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Melbourne is chic, it's classy. It's a city that is all about its neighbourhoods. Every corner of the city has a different feel, each is worth exploring in its own time and as its own pace. The city spreads quite wide and a rental car in Melbourne is an ideal way to get around. While Sydney may have a famous Opera House, Melbourne is without a doubt the culture capital of the country. Tie that in with some elegant Victorian architecture, shopping as good as Paris, huge city parks and hundreds of art galleries, theatres and museums and you start to have some idea what Melbourne is really like.

Essentials in Melbourne

Melbourne's mix of old and new give it a charm that many travellers come back again and again for. Take it easy and lazy by the river in a park or why not the beach? Melbourne is a city that seems to suit just about every type of personality and traveller. Take its neighbourhoods on at a time and enjoy!

The G: In other words the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where locals worship their favourite sports stars. It's an icon in this cricket-loving city and is considered one of the best sports venues in the world. Seating 100,000 you can bet the Sunday afternoon cricket game is anything but tame! For a real Melbourne experience, try to grab tickets to a game while you're in town.

Melbourne Museum: Located right in the middle of Carlton Gardens, the Melbourne Museums paints a pretty picture of the city's Victorian history. The museum is designed to create interaction between the visitor and the exhibits so come ready to get your hands "dirty." The biggest attraction is Bunjilaka, the Aboriginal Centre, a living forest gallery and an exhibit dedicated to the hit TV sitcom The Neighbours. Admission: $8 for adults.

St Kilda: This corner of Melbourne is a gem. It's palm-lined streets run parallel to the beach, a strand of golden sands worth boasting about. Despite heavy development, the beach area screams Brighton instead of feeling like just another sell-out to commercialism. It's charming and quaint, a great place to watch storms roll in. Drink a cuppa in an Edwardian-style tea-house or walk along the piers.

Royal Botanical Gardens: The South Yarra gardens are free, so there's no excuse not going to one of the best botanical gardens in the world. Sprawling alongside the Yarra River, get up close to smell the roses, or at least look at Australia's unique flora up close. The gardens are divided into eco-systems: cacti and succulents, herbs and rainforest. Take your time, pack a lunch.

Collins Street: There's just something about Melbourne that is so European. You could easily mistake Collins Street for Paris. It's upper half is lined with trees and the shops have luxurious-sounding names painted in gold on the windows. Add in a few Gothic churches, a grande theatre and an arcade from the 1800s and you're transported to the other side of the world.

Find more information on visitmelbourne.com.

Accommodations in Melbourne

You can find a wide range of hotels in Melbourne, thanks to it being Australia's second largest city and a student hot spot. Budget hotels can be found in two areas in Melbourne, first the city centre and in St. Kilda, a seaside suburb. Apart from here, check out Fitzroy and South Melbourne as well. You have to watch out though, even the cheap hotels in Melbourne raise their prices when international events like the F1 Grand Prix come to town. The biggest concentration of hotels at all price ranges will be in the city centre, a great place to start if you arrive in Melbourne without a reservation.