Melbourne to Phillip Island.

There is something reassuring about knowing that the island is closer than it feels.

Phillip Island sits just off Victoria's southern coast, around 140 kilometres from Melbourne — around 90 minutes by car. Leave the city behind and, little by little, the landscape opens — suburbs giving way to paddocks, roadside farm gates and glimpses of Western Port.

Then comes San Remo.

Cross the bridge and there is that small but unmistakable sense of having arrived somewhere else. Water on either side. Salt in the air. Shoulders beginning to drop.

Getting onto the island

Across the bridge from San Remo.

Do you need a car?

We think so. Not because you'll need it once you settle into Cowes, but because some of the loveliest parts of the island are found by wandering.

Flying in from interstate

If you're arriving from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth or further afield, you'll most likely land at Melbourne Airport.

You can collect a hire car there and drive directly to the island, but if time allows, we love the idea of spending a night or two in Melbourne first.

Then leave after breakfast and make your way south.

There is no need to race the drive. Stop for coffee. Take the coastal detour if the day allows. Arriving slowly feels like the right beginning.

Driving from Melbourne

From central Melbourne, the simplest route follows the Monash Freeway before continuing south through South Gippsland and the Bass Coast to San Remo.

Allow around two hours in ordinary traffic, and more on Friday afternoons, long weekends and summer holidays.

If you have time to spare, turn the journey into part of the day rather than something to get through. The landscape becomes increasingly rural as you travel south, before the water finally appears and the bridge carries you across to the island.

Arriving from Melbourne Airport

Melbourne Airport sits north of the city, so the journey is a little longer. We'd allow around two to two-and-a-half hours, depending on traffic.

Hire cars are available at the airport and, for most visitors, this is the simplest way to reach Phillip Island and explore once you're here.

Melbourne + Phillip Island

For visitors coming from interstate or overseas, the two make rather lovely companions.

Spend a few days amongst Melbourne's restaurants, galleries and neighbourhoods, then come south for a few quieter days by the sea.

Two or three nights in Melbourne. Two or three nights on the island.

City first. Bare feet afterwards.

Do you need a car on Phillip Island?

You can certainly slow down once you arrive.

Verandah is in Cowes, just 200 metres from the beach and within walking distance of town. Morning coffee, dinner, the foreshore and a swim can all happen without getting back into the car.

But Phillip Island rewards exploring. Wild coastline, farm gates, quiet beaches and long lunches are scattered across the island, so we recommend having a car if you'd like to experience more of it.

Can you reach Phillip Island by public transport?

Yes, although it takes longer.

Bus services connect Melbourne with Cowes, and there are also combinations of train and ferry services via the Mornington Peninsula.

For a short stay, we generally recommend hiring a car. It gives you the freedom to stop when something catches your eye — which tends to happen rather often here.

The crossing

There is a moment just before the bridge at San Remo when the island appears across the water.

It's a small thing, but it feels like a threshold.

Cross the bridge. Follow the road towards Cowes. And by the time you reach Verandah, the city already feels a little further away than the kilometres suggest.