The Ultimate 2-Day Adelaide to Melbourne Road Trip

Driving from Adelaide to Melbourne is a simple, straightforward 700-and-something-kilometre drive. It takes you through lovely little towns, numerous playgrounds, coffee shops, and bakeries.

And it is doable in one day; however, if you would like to take the time to explore, this is a lovely drive to do over 2 days. It is a comfortable 4 to 5-hour drive per day, with many stops and scenery to look at.

We’ve been doing this drive for as long as I can remember. It first started with me driving with my parents to visit family during most school holidays. The stops that we do today with our own kids are the stops that I used to do with Mum and Dad. So let me take you on a journey from Adelaide to Melbourne.

I’ll share my favourite recommendations if you’re travelling with kids. Read the section about the best playgrounds to stop at, and if you like your coffee, I’ll list the best bakeries and some of the best accommodation that we’ve found along the way.

And of course, if you’re doing the drive from Melbourne to Adelaide, you’ll just need to read this blog in reverse! All right, so let’s get stuck into it.

Day 1: Adelaide to Horsham (The Halfway Stop)

Morning Leg: Adelaide to Tailem Bend

• Distance: Approx. 96 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

When you first start leaving Adelaide, you head up the freeway. My recommendation is not to leave between 8:00 and 9:00 AM. It’s peak hour in Adelaide, and although Adelaide traffic isn’t terrible, if you left around 7:00 AM or perhaps at 10:00 AM, it will make for an easier start. The first section of this road is mainly a double-lane highway. It can get windy and foggy up in the Adelaide Hills during a winter morning, so just take it easy.

However, the drive itself is straightforward. You’ll pass the lovely town of Murray Bridge, head over the River Murray, and I would suggest making your first stop Tailem Bend. It’s just over an hour’s drive up the freeway from Adelaide and it’s the first good stop to really stretch your legs.

If you head off the highway and turn left, you’ll be able to come into an area that has the best playground for kids on this drive. It has a steam train that you can climb over, some interesting history for those who are interested to read, and a really good playground. It is fully enclosed for those kids who are extra adventurous and love to run.

On the other side of this road, there is a coffee shop and a bakery, a pizza shop, and an IGA. It’s great for that first morning coffee, and it’s highly recommended to grab yourself some lovely, decadent sticky bun. There are toilets just on the other side of the Tailem Bend station, which is also another interesting spot to read.

Depending on the time that you stop here, you might see the Overland train go past on the train line that sits behind the playground. Once you’ve finished at Tailem Bend, jump back in the car and continue heading SE towards Melbourne.

Lunch at Keith: Tailem Bend to Keith

• Distance: Approx. 130 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Back on the highway, continue along to Melbourne. Your next major stop will be at Keith, but there are a few interesting scenic places to see along the way. The first little town that you pass will be a town called Coonalpyn. Make sure you stop here, grab your camera, and have a look at the amazing silo art.

I still don’t know how the artists can get such amazing pictures on the silos, but it’s definitely recommended to stop for a few moments, take a photo, and take in the amazing artwork. There are many silos with silo art on your journeys today and throughout SA, and as we’ve noticed, further on around Australia.

Jump back in the car and continue on through to Tintinara. If you do need to stretch the legs, there is a little playground here for the kids to play around in. It is not fenced, so just keep that in mind, but it’s a good spot to stop and sip on a coffee. Otherwise, continue down the road and make your way through to Keith.

Tailem Bend to Keith will take you around about an hour and a half to two hours of driving and stops. Keith has a great spot for lunch. Pull up at the park. If you have kids, check out the little monorail train (which, fun fact, I used to ride on as a kid). They’ve expanded it now and just finished off an amazing slide and climbing structure for your kids, along with water play features. You’ll find a clean toilet stop here.

Just up the road from the park, which is in walking distance, is yet another bakery. There is also an EV charging station here, but do check if it’s working or not at the time. I drive a diesel-powered car, so I can’t comment too much on the EV, but I have seen them here.

Afternoon Leg: Keith to Bordertown

• Distance: Approx. 46 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 30 minutes

Keith to Bordertown is a nice, quick drive, just under an hour. Bordertown can be another stop where you stop and stretch your legs. It also gives you the option for camping if you are taking a tent or your caravan.

Bordertown Recreational Lake has some lovely Bush camp sites that are out of the way, situated back enough from the highway to not hear too many trucks going past, and just a nice little spot. Bordertown also has yet another bakery, good coffee, and toilets for a toilet break if needed.

It is the last town you’ll find before you cross the border into Victoria. Just a point to note: travelling Adelaide to Melbourne (SA to Victoria), there are no concerns for taking fruit across the border to Victoria. However, when you go back, you will need to make sure you don’t bring any fruit, vegetables, or honey products through the border from Victoria to SA. There will be a quarantine bin on the Victoria side for you to put any fruit, but going South Australia to Victoria is no trouble.

(Optional Stop): Bordertown to Kaniva

• Distance: Approx. 44 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 30 minutes

Depending on how much time you have on your journey travelling Adelaide to Melbourne, Kaniva is another lovely stop. Kaniva has a range of shops from Home Hardware stores to post offices and IGAs. Kaniva again has more playgrounds and bakeries, and it is a lovely little town just to stop and wander and stretch our legs on this drive. It all depends on how much time that you have on your travels. I would suggest making Kaniva a good afternoon tea stop, and sit back and enjoy the scenery.

(Optional Stop): Kaniva to Nhill

• Distance: Approx. 39 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 30 minutes

Nhill is a larger town on the way from Adelaide to Melbourne, and this could be one option for your accommodation for the night. There are many hotels and caravan parks that you could choose to stay in here. While you’re at it, visit the Nhill lake, which has some lovely viewing vantage points and a lovely change of pace from the highway.

Also, note that Nhill does have a rather large hospital, which is a place where you hopefully don’t need to visit. However, just know that it’s there along your journey. When you get to Nhill, there will be a right-hand turn that you’ll need to make to continue along the Western Hwy.

Where to Stay in Nhill (Optional Overnight)

We’ve stayed at both of these motels, and they’re both neat and comfy for an overnight stay.

Zero Inn Motel

The Zero Inn Motel in Nhill is a convenient place to stop, it’s on the highway but relatively quiet. The rooms are comfortable, it has AC with basic facilities. There is a swimming pool for use during the hotter months.

➡️ Check prices and availability here

Nhill Oasis Motel

If you’re looking for somewhere that has breakfast options, some cool dinosaur statues, and is close to a pinball museum, check out the Nhill Oasis Motel.

➡️ Check prices and availability here

Evening: Arriving in Horsham (Overnight Stop)

• Distance from Nhill: Approx. 74 km
• Estimated Driving Time from Nhill: Approx. 50 minutes

If you’ve still got time in the day and you feel like driving, continue through to Horsham, which is about the halfway mark from Adelaide to Melbourne, and it offers a much larger range of accommodation and restaurant options for the night.

Our Tip: Book your accommodation ahead of time, especially if it’s a Friday or Saturday night. It is possible that accommodation gets booked out. Also find out the time you can check in, if you plan on arriving after business hours ask if the hotel has 24 hour check in options.

Horsham will be the largest town midway between Adelaide and Melbourne. Here you can find McDonald’s, Hungry Jacks, KFCs, all the usual fast food, along with many good restaurants and hotels. I’d suggest having a look at the RSL restaurant, which will be on the right-hand side as you drive through Horsham. There are many accommodation spots, so sit back, relax, and enjoy this first part of your journey and get ready for the second part in the morning.

Where to Stay in Horsham (Recommended Overnight Stop)

Comfort Inn May Park

The Comfort Inn May Park is a neat, modern hotel with nice amenities. It has many options for rooms for single travellers to families. It is situated behind a lovely park which is great for the kids to run around, and is walking distance to a few restaurants.

➡️ Check prices and availability here

Ploughmans Motor Inn

The Ploughmans Motor Inn is another lovely hotel option. It is slightly cheaper than the Comfort Inn, but still has nice amenities. It may be slightly older, but still in a good location.

Day 2: Horsham to Melbourne (The Final Stretch)

When you do start planning your drive in the morning, just work out when you want to arrive in Melbourne. Melbourne peak hour traffic is a lot more than Adelaide, so try to get to Melbourne at a time that doesn’t coincide with around about 3:30 to 5:30 PM, unless you’re aiming to get to the western side of Melbourne and you don’t need to drive through the city.

Morning Leg: Horsham to Dadswell Bridge (The Big Koala)

• Distance: Approx. 37 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 25 minutes

Grab a morning coffee and breaky in Horsham, jump in the car and make your way to a town called Dadswell Bridge. If you have the time here, it is highly worthwhile to stop in and view the Big Koala. If you don’t believe me, it is a huge koala statue that was made many, many years ago and still stands today.

It now serves as a tourist stop with a little cafe and information sign.

There’s about a 20-minute walk, which takes you partway along the highway and then inland back behind the Big Koala. It’s highly recommended. Just remember that if you go in the hotter periods, do take water with you and be safe. There could be the potential of snakes around, so have snake bite kits or chat to the lovely locals if you are not sure.

Another accommodation option if you like tiny homes. There is a beautiful little caravan park that’s situated just behind the Big Koala, and it is a very neat caravan park with cabin sites, sites for your caravan, and also tiny homes which are beautifully equipped with mod cons and the works.

If you’re lucky, you might even be able to sit around the campfire with the caravan park owners, have a chat, and enjoy the scenery. Off in the distance, you can see the start of the Grampians and Halls Gap, which is a beautiful town, but one I’ll get to in another article. Then jump back in the car and continue on the way to Melbourne.

Midday Leg: Dadswell Bridge to Ararat

• Distance: Approx. 58 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 45 minutes

Around another hour or so up the road, you will then find Ararat. Ararat is a relatively decent-sized town. There is a lovely playground just off the Main Street on the northern side which has a wonderful playground. It is a fully fenced area, but there’s also a cafe, so if you want another coffee for the road or any biscuits and the like, stop in there. You’ll find the cafe in the park.

There is also a swimming pool. If you go during the summer months and you feel the need for a bit of a swim, head on into the community swimming pool. It’s a really great spot.

You will also find a lot of the bigger bakeries and restaurants back on the Main Street, but my suggestion is to go off the beaten track and find the little playground. Yourselves and kids would love it.

If you have the time, Ararat is also a wonderful town to explore. There is a lot of history. There is a place called J Ward (formerly the Ararat Gaol), which has a lot of interesting, yet dark history to do with the jails that were there. If you do get the time it is a worthwhile look, but otherwise, jump in the car. Next stop will be Ballarat.

Afternoon Leg: Ararat to Ballarat

• Distance: Approx. 93 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

Ballarat is another hour or so up the road from Ararat. If you do need to stop in the town of Ballarat, it is the last big stop before Melbourne. It does have many hotels if you do need to make that one final stop to make this more of a three or four-day trip to Melbourne.

However, Ballarat town is off the main highway by about four or five kilometres, so just keep that in mind if you’re short on time. You might want to bypass the town.

Evening: Ballarat to Melbourne (The Final Approach)

• Distance: Approx. 110 km
• Estimated Driving Time: Approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Ballarat to Melbourne is the last piece of this drive. It is mainly a double-lane highway the whole way and a relatively straightforward drive. There are many fuel stations along the way if you need to stop to top up, but otherwise, this highway will take you straight into Melbourne Centre.

When you do get closer to Melbourne, you’ll notice that the roads will start getting busier, with more lanes on the roads, and you’ll need to start having a lookout as to which lane you need to be in for where you need to go.

If you need to go to the east of Melbourne, the best route will be to take the Western Ring Rd. This will take you bypassing the city, with beautiful city views on one side with the Eye of Melbourne and the river on the right-hand side, where you might be able to see the cargo boats. It’s an interesting drive.

From here, you have many options. Be aware that Melbourne does have toll roads, so you may need to put into your GPS “Avoid toll roads.” Depending on the time of the day, using the toll road can save you many, many minutes of driving if you are happy to pay the price. Otherwise, you can take the scenic option and go around the suburbs.

A Note on the Great Ocean Road

Driving from Adelaide to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road is another option, but that is an article for another day. It takes a bit longer. You’ll need more time to get the best of it.

My recommendation if you have the time: go from Adelaide to Melbourne direct one way, and then Melbourne to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road. It’s the best way to see a good portion of the countryside between SA and Victoria.

Driving & Safety Tips

Phone Reception

You will have phone reception for the majority of the way from Adelaide to Melbourne; however, there are a few patches on the road that do not have any phone reception, either Telstra or Optus (which are the phones that we have).

The road itself is rather busy, so if you do have any troubles, there won’t be a shortage of people who might be able to help you. If you carry a VHF radio, you can talk to the many truck drivers going past.

Traffic on the Road

This road can be quite busy, and it is one of the major truck routes between Adelaide and Melbourne. Just be aware of this. You can find longer vehicles or oversized vehicles travelling on this road with you. There are many overtaking lanes, so if you notice any truck drivers who want to get past, just be courteous and slow down when you’re on the overtaking lanes to let them go past to keep their schedules. If you’re not travelling at the assigned speed limit, there are also many police around, so make sure you don’t go over the speed limit.

Rest Spots

At any time on the drive, if you feel the need to stop, you will find many parking spots and rest spots off the side of the roads. Many of them have picnic tables and rubbish bins. Some of them have toilets too.

But if you do find you’re getting tired, stop, pull over, and have a rest in one of these many parking spots. Some of them say no camping overnight, but if you are travelling with a tent for your camper, have a look at WikiCamps for the areas that allow free or wild camping.

Speed Limits

In Australia, the road limit is either 100 kilometres per hour or 110 kilometres per hour. Look at the signposts on a major highway. Every now and then you’ll find there is road work, so you might need to slow down.

And whenever you go through a town, the speed limit will usually drop to around 60 kilometres an hour. Keep a lookout for this because not only will there be residents and kids around, but you’ll generally find police waiting for people speeding in these areas.

Fuel Stops

Most of the bigger towns between Adelaide and Melbourne have fuel stops. You might even be able to pick between a few and get the one that is the cheaper price. The drive is around 720 kilometres, so most cars can reach this on just one tank of fuel. You can top up in Horsham, which has a large range of fuel stations, but there won’t be any shortage of getting fuel along the drive.

Water & Food

Like usual, it is a good idea for safety to have plenty of water on board and food just in case, but it is not as remote a drive compared to some of the other roads, like up in WA.

Is This 2-Day Trip Worth It?

A 2-day trip is totally worth it. Driving from Adelaide to Melbourne, it is possible to do the drive in one day. It is also possible to do the drive in many days. In total about an 8-hour drive, but don’t forget to factor in stops for breaks and to stretch the legs.

It is a comfortable 2-day drive, however, with enough time to look at the sites, stop for coffees, and have a restful sleep. If you have kids, it’s especially recommended to take two days to drive to Melbourne. You’ll be much more rested when you get there.

Final Thoughts & Tips

Driving from Adelaide to Melbourne is an easy, straightforward drive. If you have more than one or two people travelling, it is way more economical, and you get to see a lot more of the countryside than flying. It also means you have your own car when you get to Melbourne.

Take note of the toll roads that you may encounter in Melbourne. You can get a three-day pass, or you can choose to go around the toll roads, but just be aware that they exist.

There are many awesome sites to see along the way, many bakeries and coffees to be had, and many playgrounds for the kids. Or if you’re not into playgrounds, there are many scenic spots.

If you like hotels, there are plenty of them. Just remember, if you do travel in peak time or on a Friday or Saturday, it might pay to ring ahead and book. You also might want to check that they have 24-hour check-in if you do happen to get in after hours, just to make sure you can get keys to your room.

There are also many spots to Bush camp and wild camp or pay for low-priced camping within community areas in the towns.

Once you’re in Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula makes a brilliant next stop. We’ve put together a full 3-day Mornington Peninsula itinerary, plus our pick of the best boutique hotels in the Mornington Peninsula if you fancy something a bit special after the drive.

Enjoy the drive, stay safe, and check out this article that tells you all about what to see when you get to Melbourne.