Step 1: Melbourne to Adelaide
Jetstar, Qantas and Virgin all run multiple daily flights between Melbourne (MEL or AVV) and Adelaide (ADL). Flight time is around 80 minutes. Fares range from $89 sale to $300 walk-up. Book the same day you book your Rex or ferry leg so you can match the timings.
From Avalon, expect a 25-minute drive plus check-in time. From Tullamarine you are at the city in 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. Plan your transfer accordingly.
Step 2: Adelaide to KI
Two options once you land in Adelaide.
Rex flight to Kingscote. Walk from the main domestic terminal across to the regional terminal (5 minutes), check in for Rex, and you are on the island 40 minutes later. Standard fare from $169 one-way. This is the fastest combined route from Melbourne, about 5 hours door to door.
SeaLink ferry from Cape Jervis. Hire a car or coach to Cape Jervis (90 minutes south of Adelaide Airport), then the 45-minute crossing to Penneshaw. Slower, more flexible, and the only option if you want a car on the island. Full breakdown on the ferry page.
Connection timing
The 90-minute Rex connection rule is real. If you are on a single booking through Rex, they will accept slightly tighter connections, but a separate ticket needs the full 90 minutes plus baggage transfer time. Last Rex flight out of Adelaide is usually mid-afternoon, so any Melbourne flight landing after 4 pm means an overnight in Adelaide.
An Adelaide overnight is not the worst thing. The city is 15 minutes from the airport and there is good food, walking and the Adelaide Hills 30 minutes east. If your trip has any flex, plan the overnight in and use the morning for a Barossa or McLaren Vale stop on the way to the ferry.
The honest pick from Melbourne
For a weekend trip (3 days max), fly the whole way: Jetstar to Adelaide, Rex to Kingscote, hire a car on arrival. You will lose less than a day in transit.
For 4 days plus, especially with two or more people, the calculus shifts. Fly to Adelaide, hire a car at the airport, drive to Cape Jervis with a wine-region stop on the way, ferry across with the car. You will spend more time in transit (one extra half-day) but you save on Adelaide and KI car-hire double-bookings and gain real flexibility on the island.
Cost rough cut
Indicative return per person from Melbourne, peak season.
- Fly the whole way (MEL to ADL to KGC return): around $500 to $700 per person.
- Fly to Adelaide, drive and ferry: around $400 to $550 per person plus shared car hire.
- Fly to Adelaide and book a day tour to KI: around $300 to $450 per person.
Book the Rex and ferry legs here: