+4.5 million

Local transport Melbourne’s infamous traffic snarls make the public transport system an attractive proposition. A Myki card (mymyki.com.au) is required to access trains, trams and buses, though tram travel within the CBD is free. Early in the morning or later at night, taxis and Uber are often a better option.

Airport Qantas flies to Melbourne Airport, located at Tullamarine, about 20 kilometres north-west of the city centre.

Airport transport Taxi and rideshare services, such as Uber, are the conventional way to and from the airport (a cab fare to the city will cost about $60). Melbourne traffic can be unpredictable so consider SkyBus (skybus.com.au), which operates services to the CBD, Southbank and Docklands, St Kilda, Werribee, the eastern suburbs (from Wantirna to Glen Waverley and Box Hill) and the Mornington Peninsula.

Best SIM card Optus provides reliable coverage (optus.com.au), with cards from $10 for 500MB of data and unlimited national texts and calls. Melbourne Airport’s Optus shop is in Terminal 2.

Best local app Melbourne’s drinking culture spans corner pubs, laneway haunts and rooftop bars. Unlock their secrets with the free Melbourne’s Bars and Pubs app (melbournesbarsandpubs.com.au).

Victorian holidays The state downs tools on the Friday before the AFL Grand Final, typically at the end of September, as well as on the first Tuesday of November for the running of the Melbourne Cup.

Hot neighbourhood Footscray is home to hidden bar Back Alley Sally’s (backalley sallys.com.au), pizza joint Harley & Rose (harleyandrose.net.au) and brunch kings Brother Nancy (brothernancy.com.au).

State government A Labor government led by Premier Daniel Andrews has been in power since 2014. The next election is due to be held in 2022.

Fun fact Melbourne’s café culture is well catered for. The city’s port handles an average of 30 tonnes of coffee beans daily – equal to 3 million cups of coffee – a rise of about 780 per cent in the past decade.