Melbourne to Geelong campervan route, without the first-night faff

By Australian standards, the Melbourne to Geelong drive is a cup of tea, not a crossing of the Nullarbor. From central Melbourne to Geelong waterfront is roughly 75 km via the M1 and usually 1 hr 10 to 1 hr 30 outside peak traffic. From Melbourne Airport it is closer to 83 km via the M80 and M1.

The trick is not the distance; it is timing. Pick-up paperwork, supermarket stock-up, learning the water pump and escaping the West Gate can eat half a day. Plenty of first-time big-lappers try to sprint through it, then end up hungry in a full holiday park after dark. Don’t be that camp chair tragedy.

• Fast version: 1 day, Melbourne pick-up to Geelong camp.
• Better version: 2 days, with Werribee South or You Yangs as a gentle shakedown.
• Best if continuing west: 3 days, adding Barwon Heads, Torquay or the Bellarine before the Great Ocean Road.

Do leave Melbourne after the morning peak or before the afternoon rush. Don’t make your first motorhome manoeuvre a 5 pm lane change near the West Gate Bridge with a B-double breathing down your awning side.

The cleanest melbourne to geelong motorhome road trip follows the M1 west over the West Gate Bridge, past Werribee, Avalon and Lara, then into Geelong. It is fully sealed, 2WD-friendly and suited to standard campervans and larger motorhomes.

If you want the route to feel like a trip rather than a freeway errand, bend south to Werribee South for bay air, or north to the You Yangs for a short walk and a view over the volcanic plains. The You Yangs access roads to main visitor areas are generally sealed or good-quality park roads, but some side tracks and picnic spurs can be gravel. Check your hire conditions before taking any unsealed road, even if it looks harmless.

• Direct freeway: Melbourne to Geelong, about 75 km.
• Bay detour: add Werribee South, about 10–15 km extra depending on your start point.
• You Yangs detour: add roughly 25–35 km and time for a walk.
• Fuel safety: servos are frequent at Brooklyn, Werribee, Lara, Avalon and Geelong; the longest useful gap is only around 45 km.

Do use the detours to test reversing, fridge power and water taps in daylight. Don’t treat this as the place to learn sand driving; beaches and soft edges around the bay are not motorhome playgrounds.

Geelong is friendly enough, but it is not a giant free camp with a waterfront view. Councils around Port Phillip Bay and the Bellarine signpost overnight restrictions, especially near beaches, boat ramps and residential foreshore car parks. Sleeping where signed as no camping can earn a fine, and the rangers do not accept ‘but the app had a smiley face’ as a legal defence.

For a first night, a powered site is often worth the fee. You can plug in, run the fridge properly, charge devices, fill water and sort the cassette without playing grey-nomad bingo in the dark. Expect holiday park powered sites around coastal Victoria to vary widely, often roughly $45–$90 depending on season, location and school holidays.

• Good first-night areas: Werribee South, Geelong, Barwon Heads and Torquay.
• Free camping: scarce close to Geelong; look for signed, official RV stops only.
• Self-contained rigs: keep grey water contained where required; do not drain sink water into gutters.
• National parks: camp only in booked or designated campgrounds, not roadside pull-offs.

Do book your first night online before you pick up the van, particularly from December to Easter. Don’t assume you can roll into a foreshore park at 7 pm on a sunny Friday and be greeted like royalty.

This route is wonderfully forgiving on fuel. A typical hired campervan might use around 10–14 L/100 km, while a larger motorhome may sit closer to 14–18 L/100 km depending on wind, weight and driving style. Even at the thirsty end, Melbourne to Geelong is not going to test your range.

Use the short hop to build good habits. Top up near Melbourne if you are nervous, then note the big servo clusters around Werribee, Lara, Avalon and Geelong. LPG swap bottles are commonly available at larger servos and hardware outlets, but do not wait until the dinner pasta is half-boiled to discover your bottle is empty.

• Fuel gap to watch: Werribee to Geelong is about 45 km by the M1.
• Water: fill potable water at your holiday park or approved taps; carry your own food-grade hose.
• Dump points: use caravan park facilities where staying; Geelong Showgrounds/East Geelong is a commonly used RV service area but check current access before arriving.
• Cassette rule: chemical toilets only go into dump points, never public toilets, stormwater drains or bushland.

Do empty and refill when facilities are easy. Don’t postpone the cassette until you are on a scenic lookout with one bar of reception and a partner giving you the silent treatment.

The M1 to Geelong is a proper freeway, but it carries serious freight. You will share it with port traffic, B-doubles and heavy vehicles heading between Melbourne, Avalon, Geelong and the west. These are not the three-trailer road trains of the Pilbara, but they still push air around a high-sided motorhome.

Keep left unless overtaking, leave a generous gap, and let faster traffic go. Crosswinds can be noticeable on the West Gate Bridge and open sections near Avalon, especially with a tall camper. In summer, hot northerlies can push days above 35°C; in winter, expect rain, low light and 8–14°C evenings that make powered heating suddenly feel clever.

• Height: many campervans sit around 2.7–3.0 m; motorhomes can be 3.2 m or more. Check your exact sticker before entering car parks.
• Tolls: the usual M1 route from Melbourne to Geelong has no toll, but Melbourne airport and inner-city approaches can involve toll roads.
• Parking: avoid underground car parks, bottle-o drive-throughs and tight supermarket entries with low clearance bars.
• Speed: the freeway is generally up to 100 km/h, but drive to conditions and your hire agreement.

Do set your mirrors before leaving the depot and take wide, slow turns. Don’t follow a phone map into tiny laneways just because it shaved off three minutes.

Geelong is a useful hinge between Melbourne, the Bellarine Peninsula and the Great Ocean Road. Spend a night and you can choose your next mood: wineries and bay beaches eastward, surf at Torquay, or the longer westward haul towards Apollo Bay and the Twelve Apostles.

For a low-stress day, park the van once and use your feet. The Geelong waterfront is good for a leg stretch, coffee and watching everyone else pretend the wind is not cold. Barwon Heads gives you estuary walks and a quieter seaside feel, while Torquay is only about 22 km from central Geelong and makes the obvious Great Ocean Road launchpad.

• Werribee Park precinct: good before Geelong, with large vehicle parking easier outside peak times.
• You Yangs Regional Park: short walks, big views, no need for 4WD on main access.
• Barwon Heads: about 23 km from Geelong; beach-town pace without committing to the coast road.
• Torquay: about 22 km from Geelong; sensible first stop if the Great Ocean Road is next.

Do check availability online before summer weekends and Victorian school holidays. Don’t leave the first campsite to luck unless your backup plan includes a servo sandwich and a long marital discussion.