One of Melbourne’s best tourist moments is the Puffing Billy train ride from Belgrave to Lakeside. Actually a must-do, not gonna lie. We parked at Belgrave Station and had to queue for a hot minute to grab tickets before jumping on the 11am train.
The rainforest views? Unreal. The steam engine pulling us up the mountain felt straight out of a vintage movie. Main character energy the whole way.
We hopped off at Lakeside and grabbed lunch at the visitor centre café. The food was… alright. Not life-changing, but it did the job.
Caught the 2:15 train back to Belgrave and it was PACKED. This place is not a hidden gem — the tourists were out in full force. Heaps of people were sitting on the edge of the carriage with their legs hanging out, which is kinda the iconic Puffing Billy vibe tbh. People along the way were waving at us like we were celebrities on tour.
Also, everything is kept in such good shape — the engine, the carriages, the stations — all giving well-maintained heritage core.
Honestly? 10/10 would recommend. It’s actually worth the hype