There are two ways to price a day trip out of Melbourne, and they behave completely differently. A coach sells you a seat, so the cost multiplies by the number of people. A private operator sells you the vehicle, so the cost divides. Below a certain group size the coach wins on price. Above it, it does not. This is where the line sits.
How much is a seat-in-coach day tour from Melbourne?
Around $145 a person for a full-day Great Ocean Road coach tour at the time of writing. That is a per-seat price, so it scales directly with the size of your group.
That figure buys a fixed route, a fixed set of stops with fixed durations, an early departure from a city pick-up point, and a coach shared with everybody else who booked. For one or two people it is very hard to beat on price.
How much is a private vehicle for the same day?
Our long-day rate starts at $999 for the vehicle rather than per person, with shorter days from $549. The written total is confirmed after we check the route, the party and the date.
The important structural difference is not the number, it is that the number does not change when you add a fourth or a sixth passenger. One vehicle, one price, split however you like among the people in it.
At what group size does a private vehicle become cheaper?
Somewhere between six and eight people. At four the coach is clearly cheaper; at eight the private vehicle is cheaper and also private.
- 2 people
- Coach roughly $290. The coach wins comfortably.
- 4 people
- Coach roughly $580. The coach still wins on price alone.
- 6 people
- Coach roughly $870. The two are converging.
- 8 people
- Coach roughly $1,160. The private vehicle is now cheaper.
- 10 people
- Coach roughly $1,450. The private vehicle is clearly cheaper.
Those coach figures are simply $145 multiplied out, so treat them as indicative rather than as a quote from any particular operator. The pattern is the point, and the pattern is reliable: two lines crossing somewhere in the middle of a typical extended family.
What does the comparison miss?
Price alone understates the difference, because the two products are not the same thing sold at different rates.
- Departure time
- A coach leaves when it leaves. A private vehicle leaves when your group is actually ready.
- Stops
- Coach stops are fixed in place and length. If you want forty minutes at Loch Ard Gorge and none at the gift shop, that is available to you.
- Door to door
- A coach picks up from a city point. A private vehicle collects from where you are staying, which matters with luggage, children or limited mobility.
- Who you travel with
- The vehicle carries the people in your booking.
What makes a private quote go up?
Reserved time, distance, party size and date. A longer day, a larger vehicle or a peak date is quoted higher, and the total is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.
There is no benefit to us in a vague number, so the quote states the agreed route, the reserved time, what is included and what is not. Tolls and parking on the agreed route are covered by us rather than added afterwards. Third-party admissions, meals and tastings are yours.
Common questions
Is a private tour cheaper than a coach tour from Melbourne?
It depends on group size. Coach seats are priced per person and a private vehicle is priced per vehicle, so the private option becomes cheaper somewhere between six and eight travellers.
How much is a private Great Ocean Road tour?
Our long-day rate starts at $999 for the private group of up to four. Larger parties, longer reserved time and peak dates are quoted higher, with the total confirmed in writing first.
Are tolls and parking included?
Yes. Tolls and parking on the agreed route are included in the written total. Admissions, meals and tastings are paid by you at the venue.
If you would rather not drive it
One price for the vehicle, your own route and your own stops. We check availability and send a written total before anything is confirmed.
More guides
How far are the Twelve Apostles from Melbourne?
There are two roads to the Twelve Apostles and they are not the same length. Knowing which is which is the difference between a good day and a rushed one.
PlanningCan you drive the Great Ocean Road in one day?
One day is enough for the Great Ocean Road, provided you accept up front that you are not seeing all of it. Choosing what to leave out is the whole plan.