Here we help you prepare what to pack for Melbourne with our insider knowledge of the city.
Ah, Melbourne, so stunning when it’s sunny! Moody when it rains. Glistening in the autumn colours. All in one day. Yes, Melbourne is one of those places you need to get set for packing for four seasons in one day, every day!
The key to packing for Melbourne year-round is layers, for all of you! You will equally need to remember your suncream as well as your umbrella.
Click here to read more about the best time of year to visit Melbourne.
Some of our favourite travel essentials for your Melbourne packing list are highlighted below. We have included links to Amazon to make your pre-travel shopping super easy and have all your travel essentials delivered to your door.
You can download a full printable packing list for Melbourne at the bottom of the page, with checkboxes to tick items off as you put them in your suitcase.
Travel accessories for Melbourne
Stroller
Melbourne is a city that we thoroughly recommend you get out and explore on foot. From the city streets and laneways of the CBD to the parks and beach fronts, there are excellent paths for both pedestrians and bikes. The city also caters well to the disabled and mobility impaired with wide footpaths and sloped curbs at road crossings which is excellent news for parents with strollers too!
We recommend: the Baby Jogger City Tour or the BabyZen YOYO Plus.
Baby Carrier
If you are visiting Melbourne with a baby or small toddler you will likely find moments when a baby carrier will come in handy, especially while changing between public transport. Although most train stations and trams have step-free access, it’s always good to have your hands free when moving about in a city. In the hotter summer months, we suggest something lightweight and with breathable fabric.
- We recommend: Ergobaby Original Cool Air Mesh Performance or the BABYBJORN Baby Carrier Miracle.
Portable booster seat
You will more than likely use taxis to get around in Melbourne at some point (you can read more on how best to get around Melbourne here). A portable booster seat is a great investment to keep your little ones safe and is high on our list of things to bring to Melbourne if you are travelling with younger kids. (Note if you are privately hiring a car you will need to comply with the stringent Victorian car seat safety laws, these include children up to 7 years old requiring a booster seat with a back).
- We recommend: the mifold Grab-and-Go Car Booster Seat or the Evenflo High Back Booster for Big Kids.
Daypack
Having a day pack is always a good idea for city trips with kids, so that you can carry all the wet wipes, snacks, tissues, sun cream etc and still keep your hands free to keep hold of the kids. Look for a lightweight backpack that can be easily packed in your suitcase when not needed.
- We recommend: the ZOMAKE Ultra Lightweight Packable Backpack or the Outlander Most Durable Packable Lightweight Travel Hiking Backpack Daypack.
Collapsible water bottle
Do your bit to save the environment and bring your own refillable water bottles with you instead of relying on buying plastic bottles of water every day. We love a collapsible water bottle that can easily be packed in the suitcase when not needed.
- We recommend: Baiji Bottles Collapsible Silicon Water Bottles or the Nomader Collapsible Water Bottle.
Travel gadgets
Multiple charger
When you are traveling as a family, it is inevitable that you will end up with multiple accessories needing charged: phones, tablets, cameras, kindles etc. Don’t ruin the holiday by fighting over the charger; opt for a multiple charging station instead.
- We recommend: the Photive 60 Watt 6 USB Rapid Desktop Charging Station or the Vogek 6-port USB Charger.
Travel adaptor
The standard electrical voltage in Melbourne is 230V all electrical sockets take the Australian Type I 3 Pin plug. If you are traveling from a country with different style plugs, make sure you bring a travel adapter.
- We recommend: the Urophylla Universal Adapter Dual Fuses or the Pac2Go Universal Travel Adapter with Quad USB charger.
Portable Charger Power Bank
Have you ever been caught out sightseeing with a low-battery phone and not been able to take photos? Or found your child’s iPad has run out of battery half way through a long haul flight? Don’t let it happen again! Go prepared with a portable charger power bank, a great tool to have in your travel arsenal.
- We recommend: the Anker 20100mAh Portable Charger PowerCore or the RAVPower 22000mAh Power Bank.
Waterproof/shockproof camera
Of course, you have to record all your happy holiday memories, and having an easy-to-use waterproof and shockproof camera means everybody in the family can share in the photo taking, without having to worry about the camera getting damaged.
- We recommend: Nikon COOLPIX L830 or the Olympus Stylus TG830.
Toiletries
Bug Spray
Although not a constant nuisances, bugs in Melbourne are prevalent, especially in the evenings and if you are near water – and more so over the hotter summer months.
- We recommend: Avon SKIN-SO-SOFT Bug Guard PLUS and MosQuitO Repellent Patch.
Hand Sanitizer
It’s always good to have some hand sanitizer in your bag when you are travelling, for times when you can’t wash your hands before having a snack, or have been traveling on public transport.
- We recommend: Babyganics alcohol-free foaming hand sanitizer on-the-go or PURELL Advanced hand sanitizer travel size.
Sun Cream
You should always include suncream on your Melbourne packing list. Even if they day is forecast for rain, the second that sun comes out, its rays can be brutal and it catches out even the most unsuspecting of tourists. Remember the hole in the ozone layer means far more UVB protection is needed here in southern Australia than other parts of the world. Even in the winter, you can experience sunny days when the sun can be stronger than you realize – this catches many fair skinned tourists to Australia by surprise.
- We recommend: Babyganics Mineral-based baby sunscreen spray or Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen.
Books and Games
Melbourne Travel Guide Book
No matter how much research you do online before you travel, it can still be handy to have a travel guidebook in your bag.
- We recommend: Lonely Planet Pocket Melbourne and Insight Guides Pocket Melbourne.
Don’t forget to download to the City Travel With Kids Melbourne Podcast before you go – packed with useful pointers on how to spend your time in Melbourne.
Activity books for kids
It’s always handy to have a few activity books in your bag for your kids, for airports, flights, or when they just need some downtime after a hard day of sightseeing.
- We recommend: The Everything Kids Travel Activity Book and 50 Things to do in Melbourne
Travel Games
The family that plays together stays together! Pack a few fun travel games for fun family evenings, rainy days or airport layovers.
- We recommend: UNO Card Game or Connect 4 Grab-and-Go.
Clothes for Melbourne in summer
Remember summers can be hot, but rainy days are not unexpected too. We recommend including the following for your Melbourne outfit:
- Cotton t-shirts
- Cropped jeans
- Sundresses or skirts
- Cotton trousers
- Sandals
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Sunhat
- Sunglasses
- Light jacket or cardigan
Clothes for Melbourne in winter
What to wear in Melbourne in winter? Lots of layers! Expect temperatures to be cool (at times bitterly cold) and rain regular.
We recommend including the following for what your winter clothes in Melbourne:
- Jeans
- Long-sleeved tops
- Warm sweaters
- Tights
- Waterproof boots
- Warm scarf
- Warm hat
- Gloves
- Winter coat
Travel accessories for the plane
Multiple Passport holder
A multiple passport holder is invaluable for keeping all the family’s passports together in one place. Look for one that makes it easy to remove the passports, and that has space to store luggage tags, frequent flier cards etc.
- We recommend: Zero Grid Travel Wallet & Family Passport Holder or the Apadi Travel Document Organizer.
Travel Pillow (neck support)
We all know how uncomfortable it is trying to sleep on the plane. While we can’t promise you a good sleep, we can recommend using a travel neck pillow to help ease your aches and pains once you get to your destination.
- We recommend: the Trtl Pillow or the BCOZZY chin supporting travel pillow.
Travel Pillow (leg support)
Travel leg rest pillows have been a bit of a game changer for long haul flights with small kids. These inflatable pillows allow you to fill the leg gap between the seats, allowing small children to stretch out or even lie down flat. Note that some airlines have banned the use of these travel leg rest pillows. Check with your airline before you go to the airport.
- We recommend: 1st Class Kid Travel Pillow or the Simptech Travel Pillow.
Headphones
We highly recommend headphones for everyone in the family. Noise-cancelling headphones for mums and dads are great for cutting out the ambient sound of the plane, while kid-sized headphones with volume limits will ensure kids can watch their iPads without disturbing others, and without damaging their eardrums.
- We recommend: Bose QuietComfort 25 noise cancelling headphones for adults and Kidz Gear Wired Headphones for kids.
Packing Accessories
Suitcase
If you’re looking for a new suitcase for your Melbourne trip, we love the foldable luggage from Biaggi – these can be folded down into a small pouch for easy storage and saves you from having to step over your suitcases in your hotel room. We love the easy-glide spinner wheels on them too.
- We recommend: Biaggi Luggage Zipsack 31” Micro Fold Spinner Suitcase and the Biaggi Zipsack 27” Micro Fold Spinner Suitcase.
Packing Cubes
Packing cubes are so useful when you are traveling with kids. There is nothing worse than spending every morning rummaging through your suitcase looking for a matching outfit. Packing cubes allow you to segregate clothes into their own cubes, making it easy to find what you need. Look for cubes with a peekaboo window so you can easily see what is inside.
- We recommend: Shacke Pak – 4 Set Packing Cubes or the Travelwise Packing Cube System.
Electronics Organiser
How many times have you found yourself rummaging around in your suitcase looking for a phone charger? An electronics organizer can save you plenty of time and frustration by keeping all your chargers, cables, memory cards, headphones and adapters in one handy pack.
- We recommend: Zero Grid Electronics Travel Organizer or the ProCase Accessories Bag Organizer.
Ziploc Bags
Ziploc bags are a parent’s secret weapon when traveling. You can use them to store snacks, dirty clothes, nappy changing kits, puzzle pieces, small toys, crayons and leaky shampoo bottles. Be sure to add a few to your case!
- We recommend: Ziploc gallon slider storage bags and Ziploc quart slider storage bags.
Go to our Family Guide to Melbourne.
FREE DOWNLOAD!
Be super organized for your next city trip. Download our fully comprehensive printable packing list, with checkboxes to ensure you don’t forget anything.
Click here to download the packing list
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