Melbourne Airport (MEL), at Tullamarine, is the main air gateway for ski trips into Victoria’s alpine resorts. Its biggest advantage is flight choice: travellers can arrive on a wide range of domestic and international services, then continue by rental car, coach or private transfer towards Mount Buller, Falls Creek, Mount Hotham and other Victorian snow destinations. For visitors coming from interstate or overseas, MEL usually offers the broadest choice of flights before the mountain journey begins.
Mount Buller is the most straightforward major ski transfer from Melbourne Airport. The resort gives the journey from Melbourne at about 248 km and roughly three hours via Mansfield. Importantly for air arrivals, BullerBus operates winter services directly from Tullamarine Airport to Mount Buller Village, so travellers do not always need to go into central Melbourne first. Current timetables should still be checked before booking because snow-coach services are seasonal.
Falls Creek and Mount Hotham involve longer road journeys into north-east Victoria. Falls Creek lists Melbourne at 391 km and about 4½ hours, while Mount Hotham gives its main Melbourne route at approximately 380 km and 4¼ hours. These resorts can still be reached comfortably from MEL in a day, but travellers should compare total road time with regional alternatives such as Albury, particularly when Falls Creek or Hotham is the only destination.
Car hire is a major part of the MEL ski-transfer story. Melbourne Airport currently has Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Redspot and Sixt operating on site, with collection on the ground floor of the T123 car park opposite Terminal 2. A rental car gives the most flexibility for a multi-resort trip, but winter alpine rules need to be understood before setting out.
Snow chains are compulsory to carry at Falls Creek during the declared winter season, and Mount Hotham requires diamond-pattern chains to be carried and fitted when directed. Mount Buller also has specific chain and resort-entry rules depending on conditions and where the vehicle is parked. MEL is therefore an excellent Victorian ski gateway, but the best onward option depends on the final resort, weather, road conditions and whether travellers prefer to drive or use a dedicated snow coach.