Is Puffing Billy worth it? I rode it solo from Melbourne and the answer is yes — but there are things you should know first. Which side to sit, how to get there without stress, and the photography tip that nobody else mentions.
Is Puffing Billy worth it? I asked myself the same question before booking.
A heritage steam train through the Dandenong Ranges sounded appealing – but I was travelling solo, wasn’t sure how long it would take, didn’t know which ticket to book, and had read enough vague travel guides to still feel completely unprepared. So I booked it anyway, took an Uber to Belgrave Station, and spent a day on what is genuinely one of the most iconic rail journeys in Australia.
Puffing Billy is a narrow-gauge steam railway that has been running since 1900, winding through the fern gullies and eucalyptus forests of the Dandenong Ranges about an hour east of Melbourne. The open-sided carriages mean passengers can dangle their legs over the edge of a moving train – which is exactly as enjoyable as it sounds, and unlike anything else you can do in a day from the city.
The short answer: yes, absolutely worth it. Not just for the trestle bridge or the dangling-legs photographs – though both deliver. But for the cumulative effect of a day that moves at a completely different pace from anything else you’ll do in Melbourne.
Here is everything I wish I’d known before going – how to get there, which side to sit, what the carriages are actually like, and the photography tip nobody else mentions. I rode the Belgrave to Lakeside return, which is the section I’d recommend for first-timers.
👉 Book Puffing Billy tickets in advance via GetYourGuide
What Is Puffing Billy?
Puffing Billy is a preserved narrow-gauge heritage steam railway in the Dandenong Ranges of Victoria, about an hour east of Melbourne CBD. It is widely considered one of the most beautiful train journeys in Australia, and for anyone spending more than a day or two in Melbourne, it is simply a must-do day trip. The line was originally built in 1900 to service farming communities in the ranges. By the 1950s it was nearly closed – but a group of volunteers stepped in to save it, and today it runs as one of the oldest and longest preserved steam railways in the world.
The full route runs from Belgrave to Gembrook, passing through Menzies Creek, Emerald (Lakeside), Cockatoo, and several smaller stops along the way. I did the Belgrave to Lakeside return, which covers the most dramatic and photogenic section of the line and fits comfortably within a day trip from Melbourne.
What makes Puffing Billy genuinely unlike any other heritage railway experience: passengers are allowed, actively encouraged, to sit on the open window ledges with their legs dangling over the side of the moving train. This isn’t a gimmick or a recent addition. It’s how people have ridden this train for over a century.
Getting to Belgrave: Train or Uber?
The Puffing Billy journey starts at Belgrave Station, which is the eastern terminus of the Belgrave Metro Line from Melbourne CBD. In theory, the public transport option is straightforward: take the Belgrave Line from Flinders Street Station, ride for about 75 minutes, and you’re there.
(If you’ve just landed and haven’t sorted your way into the city yet, here’s a full guide to getting from Melbourne Airport to the city centre – it’s less straightforward than you’d expect.)
In practice, I found the train frequency from Melbourne to Belgrave to be less reliable than I’d hoped. Trains on this line don’t run as often as on the busier city lines, and on a day trip where timing matters (Puffing Billy has set departure times and closes its check-in counter 30 minutes before each service), a delayed or missed connection can derail your whole plan.
I decided not to risk it on the way out and took an Uber from Melbourne instead. It’s quicker (around 45–55 minutes depending on traffic), more predictable, and gives you complete control over your arrival time. For a solo traveller or a couple, the cost is reasonable for the peace of mind.
On the way back, I took the Metro train from Belgrave to Melbourne – and honestly, it was fine. At the end of the day, with no departure time to worry about, the train is relaxed and easy. You’re not rushing. The journey takes about 75 minutes and you arrive back in the city centre without any fuss. So my recommendation: Uber there, Metro train back. Best of both worlds.
Prefer a Fully Hassle-Free Day?
If you’d rather not think about any of this – no Uber logistics, no train timetables, no navigation – the simplest option is to book a guided day tour from Melbourne that includes hotel pick-up and drop-off. These tours handle everything: transport both ways, the Puffing Billy ticket, and a guide who adds context to the journey.
There are a few good options depending on what you want to combine with the train ride:
Just the train ride, handled for you — hotel pick-up, the Belgrave to Lakeside journey, and a stop at Emerald Lake Park before returning to Melbourne. The simplest and most focused option. 👉 Puffing Billy Railway: Heritage Steam Train Journey
Puffing Billy + rainforest — the train ride combined with a walk through Grants Picnic Ground in the Dandenong Ranges, where native birds and cool-climate rainforest trails make for a genuinely lovely half-day before or after the train. Good if you want more than just the railway. 👉 Melbourne: Puffing Billy Railway & Rainforest Tour
Puffing Billy + Penguin Parade — a full day combining the morning steam train ride with an evening visit to Phillip Island to watch little penguins waddle ashore at sunset. Two of Victoria’s most iconic experiences in one day, with everything handled. A long day, but a memorable one. 👉 From Melbourne: Puffing Billy and Penguin Parade Combo Tour
Puffing Billy + Phillip Island wildlife — similar to the above but with a broader Phillip Island itinerary including wildlife encounters alongside the penguin parade. 👉 Puffing Billy and Phillip Island Wildlife Day Tour
Booking Your Ticket
Book in advance – particularly for weekends and school holidays. The train fills up, and walk-up tickets are not always available. I used GetYourGuide, which is straightforward and confirms your reservation immediately.
👉 Book Puffing Billy tickets on GetYourGuide
One thing worth knowing: booking online guarantees your reservation, but you still need to collect a physical ticket at the Belgrave Station counter on the day. The counter closes 30 minutes before departure – so factor that into your arrival time. If you turn up with 20 minutes to spare thinking your online booking is enough, you may find yourself locked out of the session. Arrive early.
If you have a Myki card for Melbourne’s public transport, note that it covers only the suburban Metro train to Belgrave – not the Puffing Billy journey itself. Puffing Billy requires a separate ticket.
Arriving at Belgrave
Arriving at Belgrave, the vintage aesthetic hits you immediately. The station building is red brick and rendered plaster with dark timber trim, corrugated iron roofing, and a Roman numeral clock mounted in the gable. “Fares & Timetables” signs in old-fashioned lettering. Everything has been preserved, or carefully restored, to feel exactly as it would have looked a hundred years ago. It’s theatrical, but it doesn’t feel fake. The care in the details is genuine.
One important note: the check-in counter closes 30 minutes before each departure. This is stated by the operator. I arrived with comfortable time to spare, but if you’re cutting it close (especially if you’re relying on public transport) factor this in. Miss the check-in window and you may be waiting for the next service.
If you’re travelling by public transport: the Belgrave Metro train station and the Puffing Billy departure platform are within a stone’s throw of each other. Simply follow the signs from the suburban platform – you cannot miss it.
Boarding: The Energy at the Platform
The moment you step onto the Puffing Billy platform at Belgrave, something changes. The train is already there – dark chocolate-brown carriages, open sides, passengers already staking their spots on the window ledges. Staff in period-appropriate uniforms move along the platform. The locomotive sits at the head of the train, black and polished, looking like it belongs in a different century. Which, in a sense, it does.
The crowd is a mix of everything: young couples, solo travellers, groups of friends, tourists from what felt like every corner of the world. There’s a particular festive quality to the platform atmosphere that I didn’t expect – people photographing each other, passengers already jostling for the best window ledge positions, everyone slightly giddy at the prospect of a steam train ride through the forest.
The Train Itself: What the Carriages Are Like
The carriages are original heritage rolling stock, painted in the Puffing Billy livery of dark maroon with cream detailing. Each one has open sides – no glass in the windows, just iron handrails at waist height. The interior walls are painted mustard yellow, the seats are black leather bench seats, and the ceiling is white-painted timber with exposed steel ribs.
Along one interior wall runs a detailed historical panel – a route map and written history of the line from its opening in 1900 through to the present day. It’s worth reading before the train departs. What the panel tells you, and what the on-board staff will elaborate on, is a story worth knowing. The line opened on 18 December 1900, built as a narrow-gauge railway to connect remote farming communities in the Dandenong Ranges with Melbourne. In its working years, the outward journey from the city carried newspapers, mail, house supplies, farm equipment and livestock. The return journey brought timber, vegetables, fruit, and in particular potatoes back to Melbourne. The enamel signs you’ll see along the route – wool, hides, tallow, tea – are the commercial fingerprints of that era.
The railway never made a single profit in its entire working life. Services dwindled after World War II, reduced eventually to just one train a week. In 1953, a landslide blocked the line between Selby and Menzies Creek (the same landslide whose marker you’ll pass from the window) and operations stopped entirely. The Victorian Railways formally closed the line in 1954, deeming it financially unviable to reopen.
What happened next is the part of the story that matters most. On 1 October 1955, a group of volunteers formed the Puffing Billy Preservation Society, determined to bring the railway back. They negotiated with the Victorian Railways, raised funds, rerouted the track around the landslide, and over the following years restored the locomotives, carriages and stations. The railway reopened progressively from 1962. Today it is run by more than 900 volunteers, making it one of the largest volunteer-operated railways in the world.
Everything you see: the stations, the locomotives, the staff uniforms, the signage, the carriages. All of it has been deliberately restored or recreated to reflect the railway as it looked between 1900 and 1930. Nothing is accidental. The Roman numeral clock at Belgrave, the enamel advertising signs, the period-correct platform furniture – all of it is the result of an explicit heritage policy to take visitors back to that specific era.
The staff member who was in our carriage throughout the journey embodied exactly this. In full period uniform, the kind a railway conductor would have worn a century ago, he moved through the carriage giving commentary, answering questions, and adding context to what we were passing. He pointed out the landslide marker. He explained the history of the trestle bridge. He told us about the families who had lived along the route and the farms the railway had once served. It turned what could have been a scenic but passive ride into something more layered – a journey through a landscape that someone clearly cared about deeply, and wanted us to understand.
The open sides are the whole point. You’re not enclosed behind glass – you’re genuinely exposed to the air, the smell of the trees, the sound of the wheels on the narrow-gauge track, the occasional drift of coal smoke from the locomotive. It’s an immersive experience in the most literal sense.
The locomotive itself is worth spending a few minutes with before you board. Up close, it’s an extraordinary piece of engineering: the polished black boiler with white band detailing, the copper and brass pipework running along its sides, the riveted firebox, the funnel. It has been maintained to an exacting standard. Many someones, over many decades, have cared deeply about keeping this machine alive and working.
The Trestle Bridge: The Shot Everyone Comes For
This is the moment most people are waiting for, and it delivers completely.
The Monbulk Creek trestle bridge is a short distance from Belgrave, and by the time the train approaches it, you can feel the anticipation in the carriage. People lean further out. Phones go up. The wooden trestle structure curves gracefully over the creek valley, and as the train crosses it – slowly, the way steam trains do everything – you get a 180-degree view of the forest below and the other carriages arcing around the curve ahead.
From below, the spectacle is even more dramatic. An orange tour bus was parked on the road beneath the bridge, and a small crowd had gathered to photograph the train passing overhead. People waved up at us. We waved down at them. The locomotive breathed great grey-white clouds of steam into the eucalyptus canopy.
Seating tip for the bridge: Sit on the right side of the carriage in the direction of travel (i.e., the right side as you face forward from Belgrave). This puts you on the outer edge of the curve as the train crosses the bridge, giving you the unobstructed view of the full train arcing ahead of you and the valley below.
The Forest: Ferns, Eucalyptus and a Landscape That Slows You Down
Once past the trestle bridge, the train moves deeper into the Dandenong Ranges, and the character of the landscape changes. The suburban fringe of Belgrave falls away. The forest closes in. Tree ferns – some of them extraordinarily large, their fronds spreading five or six metres across – crowd the trackside. The eucalyptus trunks are tall and pale, dappled with morning light. The air smells of damp earth and wood smoke.
There are moments during this section where the train passes through a cutting and the ferns are almost close enough to touch from the open carriage window. This is when the open-sided carriages stop being a novelty and start being the entire point. You’re not watching the landscape through glass. You’re in it.
The journey also passes several small intermediate stops and historical markers that are easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. Keep your eyes on both sides of the track.
There is a particular quality to this section of the journey that photographs struggle to fully capture: the smell of the eucalyptus oil in the warm air, the rhythmic sound of the narrow-gauge wheels on the track, the occasional drift of coal smoke through the open carriage. It slows you down in the best possible way.
Ten minutes on Puffing Billy Video for you – the Dandenong Ranges from an open carriage window. Turn the sound up.
Words and photographs can take you so far with Puffing Billy. After that, you just need to hear the wheels on the track, the rhythm of the engine, and the sound of the wind moving through open carriages in a eucalyptus forest. The video below is ten minutes of the real thing – no commentary, no cuts, just the ride.
Dotted along the route are original enamel advertising signs preserved on trackside sheds and station buildings. “Skins, Wool, Hides, Tallow – W. Haughton & Co, Spencer Street, Melbourne.” “26 Miles to Griffiths Bros Teas.” These aren’t reproductions installed for atmosphere – they’re genuine artefacts from the era when this railway served a working agricultural community, and the trains carried goods as well as passengers.
One of the more quietly remarkable things you’ll see from the window: a small sign reading “1953 Landslide – Original Track,” with the rusted, overgrown rails of the original alignment still visible in the cutting below. In 1953, a landslide displaced the track and forced a realignment. The old rails were simply left in place. They’ve been there ever since – a visible scar from something that happened over seventy years ago. You’d miss it entirely if you weren’t looking.
The People Outside: Smiles, Waves and Cameras
This is something I didn’t expect, and it became one of my favourite parts of the whole journey.
Throughout the entire route, at every level crossing, along every road the track ran beside, past every house with a garden backing onto the line, people stopped what they were doing and waved. Drivers waiting at rail crossings leaned out of their windows and smiled. People in their front gardens looked up and raised a hand. A group gathered in an open field near the track, phones raised, photographing the train as it passed. At the trestle bridge, a small crowd had assembled below specifically to watch – and as the train crossed, everyone on both sides waved at everyone else.
What struck me most was that this wasn’t a performance for tourists. It was just how people here relate to Puffing Billy. The train has been part of this community for over a century. It’s woven into local life. And there’s something genuinely moving about a steam train rolling past a suburban house and the person inside looking up and smiling – not because they have to, but because it’s hard not to.
From outside, I can imagine it looks even more charming than it feels from inside. A century-old steam train, open carriages, dozens of legs dangling over the edge, steam curling into the eucalyptus canopy – all of it moving slowly through the neighbourhood at the pace of another era. If you want to photograph the full spectacle of Puffing Billy with all its joy and energy, the best position is actually outside the train, facing it – particularly at the trestle bridge, where you can frame the entire curved train with the wooden structure below and the forest above. Your fellow passengers become the subject, and the result is a photograph that captures not just the train but the feeling of being on it.
The Stations Along the Way
As the train approaches the Lakeside end of the route, the dense forest gives way to more open countryside – paddocks and farmland, a yellow wildflower field rolling up a hillside, houses visible in the middle distance. It’s a gentle shift, but it signals that the more dramatic forest section is behind you and the end of the outward journey is approaching.
The intermediate stations are part of the experience in themselves. Menzies Creek has a train museum where you can alight to see historic rolling stock and archive photographs from the line’s early years. The station sign, “Alight Here for Museum”, flashes past the window as the train pulls in.
Nobelius Siding is a smaller stop, named after Peter Nobelius, a Swedish-born nurseryman who established a significant plant nursery in the area in the late 1800s. These small named stops are one of the pleasures of travelling slowly – you accumulate a sense of the human history layered into the landscape in a way that faster transport simply doesn’t allow.
Lakeside: The End of the Outward Journey
Lakeside – officially Emerald Station – is where most day trippers from Melbourne turn around. The station precinct is a charming collection of period buildings: yellow timber with red corrugated iron roofing, the old water tower still standing beside the track, a visitor centre, and the locomotive taking on water for the return journey.
It’s worth spending some time here rather than simply waiting to reboard. Emerald Lake Park is a short walk from the station, and it’s a genuinely lovely place to spend an hour.
The park has a calm lake, walking trails through the gardens, and a wooden footbridge over the water. When I arrived, three kids were leaning over the railing – and the moment anyone approached the bridge, they launched into their pitch at full volume: jump into the lake, somersault, money please. They delivered on the somersault every time. Whether anyone actually paid them, I genuinely couldn’t tell. It didn’t seem to matter. They kept shouting with every bit of air in their lungs, completely unbothered, having the time of their lives.
It was one of those small unplanned moments that no itinerary accounts for and no photograph quite captures. But it made me smile for the rest of the afternoon.
The Return Journey
The return journey runs the same route in reverse, Lakeside back to Belgrave, but it doesn’t feel like a repetition. The light is different by the afternoon. The forest looks different from the other direction. And having already done the outward journey, you know which spots to watch for and can position yourself better for photographs.
The trestle bridge, in particular, is worth experiencing again from the other side.
A Photography Tip Nobody Tells You
Here’s something I discovered on the return that I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere.
When the train pulls back into Belgrave at the end of the day, everyone alights at once. The platforms clear quickly. The carriages, which have been full of passengers since Lakeside, are suddenly empty.
This is your window.
If you move quickly (and you do need to move quickly, because the station staff will begin moving passengers on after about five minutes) you can step back into the empty carriages and photograph the interior completely crowd-free. The yellow walls, the leather seats, the open sides, the historical panels – all of it without a single stranger in frame. The light at the end of the afternoon comes in at an angle that suits the yellow interior particularly well.
You have maybe five minutes before a staff member will politely tell you it’s time to go. Use them.
Is Puffing Billy Worth It If You’re Travelling Solo?
Completely. I did it alone and it was one of the better decisions of the trip.
The open carriage format actually works in your favour as a solo traveller – you end up sitting alongside strangers, legs dangling over the same edge, watching the same forest go past. Conversation happens naturally. By the trestle bridge, most people around me were chatting, pointing things out, sharing photos. Nobody was sitting in isolated silence.
The on-board staff member in our carriage helped with this too. His commentary gave everyone a shared focal point – something to react to together. It broke any initial awkwardness immediately.
Practically, solo travel also means you can move freely – jump between carriages at stations, position yourself exactly where you want for photographs, spend as long as you like at Emerald Lake Park without negotiating with anyone. The day is entirely yours to pace.
Route I took: Belgrave to Lakeside (Emerald) return – the most scenic section, recommended for first-timers.
Getting there: Uber from Melbourne CBD takes approximately 45–55 minutes – recommended for the outward journey to avoid any risk of missing your departure. The Belgrave Metro Line from Flinders Street is approximately 75 minutes but runs less frequently – check the timetable carefully and leave a buffer. The Puffing Billy platform at Belgrave is a stone’s throw from the Metro station.
Getting back: The Metro train from Belgrave to Melbourne is perfectly comfortable for the return journey. At the end of the day there’s no time pressure, and 75 minutes on the train is a relaxed way to wind down. My approach: Uber there, Metro train back.
Hassle-free option: If you’d prefer everything handled for you, guided day tours from Melbourne with hotel pick-up and drop-off are available. Worth it if you’re combining Puffing Billy with other Dandenong Ranges attractions in a single day.
Check-in: The check-in counter closes 30 minutes before each departure (as stated by the operator). Do not cut this close.
Booking: Book in advance, especially for weekends and school holidays. I used GetYourGuide.
Seating tip: Sit on the right side of the carriage in the direction of travel for the trestle bridge. For photographs of the full train curving, the rear carriages give the best view.
What to bring: Light layers – the Dandenong Ranges are a few degrees cooler than Melbourne CBD. A camera with plenty of storage. Good shoes if you plan to walk in Emerald Lake Park.
Myki: Valid only for the Metro train to Belgrave. Puffing Billy requires a separate ticket.
How to Get to Puffing Billy from Melbourne and Board
- Book your ticket in advance
Book online via GetYourGuide before you travel — particularly for weekends and school holidays. The train fills up and walk-up tickets are not guaranteed.
- Take an Uber to Belgrave Station
From Melbourne CBD, an Uber takes approximately 45-55 minutes. This is the most reliable option for the outward journey as it gives you control over your arrival time.
- Collect your physical ticket at the counter
Your online booking guarantees your reservation, but you still need to collect a physical ticket at the Belgrave Station counter on arrival. Do this first before anything else.
- Arrive at the counter at least 30 minutes before departure
The ticket counter closes 30 minutes before each service. If you miss this window, you will need to wait for the next departure. Arrive with time to spare.
- Make your way to the Puffing Billy platform
If you arrived by Uber, you’ll be dropped right in front of the ticket counter – the platform is just steps away. If you arrived by Metro train, the Puffing Billy platform is a short walk from the suburban station – simply follow the signs.
- Join the queue and show your ticket before boarding
Before boarding, form a queue at the platform and show your ticket to the staff member at the gate. Your ticket will have a carriage number assigned – but no specific seat number, so you can choose any available seat within your carriage.
- Keep your ticket safe for the return journey
Don’t throw away or lose your ticket after boarding. You will need to show it again at Lakeside (Emerald) Station for the return trip to Belgrave. Keep it in your pocket throughout the day.
- Board and choose your seat
Sit on the right side of the carriage in the direction of travel for the best view of the Monbulk Creek trestle bridge. For photographs of the full train curving, the rear carriages give the clearest sightline.
FAQ
Yes – without question. It’s one of the most beautiful train journeys in Australia and a genuine must-do day trip from Melbourne. The trestle bridge, the open carriages, the fern gullies, the vintage locomotives, the on-board history, the waving strangers – all of it adds up to a day that’s hard to replicate anywhere else. If you’re within reach of Melbourne and have half a day spare, do it.
Yes – arguably more so than for groups. The open carriage format creates natural conversation with strangers, the on-board staff commentary gives everyone a shared experience, and you have complete freedom to move and photograph at your own pace.
For the outward journey, Uber is the most reliable option – around 45–55 minutes from the CBD with no risk of missing your departure due to infrequent train services. For the return, the Belgrave Metro Line to Flinders Street (approximately 75 minutes) is perfectly comfortable – there’s no time pressure on the way back. Alternatively, book a guided day tour with hotel pick-up and drop-off for a completely hassle-free experience.
Yes. The train fills up on weekends and during school holidays. I booked through GetYourGuide and would recommend the same.
Sit on the right side of the carriage in the direction of travel (right as you face forward from Belgrave). This gives you the outer edge of the curve and the best unobstructed view of the full train crossing the bridge.
Yes – it’s encouraged. Dangling your legs over the edge of the open carriage is the signature Puffing Billy experience. The staff actively welcome it.
Roughly 2.5–3 hours including time at Lakeside. Allow a full half-day from Melbourne CBD, including travel to and from Belgrave.
Emerald Lake Park is a short walk from the station – a calm green space with a lake, walking trails, and a wooden footbridge. A pleasant place to spend the turnaround time between trains.
Exceptionally so. The trestle bridge, the fern gullies, the vintage carriages and locomotive, the dangling-legs shots – there’s a photograph every few minutes. Bring a fully charged camera and more storage than you think you’ll need. And use the empty-carriage tip at the end of the return journey.
If You Enjoyed This: Kuranda Scenic Railway in Cairns
If Puffing Billy sparked something in you, it’s worth knowing that Australia has another iconic heritage railway experience worth comparing it to – the Kuranda Scenic Railway in Cairns, Queensland.
The two are quite different in character. Kuranda is a full-sized heritage train rather than a narrow-gauge steam railway, which means no dangling legs out the window. But what it offers instead is its own kind of drama: the train winds through dense tropical rainforest in the Wet Tropics, stops at waterfalls along the route, and ends at the village of Kuranda – a small, walkable town with a Koala Gardens where you can see kangaroos and koalas up close. The whole landscape is extraordinarily green, even by Australian standards. And the classic way to do it is one direction by train, one direction by cable car over the rainforest canopy.
They’re different enough that comparing them feels slightly unfair to both. Puffing Billy is charm and nostalgia and the particular joy of open carriages through a fern gully. Kuranda is wilderness and waterfalls and tropical immersion. If you’re lucky enough to be doing both Queensland and Victoria, do both.
And if you’re already in Victoria and looking for another extraordinary day out from Melbourne, the Great Ocean Road is the obvious next choice – a coastal drive past limestone sea stacks and ancient rainforest that rivals anything in the world.
I’ll be writing about Kuranda Scenic Railway in a future post – link to follow.
PS: If you’re still planning your Melbourne trip, start with the guide to getting from Melbourne Airport to the city centre – the options are less obvious than you’d think. Once you’re in the city, the free City Circle Tram (Route 35) is the easiest way to see the highlights without spending anything. And for a slower, more photographic pace through Melbourne’s streets and laneways, here’s a walk through the city’s landmarks.
Some links in this post are affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you if you book through them. This never affects what I recommend – only things I’ve actually done or would genuinely suggest.
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