using average speeds a little under the posted limits and a few short stops. They are not a promise, so allow more time in holiday traffic.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Princes Highway (distance of 1,040 km against 870 km on the Hume); Wikipedia, Hume Highway (length and speed limit).
The Hume Highway: the fast inland route
The Hume Highway runs south from Sydney through Goulburn, Yass, Gundagai and Holbrook to Albury-Wodonga on the state border. It then becomes the Hume Freeway and carries on through Wangaratta, Benalla, Euroa and Seymour to Melbourne. The speed limit is 110 km/h for most of the way, with lower limits on some sections and near towns.
The road is now one continuous dual carriageway, with duplication finished in 2013. Most towns on the way have also been bypassed. Berrima was bypassed in 1989, Goulburn in 1992 and Albury in 2007. That helps with speed, but it means you must leave the highway on purpose to see a town.
Two stops are worth the detour. The Dog on the Tuckerbox sits at Snake Gully, just north of Gundagai. At Holbrook, a part reconstruction of the submarine HMAS Otway has stood in the town since 1995.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Hume Highway (route, towns, bypass dates and speed limit).
The Princes Highway: the long coastal route
The Princes Highway leaves Sydney through the southern suburbs, and the Princes Motorway takes most of the traffic as far as Wollongong. South of there, the road is dual carriageway as far as Kiama Heights, about 120 km from Sydney. Beyond that it is mostly a single lane each way along the NSW South Coast.
The road passes through Nowra, Ulladulla, Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma and Eden. It crosses into Victoria 550 km from Sydney, with 515 km still to go. In Victoria it runs through Orbost, Bairnsdale and Sale, then on towards Melbourne through the Latrobe Valley.
Expect slower going. Towns come often, and speeds drop to match. The NRMA said in 2007 that the highway was dangerous, so take care on the narrow stretches.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Princes Highway (route, border distances and NRMA comment).
Where to stop overnight
Plan the night before you are tired. Here are sensible stops on each road, all on the routes described above.
- Goulburn: a city on the Hume south-west of Sydney. It suits a late start from Sydney.
- Gundagai: a town on the Hume that suits a long first day, close to the Dog on the Tuckerbox.
- Albury-Wodonga: twin cities on the NSW and Victoria border.
- Batemans Bay: a good first night on the coast, with a short bypass through the town centre.
- Eden: the last big NSW town before the border, a calm place to rest before Victoria.
- Bairnsdale or Sale: Gippsland towns on the Princes Highway, within reach of Melbourne the next morning.
Book ahead in school holidays and over long weekends. Check opening times with each town's visitor centre, because they vary.
Sources for this section: Wikipedia, Hume Highway and Princes Highway (towns and bypasses).
Which route should you pick?
Pick the Hume Highway if you have one or two days and want to arrive on time. Pick the Princes Highway if the trip itself is the point. A common plan is to go one way and return the other, which gives you both for the price of one loop.
- Leave early. A start before 7 am on the Hume beats the Melbourne traffic at the other end.
- Swap drivers. If two of you can drive, change over about every two hours.
- Rest when you feel tired. A 15 minute break costs less than a late night on a dark road.
- Check fuel. Fill up in the larger towns, because some stretches on the coast are quiet.
Road works and holiday traffic change from week to week. Check the live traffic reports from Transport for NSW and VicRoads before you leave.
Sources for this section: our editors' planning notes, built on the route facts above.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Hume Highway (version of 15 November 2017): en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, Princes Highway (version of 15 November 2017): en.wikipedia.org