ptv free travel christmas

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Let’s go to town

To get you in the festive spirit, Public Transport Victoria (PTV) are giving away 250,000 free public transport travel vouchers and Port Phillip Ferries are in on the action.

Free public transport for all city activities

To promote a safe return to public transport and reignite a passion for our city, you’ll be able to grab the gift of travel for a range of events and attractions throughout December and January

How it works

50,000 vouchers will be up for grabs for each of five different event categories such as Christmas events, galleries and attractions, dining, performing arts, and shopping. Vouchers will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The vouchers will be available from 16 December, for travel from 18 December and will be emailed to you, so you can print, or display them on a valid device. The voucher will only be valid for your nominated day of travel.

Up to five people can travel using one voucher per valid email address. When travelling passengers simply need to show the voucher along with their valid Port Phillip Ferries ticket to the crew when boarding the ferry.

Port Phillip Ferries T&C’s

• The offer is valid for customers with a free travel voucher one-way or returns departing from Portarlington or Geelong to Melbourne.
• Up to five people can travel using one voucher per valid email address. Dependants (infants), under 4 years old of passengers travelling with a voucher are not required to be named on the voucher but will need to be pre-booked as infants tickets.
• Dependants 4 years of age will be classified as an infant ticket for booking redemption purposes.
• Further details visit:  https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/more/travelling-on-the-network/gototown/
• The campaign concludes 31 January 2022 or when vouchers are exhausted.
• Travel is valid from both Bellarine Express and Geelong Flyer services ex Geelong or Portarlington from Sat 18 Dec 21 to Mon 31 Jan 22.

Once you have your voucher

Once you have your voucher from Public Transport Victoria please email at least 48 hours prior to intended travel date with your DoT free travel voucher copy, passenger names, telephone number, email address, travel destination (travel to Melbourne), dates & times > Email Us Here 

Geelong to Docklands

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Docklands to Geelong

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Portarlington to Docklands

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Docklands to Portarlington

We’ve Got All The Feels…

Easy.  Roomy.  Relaxed.  Friendly.  Comfortable. Did we mention coffee for the morning, and a licensed cafe for the commute home? No, we’re not kidding.

Get some work done, listen to a podcast, chat with a friend or post photos of your beautiful ferry trip on social media.

Guaranteed Seat

Choose a window seat or sun yourself on an outdoor deck. We guarantee you a seat on every journey, with tables and drop down trays if you so require.

Central & Connected

We cruise direct to Victoria Harbour, Docklands. Directly across from Marvel Stadium (formerly Etihad) and seconds away from the free CBD tram network.

Multi – Passes Available

Regular cruiser? Buy a 10 or 25 pass online and enjoy the savings. Why? Because we like to reward our game-changing friends.

Licensed Cafe

Caffeine to start your day? You go it! Our on-board café offers barista made coffee and snacks.

Pre-dinner drink? Sure thing. Our cafe is now licensed.

Stay Updated

Want the commuter goss hot off the press? Email us to receive SMS updates. Be the first to know of any news, delays, or changes to schedule. And don’t stress, we won’t bombard you.

And More...

Purchase tickets online!

Free Travel for Victorians This Christmas

On Christmas Day, metropolitan and regional public transport will run to a regular public holiday timetable and will be free from 3am until 3am on Boxing Day , with Night Network services running through the night.

Passengers using a myki are not required to touch on and off and will not be charged if they do. Passengers on V/Line services still need to book their travel on reserved services, but will be issued a ticket free of charge.

As Victorians welcome in the new year after a challenging 2020, all bus, train and tram services will also be free from 6pm on 31 December until 6am on 1 January .

With COVIDSafe plans in place and limits on gathering sizes applying Melburnians are encouraged to avoid the city – and to plan ahead and pre-book venues to ensure everyone can celebrate safely. Crowd numbers in the CBD are expected to be significantly reduced, with no large fireworks or public celebrations planned.

With people expected to celebrate more locally, public transport will continue across the network all night on New Year’s Eve, ensuring everyone can get back home safely. A normal weekday public transport timetable will be in place between 6pm and midnight, with additional services after midnight.

In addition to free travel during the festive season, the Labor Government will not increase public transport fares in 2021 – in recognition of the difficult year Victorians have had.

All myki and regional fares and passes will remain at their 2020 rates next year to ease the financial pressure on Victorian families and encourage people to return to the public transport network into the new year.

Face masks must be worn at all times on public transport.

For information and to plan your journey on Christmas or New Year’s Eve visit ptv.vic.gov.au .

CDC Victoria acknowledges the Traditional Custodians throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to all First Nations people, their culture and to Elders past and present.

This was posted 5 years 3 months 18 days ago, and might be an out-dated deal.

• 02/03/2024 - 17:19
• 18/02/2024 - 15:32
• 24/03/2024 - 19:30
• 24/03/2024 - 10:29
• 10/03/2024 - 21:29

[VIC] Free Public Transport on Christmas Day (All Day) and New Years Eve (after 6pm) 2018

Copied the following from PTV site.

Free travel on Christmas and New Year’s Eve Added: 12 December 2018

Public transport will be the best way to enjoy the festive period with free travel on Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve across Victoria.

Free travel on our trains, trams and buses will make it easier, safer and cheaper for you to celebrate with family and friends.

From 3am Christmas Day until 3am Boxing Day you will be able to travel on any metropolitan or V/Line service without paying a fare, with services running to a Sunday timetable.

Public Transport, including regional town buses, will also be free from 6pm New Year’s Eve until 6am on New Year’s Day.

After midnight, trains will run every 10 minutes until 1.30am with extra services running through the night. Until 2am, trams will run every 5-10 minutes with buses also departing the city every 15 minutes.

If you're in regional Victoria, V/Line will operate additional services as well as night coaches from Southern Cross. There is also free travel on the first V/Line service to each regional destination on New Year’s Day.

You won't need to travel with a valid myki or touch on during free travel periods. If you do happen to accidentally touch on, you will not be charged.

Further detailed service information will be provided in the coming days.

• 1 Jan 2019 6:00am

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in Adelaide, public transport is free when there's a complete shutdown of train services.

it's free because you can't use it therefore spend no money and have to walk.

it's free because you can't use it therefore spend no money and have to walk. electricity hasn't made it to SA just yet.

incorrect. our trains run on steam.

On steam…so you pay for a bunch of tickets to add to your library and never use them?

electricity hasn't made it to SA just yet.

Oh it did it's just that the private sector is so hopeless that it blacked out the entire state while charging the highest prices in the world.

At least they'll have the most advanced submarine….

I did New Years in the CBD a few years back and the trip back was packed.

A lot of strangers groped and elbowed parts of my sweaty body that day, let me tell you.

i wish hot females would grab parts of my hot sweaty body too.

Guess you'll be going again this year right?

what about NSW??

Charge the fee as normal, but will be crowed with people on New Year Eve.

very business minded. Lucky they didn't increase the price or make it peak hour.

Wait 1st Jan… the price will increase by surprise :)

Probably add a public holiday surcharge. Good luck getting anything free out of Transport NSW.

They’re charging to view fireworks this year. They’re very unlikely to give anything away.

And they will increase the fares after new year every year :(

Just 2% according to Vic government, this is the lowest increase in last years. Btw, no everyone wage increases as per CPI.

We will never get the chance to post free travel for Sydney!!!

Free travel Sydney: walk

For those that live in Melbourne's south-eastern suburbs, it's worth mentioning that PTV staff have been giving away free weekly travel tokens at Westall Station (due to buses replacing trains past Westall Station). I haven't had to pay for public transport for the last two weeks.

https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/news-and-events/news/free-travel-…

I just wanna add, some ticket inspectors are asking for a "valid card" and if you don't have a concession card with you, they'll fine you. Happened to a girl on my carriage; she had a ticket but left her concession card at home. So BS….

How is that BS? Otherwise anyone could just travel on a concession card if no proof of entitlement was required

b/c it was free travel week. you didn't need a valid card as per the terms. in fact, if she had not presented anything, she would have been fine

if the girl really had a concession entitlement, then all she had to do is send that proof in when she appeals the infringement letter

Just be careful of youth gangs roaming around trying to steal your valuable items

This include V/Line trains. To maximise the freeness travel from Melbourne to Warnambool with your own picnic for the Christmas day.

going to be a lovely day in 'Bool on Xmas day - great weather for a beach picnic.

Have fun with the PSOs tonight. They enjoy being called such names as plastic cops, train guards, and piglets.

New Year's 2018 Eve was last year. Too late

Food & Drink

Arts & entertainment, design & style, travel & leisure, search concrete playground, all public transport will be free on christmas day and new year's eve 2021.

So you can get to and from the city (and your family lunch) without spending a penny.

Finding a designated driver on Christmas Day and New Year's Eve is not an easy feat — nan is stuck into the boozy pud , dad has pulled a dusty one out of the cellar and you don't really want to carpool with that weird uncle. Public Transport Victoria understands and is easing the pain of commuting on the two big days (slightly) by offering all public transport for free.

Over Christmas Day, all trains, trams, buses and V/line services will be free from 3am on Saturday, December 25, till 3am on Sunday, December 26. All public transport services will be running on the regular public holiday timetable. If you are planning to catch a reserved V/line service you still need to book ahead but you'll be provided your ticket free of charge.

A few days later, over New Year's Eve, the same public transport services will be free from 6pm on Friday, December 31 until 6am on Saturday, January 1. And, the first V/Line train services departing Melbourne that morning will also be free, even if they leave after 6am.

If that's now made your NYE plans easier — and cheaper — metro trains will be running every 15 minutes from midnight till 1am, every 30 minutes between 1am and 2am and every hour after 2am. Most tram services will also be running every all night, every 15–20 minutes from midnight to 2am and every 60 minutes from 2am.

On both days, you won't need to touch on (or be carrying) your Myki — if you do, you won't be charged. You do still need to check in, though, and wear a mask.

For more information on the free travel periods, and for updates to services, head to the PTV website . 

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Free Travel For Victorians This Christmas

The Andrews Labor Government will provide free public transport on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day to make sure Victorians can celebrate and reconnect with family and friends across the state.

On Christmas Day, metropolitan and regional public transport will run to a regular public holiday timetable and will be free from 3am until 3am on Boxing Day, with Night Network services running through the night.

Passengers using a myki are not required to touch on and off and will not be charged if they do. Passengers on V/Line services still need to book their travel on reserved services, but will be issued a ticket free of charge.

As Victorians welcome in the new year after a challenging 2020, all train, tram and bus services will also be free from 6pm on 31 December until 6am on 1 January.

With COVIDSafe plans in place and limits on gathering sizes applying Melburnians are encouraged to avoid the city – and to plan ahead and pre-book venues to ensure everyone can celebrate safely. Crowd numbers in the CBD are expected to be significantly reduced, with no large fireworks or public celebrations planned.

With people expected to celebrate more locally, public transport will continue across the network all night on New Year’s Eve, ensuring everyone can get back home safely. A normal weekday public transport timetable will be in place between 6pm and midnight, with additional services after midnight.

Metropolitan trains will run to a 15-minute frequency between midnight and 1am, a 30-minute frequency between 1am and 2am, and every hour from 2am. On the tram network, most services will operate all night – running to a 15 to 20-minute frequency between midnight and 2am, and every 60 minutes from 2am.

In addition to free travel during the festive season, the Labor Government will not increase public transport fares in 2021 – in recognition of the difficult year Victorians have had.

All myki and regional fares and passes will remain at their 2020 rates next year to ease the financial pressure on Victorian families and encourage people to return to the public transport network into the new year.

Face masks must be worn at all times on public transport.

For information and to plan your journey on Christmas or New Year’s Eve visit ptv.vic.gov.au External Link .

Quotes attributable to Minister for Public Transport Ben Carroll

“This year’s festive season is set to be very different – but we’re making public transport free to ensure all Victorians can catch up and celebrate with their loved ones right across the state.”

“We know 2020 has been really challenging for a lot of Victorians, so we’re freezing public transport fares for next year to ease the pressure on families wherever we can.”

Reviewed 16 December 2020

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