Driving in and around Melbourne is not just easy, it´s often a pleasure, especially as many of Victoria´s wonders are within three hours drive of the city.
Like all Australians, Melburnians drive on the left. Once you get used to this, as well as a quirky Melbourne road rule called a Hook Turn (see Road Rules), you will quickly become comfortable with what can be a fast, but basically courteous, driving culture.
It is certainly not necessary to enlist the services of a driver in Melbourne and, in fact, would be viewed as extremely odd. If you live in or near the city, you can easily get by without a car and plenty of CBD residents prefer to avoid the high cost of fuel and parking.
There is a way to offset the inconvenience of always being without wheels. Car Sharing is a Swiss idea, and involves the very short term hire of cars situated in ´pods´ around Melbourne. If you need a car just for a couple of hours, this is a great scheme. (See the Rental Companies section for more details)
