Public Transport to the Dandenong Ranges
The most direct access to the Dandenong Ranges, on public transport, is to take the train to Upper Ferntree Gully station and catch a connecting bus into the hills or go a little further on the train to Belgrave where buses connect. It is also easy to walk directly into the forest from Belgrave or Upper Ferntree Gully.
There is a train service to Croydon and a connecting bus coming up from the other side of the mountain through Montrose. A bus service also runs from Lilydale train station through Monbulk to Belgrave.
All the walks have directions for getting there by public transport as well as driving. Almost every walk can be easily accessed if you are coming by bus and train.
Many of the picnic grounds in the Dandenongs can be accessed by public transport as well as all the villages and starting points for many of the bushwalking tracks.
Please check bus timetables either online via the links below or at a local station.
Route 688 – Croydon – Upper Ferntree Gully via Olinda and Tremont
Route 694 – Olinda – Belgrave via Sherbrooke Road
Getting to the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens (Rhododendron Gardens)
The best way to get to the Dandenong Ranges Botanic Gardens via public transport is to take the train to either Upper Ferntree Gully or Croydon and then hop on the bus ( Route 688 ) to Olinda.
From Olinda, walk past the main shops and along Olinda-Monbulk Road until reaching the corner of the Georgian Road on the left (near the Olinda Hall). Walk down the Georgian a short way to the entrance of the gardens.
Don’t rely on Google as you may be sent further away with a lot more walking to get there – although, the walk is nice.
Dandenong Ranges Taxi Services
Upper Ferntree Gully – Phone: 97536933
Emerald Taxi Service
Self Drive Vehicle Hire – Melbourne
DriveNow is one of the best options for searching for the best price across different vehicle rental companies. Simply enter your required dates etc. and a page will display showing all the different hire prices from companies. You are then taken through the booking process.
Renting a vehicle away from an airport is generally cheaper as the car companies pay a hefty premium to rent space at airports.
Melbourne airport is no exception and cheap car rental is not usually a good deal there, but use the search page to check as it may depend on when you need the vehicle.
All the main car hire companies and some smaller ones have depots in the Melbourne CBD.
Renting for more than one day is often the best option if you can. The rates are always substantially cheaper the longer you rent.
Check your vehicle before driving away and make sure to note any damages that may not be shown on the rental contract.
Try to return the car or campervan with a full tank of petrol/gas to avoid extra charges.
Avis, Hertz, Thrifty, Budget, Europcar rentals can all be compared using the Drive Now search engine.