Card Acquisition: New Myki cards cost $6 plus minimum $5 top-up at any 7-Eleven, station machine, or staffed booth. Avoid street vendors selling "discounted" expired cards — Inspectors specifically target tourists with invalid cards on Route 35 City Circle and airport routes.

Touch On/Off Protocol: You must touch your card on green readers when boarding AND yellow readers when exiting every tram, train, and bus. Forgetting to touch off charges maximum zone fare ($11.40 instead of $5.70). Inspectors patrol tourist-heavy routes daily, issuing $250 fines with zero tolerance for "I didn't know" explanations.

Zone Structure Analysis: Zone 1+2 coverage ($5.70 for 2 hours) includes CBD, inner suburbs, and crucially Melbourne Airport via SkyBus. Daily spending cap hits $11.40, making unlimited travel cheaper than 3+ individual trips. Weekend daily cap drops to $6.70 — Significant savings for intensive sightseeing days.

Free Transport Exception: Route 35 burgundy City Circle tram operates completely free around CBD tourist attractions, but every other tram requires valid Myki payment. This includes the identical-looking Route 30 and Route 31 trams on Collins Street — Check the destination display carefully.

Airport Connection: SkyBus from Southern Cross to Tullamarine Airport accepts Myki for $20.80 Zone 1+2 fare, significantly cheaper than $60+ taxis. Touch on at Southern Cross, touch off at Airport West Station platform.