Discover Tropical North Queensland with Car Hire in Cairns

Book cheap car hire in Cairns

If you are looking to hire a car in Cairns let DriveNow do the work for you. For almost 20 years we have been comparing the cost of car rental in Cairns to help travellers find and book the best available deal. DriveNow’s online comparison service takes the stress and hassle out of securing a cheap Cairns car hire deal, all at no additional cost to you.

We have partnerships with all of Australia’s most recognised and trusted car rental brands, including Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, Thrifty, SIXT and many more to allow you to compare and select from the widest choice of rental providers.

Our booking system automatically searches for the latest deals on car hire in Cairns to retrieve the best pricing across the rental fleets of our providers for your dates and pickup location. These vehicles include everything from top of the range luxury models, sports cars, family and SUVs, standard to medium sized vehicles and small cars that are budget friendly and fuel efficient.

We're serious about providing the cheapest available prices on rental cars in Cairns and to that end our rates are backed by our price-match guarantee. The only added costs are any optional extras you elect to take out directly when collecting your rental in Cairns and any young driver fees that may apply. What’s more in many instances there’s no deposit and no credit card details required – simply pay on pickup in Cairns.

Why book your next car rental in Cairns through DriveNow?

• We partner with brands you know and trust
• Free booking service with no fees or charges
• 100% Australian owned and operated
• Local Support - our Melbourne based Reservations team can be reached via phone, online chat or email
• Impartial and instant rate comparison allows you to easily compare rental brands and price
• In most instances, pay when you collect the vehicle, not when you book
• Drive-away rates include all taxes and levies (excludes young driver surcharge)
• Experience - booking Cairns Car rentals since 2003

FAQs on car rental at the Cairns city location

Top things to do in and around Cairns

As we’ve mentioned before, Cairns is a compact city. If you’re staying downtown, you can simply walk to the shops of Cairns Central or the fresh produce stalls of Rusty’s Market to pick up food, souvenirs, or supplies. With its pretty boardwalk and free swimming lagoon, the Esplanade offers the perfect setting for a post dinner stroll or dip, and at sunset, the tented stalls of the Cairns Night Market come alive with jewellery, handicrafts, and specialty clothing for sale. If you’re not sure what you want to do, the many tour operators in this area will provide plenty of inspiration, with a multitude of activities on offer, ranging from sailing and snorkelling to bungy jumping and skydiving.

Outside of the city, a DriveNow rental car offers the most convenient way to explore Cairns’ enchanting terrestrial surrounds. At Mossman Gorge, learn about native flora, fauna and their traditional uses on a Dreamtime Walk tour, led by a local indigenous guide. To cool off, jump into the refreshing and blissfully crocodile-free Mossman River. Commonly spotted on its densely forested banks are Australian brush turkeys and if you look closely at tree trunks, you might even see a Boyd’s forest dragon.

If you’ve decided to venture further into the Daintree Rainforest, don’t worry, you don’t need a 4WD hire unless you want to tackle the Bloomfield Track. All main roads are sealed and the only thing you need to worry about is avoiding the cassowaries! These large flightless birds are one of the most common wildlife hazards on the road in Far North Queensland, especially at dawn and dusk. Second only to the ostrich in body weight, these distinctive flightless birds are native to north-eastern Australia but as they are very shy, chances are you won’t see them on your own.

To learn more about cassowaries and the other inhabitants of this region, head straight to the Daintree Discovery Centre around 10km north of the vehicle ferry. This is one of the best places to observe cassowaries in the wild. The highly-awarded centre also has a canopy tower with a range of viewing platforms and aerial walkway with sweeping vistas over the surrounding rainforest. As the day warms up, don’t miss the Daintree Ice-cream Company at Diwan, which makes delectable frozen treats on site using tropical fruit or native plants such as black sapote, mango, and wattle seed.

The other creature most visitors come here to see is the saltwater crocodile. Capable of growing to at least 6 metres, these enormous prehistoric-looking reptiles thrive in the Daintree Rainforest’s brackish rivers, lagoons and estuaries. We recommend taking a wildlife cruise from the jetty at Daintree Village. These river safaris are led by knowledgeable guides who will point out local “salties” as well as other reptiles, marsupials, birds, and butterflies regularly seen around the river.

Portrait of a ‘saltie

The Great Barrier Reef is justly renowned for its relatively safe, calm waters seething with a diversity of marine life. Non-swimmers are well catered for, with a variety of activity options, ranging from voyages aboard a glass bottom boat, on a luxury catamaran or perhaps even in a semi-submersible submarine. There are also underwater observatories on the reef, where you can watch the activities beneath the surface without getting wet - great for families with younger kids! Some reefs also have a child-friendly swimming enclosure often visited by smaller reef fish.

Snorkellers and scuba divers will rejoice - the Great Barrier Reef offers a veritable smorgasbord of sites from enchanting coral gardens to fascinating caves inhabited by a dazzling diversity of species from tiny clownfish and green turtles to giant clams and gigantic Maori wrasse. Liveaboards offer passengers the ability to spend more than one day exploring the region, with the opportunity to visit more far-flung reaches of the Great Barrier Reef.

The Great Barrier Reef from above

Our Favourite Restaurants in Cairns and Surrounds

Far North Queensland has a disproportionate number of good restaurants and cafes relative to its small population. This you would probably have to give credit in equal parts to the region’s multicultural residents, its fertile agricultural lands, and bountiful waters. And the best thing is all are just a short trip away with a Cairns Car Hire.

Here are some of our top picks for food in and around Cairns:

Tamarind

A popular “special occasion” restaurant, this softly-lit contemporary fusion restaurant in The Reef casino complex pairs premium Queensland meats, ocean-fresh seafood and local sustainably farmed barramundi with punchy Asian condiments such as wasabi, ponzu and pickles. Tamarind is the place to sample homegrown heroes such as finger lime caviar, wild koah leaf, macadamia praline and native bee honey, perhaps as part of a multi-course tasting menu with expertly matched wines.

Prawn Star

The online reviews are spot on for this novel restaurant and fresh seafood store, located aboard a simple fishing trawler moored at Cairns’ Marlin Marina. Order the seafood platter - depending on what comprised the ‘Catch of the Day’, the multi-tiered platter could be piled high with juicy oysters, bugs, prawns, mud crabs or all of the above. Wash your meal down with ice-cold XXXX beer (what else?) and throw the shells to hungry fish waiting expectantly in the water around this funky little boat with a cheeky name. If the Prawn Star gets too busy, you can always buy something to take home and barbecue.

Ganbaranba

Cairns is well attuned to the needs of Japanese tourists so it’s no surprise one of our top picks specialises in authentic ramen, firm wheat noodles served in steaming broth. In the case of Ganbaranba, diners have the option of pork, chicken or seafood broth, topped with half a boiled egg, chopped scallions, sliced roast pork and a dash of fragrant garlic oil. Given the climate, there’s also a choice of cold noodles. If you still have room left in your stomach, try the mouth-watering pork and vegetable gyoza (homemade dumplings) - we guarantee the queues for a table at this tiny affordable restaurant are worth it.

Salsa Bar & Grill

This Port Douglas institution can count amongst its legion of satisfied customers former US President Bill Clinton and Presidential nominee Hillary Clinton. Nestled within a stately Queenslander overlooking Anzac Park, Salsa is all about casual glamour. Think flowery maxi dresses with jewelled flats for women, and collared shirts with tailored shorts for men. Oversized cocktails here come garnished with a generous slice of tropical fruit while the food is lip-smacking Euro-Asian fusion, with plenty of local Australian accents. Salsa is the kind of place, which attracts devotees, so be sure to book ahead, especially if you’re planning to drive up from Cairns.

Iron Bar

This rustic pub on Macrossan Street is a must even if just for an icy cold beer, because at 8pm every night, out come the cane toads - an introduced pest species in these parts. “Jockies” are chosen at random, and have to name their toads and give them a smooch before the races begin. It’s tacky, corny and just so much fun. The Iron Bar also has a dinner menu if you want to have a meal the racing action begins - with good honest pub grub including burgers, pasta, and steak.

Where to Stay in Cairns

With the money you’ve saved on cheap car rental in Cairns with DriveNow, you can afford to spend big on the best hotels and resorts the city has to offer. Being the most common departure point for tours out to the reef, staying in the city makes sense. However, if you’re after something a bit more upmarket, consider Port Douglas, a charming town about one hour’s drive north of Cairns. Quite a few boats also depart from this captivating seaside hamlet to popular diving and snorkelling spots on the Great Barrier Reef.

Cars are the most common form of transport in and around Cairns so expect plenty of on and off-street parking. Be mindful of time restrictions however, to avoid a fine. If you plan to leave your rental car in Cairns for a whole day or for several nights, it pays to park in council-operated or private car parks which offer spaces at very reasonable rates, especially when compared to bigger cities such as Brisbane or Sydney.

Our Favourite Hotels and Resorts in and around Cairns

Cairns’ relaxed vibe and vibrant nightlife is due in part to the many backpackers that set up base in the city. There are only a handful of premium accommodation options in Cairns, which is why we’ve recommended a few upscale places in the nearby town of Port Douglas as well.

Shangri La The Marina Cairns

The view from a Shangri La Horizon Club Room Source: shangri-la.com

Location is a big part of the appeal of this Cairns landmark. Overlooking the luxury yachts and tourist catamarans of the busy Marlin Marina, this waterfront hotel offers modern accommodation, all the trimmings you’d expect in a five-star establishment as well as signature Shangri-La service. With its sparkling pool and sumptuous breakfasts served with views of glistening Trinity Inlet, who could resist staying here?

Waters Edge Apartment Cairns

For space and flexibility, you can’t go past a self-catering apartment. Waters Edge Apartments is one of Cairns’ most contemporary residential-slash-holiday complexes with a prime position right on the Esplanade. If your plan is to base yourself in Cairns, this is the ideal option in our books. Apartments have gourmet kitchens for seafood cook-ups, spa tubs for indulgent soaks, and full laundry facilities for muddy outdoor gear. Best of all, they’re serviced daily - because let’s face it, who wants to make their bed on holiday? Splash out on the swim-out units if you have spare cash to flash - they’re amazing.

Coconut Grove Apartments

There are a plethora of self-catering options in Port Douglas but what makes the exclusive apartments of Coconut Grove stand out is their creator’s attention to detail. Crisp white bed linen, cool stone bench tops, free standing bath tubs, and large outdoor entertainment areas - this property embodies luxury living at its finest. What’s more, the boutiques and restaurants of lively Macrossan Street are just downstairs, while Four-Mile Beach is a short stroll away. The world’s rich and famous often come to Port Douglas to play so be sure to pack your trendiest resort wear because who knows who you might meet down by the pool?

Other great destinations further afield

If you’re after a ‘real’ beach, Cairn’s Northern Beaches are a fairly well-kept secret around half an hour’s from the city. Comprised of a handful of individual villages, this area boasts some 26 kilometres of sun-drenched sand fringed by lush shady trees. Local favourites include low-key Trinity Beach and Palm Cove, whose coastline is slowly starting to resemble classy Port Douglas further up the road. From around November to May is stinger season, so just be careful to swim only in stinger-resistant enclosures or stick to the pool.

If you don’t have much time but want a taste of the World Heritage Daintree Rainforest, look no further than Mossman Gorge. This stunning natural attraction is 1 hour and 15 minutes from Cairns or just 20 minutes from Port Douglas by road, and it provides a great introduction to the age-old ecosystem of Far North Queensland. As the gorge is located on the ancient grounds of the Kuku Yalanji, you’ll also have the opportunity to gain some insight into indigenous culture and history.

If you have a day or more to spare, go into the Daintree Rainforest proper where you can drive all the way to Cape Tribulation, where rainforest meets the ocean. As this wilderness area is around 3 hours’ drive from Cairns or 1.5 hours from Port Douglas, seclusion is almost guaranteed. To add to the adventurous nature of this outing, there’s a vehicle ferry - the only way to get across the Daintree River.

Of course, the other reason you’re here is to see the Great Barrier Reef. There are a variety of ways to experience this undersea wonder. Cairns marina is the main launching point for tours to the reef on all manner of marine vessels. Port Douglas also offers boat tours albeit with less departure options. If you’re not keen on water, you can see the reef from the air. Whichever way you choose to take it in, you’re guaranteed a head full of memories and a camera full of spectacular photos.

Take a dip in the idyllic Mossman River

Cairns Car Hire summary