Car Rental Melbourne Franklin St

If you’re looking to vacation in a city that delivers the best of urban life with a cool, down-to-earth vibe, then Melbourne is it. This bustling city of five-million is creative, innovative and always growing. You could say that it loves the new while treasuring the past, as you’ll see in its grand old theatres and wide boulevards. 

Known as a stylish, cosmopolitan city with a hint of European flair, good food and coffee really matters to Melburnians (as the locals are called). There are plenty of opportunities to eat, drink and make merry at a whole range of cafes, restaurants, bars, pubs and nightclubs throughout the city. And visiting the latest hotspot is a common topic of conversation. In this multicultural melting pot, your taste buds can travel the world in a few city blocks. From dumplings in Chinatown down Little Bourke Street, to sweets and spanakopita around the corner in the Greek precinct. Order a quick bowl of pasta in an old favourite, Pellegrino’s, or enjoy a fine dining experience a few doors down at Grossi Florentino. In the inner-city neighbourhood of Carlton, Lygon Street hosts the yearly Melbourne Italian Festa to celebrate Italian culture and its influence on Melbourne life, especially the foodie scene. 

Melbourne is widely regarded as the culture capital of Australia, and as a holiday destination it’s sure to impress. You’ll have a hard time tossing up between the many events, exhibitions, performances and venues on offer. Plus, there always seems to be a festival on – from the International Comedy Festival to White Night, when the whole city transforms into a light show from dusk till dawn. Art regularly spills over to the streets, as you’ll see in Melbourne’s public sculptures, street art and funky laneways.

Just to be even-handed, Melbourne also caters to sports lovers, with spectators flocking to see everything from Grand Slam tennis, or a cricket match at their beloved Melbourne Cricket Ground, to Australian football grand finals. Shopping is another favourite pastime and you’ll be able to easily satisfy your retail fix many times over. Discover artisan markets to designer boutiques. There’s something to suit every hip pocket.

After you pick up your hire car in Franklin Street, located right in the heart of Melbourne, you’ll be able to nip over to the Queen Victoria Markets moments away. Browse through stalls brimming with fresh produce, souvenirs, assorted market fare and all kinds of bargains. Stop for a bite and plan your next move. Perhaps you’re fuelled up and ready for a gallery?

Experience Melbourne’s best and don’t miss a thing in your hire car

The eye-catching architecture of Federation Square sits across from iconic Flinders Street Station (a popular spot to meet friends is under the railway clocks). Watch a film or see an exhibition at ‘Fed Square’, home to ACMI (Australian Centre of the Moving Image) and the National Gallery’s Australian collection. Don’t miss the showcase of amazing Aboriginal art. Check out the Melbourne Museum in Carlton that has a great children’s mini museum and even its own living forest. The kids will also love the spotlight on dinosaurs, which includes the most complete triceratops fossil in the world. 

From Wicked to Mamma Mia, Melbourne loves musicals. If you can score a ticket to either the plush Regent or Princess Theatres, you’ll be doing well. On St Kilda Road, next to the Yarra River, the sprawling arts precinct features the state’s major theatres, concert and recital halls, and Melbourne’s main gallery with an iconic water wall. Walk to Southbank to shop, eat, drink, relax and enjoy the city views. Catch a cruise down the river or try your luck at the casino. A little further along the Yarra, a giant indigenous eagle sculpture – the sacred hero, Bunjil – looks out over the Docklands. This urban rejuvenation of Melbourne’s old docks is an up-and-coming zone to explore.

Your hire car helps you explore the precincts of Melbourne

Melbourne is full of vibrant inner-city precincts and local strips you won’t mind getting lost in. At the risk of repetition, the shopping and eating at the following locations is not to be missed! In the north, Collingwood hosts Smith Street – recently voted Time Out’s ‘coolest street in the world’. It’s a lively strip by day, but really delivers as a nightspot that keeps kicking on after the others stop. A few blocks away in hip inner-city Fitzroy, you can’t go past Brunswick and Gertrude Streets, plus all the fascinating nooks in between. 

South of the Yarra River, Richmond’s Victoria Street is wall-to-wall tasty Vietnamese food, while Chapel and Greville Streets in Prahran are filled with fashion, food, clubs and bars. To visit a top five ‘coolest neighbourhood’, drive west over the West Gate Bridge to Yarraville and see what all the (well-deserved) fuss is about. Catch a movie at the restored Sun Theatre, then dinner a few suburbs away in Footscray with some Asian and African flavours. End your busy day watching the sun set over Williamstown Beach, 20-minutes from the city. Then plan your next jam-packed day in magic Melbourne and do it all again.