We Compare Car Hire in Australia

21 with a full driving license. Renters aged between 21 and 25 inclusive may be charged a young driver surcharge fee and may be restricted on vehicle choice.

A current full and valid driver’s licence held for at least 12 months, without restrictions. Your licence must be shown when picking up your vehicle along with the licenses of any additional drivers. Probationary licences are not accepted. All licences must be in English or supported by a certified translation or International Driving Permit. For non-English driving licenses should be accompanied with an International Driving Permit.

No. You must present the hard copy version of your license when hiring a car. NSW digital driving licenses and those from overseas are not accepted on their own.

No. For security purposes all renters must use a credit card in their name when collecting and paying for the rental vehicle.

Generally, the earlier you book the better the rate and wider the choice of vehicles and the impact of the Pandemic makes this more important. Rental fleets are smaller and supply can be an issue in certain locations. Booking early for Christmas, Easter and other holiday periods is strongly recommended. Specialised vehicles such as Passenger Vans or People-Movers will be fully booked out by October for Christmas.

All rental cars come fully insured, however the hirer is liable for an initial amount in the event of an accident or damage. This excess amount varies between suppliers but can be upwards of $4000. You can reduce your liability to a few hundred dollars or less by paying the rental company a daily fee, which generally starts from $30 per day to your rental costs.

Many travel insurance policies will include car excess reduction options, alternatively there are specific insurance policies written to cover car rental. Learn more about Australian car rental insurance options. Whichever option you elect to take remember that in the event of an accident secure copies of all documentation, police reports and if possible take photos.

Rental companies offer both child and booster seats. When making your booking through DriveNow, you can hire Infant and Child seats and use the comments section to provide any further details. Child seating can be a bit trickier with campervans, as some of them are not equipped to handle such pieces, we recommend speaking with our reservations team.

Car rental companies have different charges for child seats and booster seats, and these charges can also change depending on if you’re hiring from an airport or another location.

No. One way rentals are a common occurrence. In some countries and locations there may be an one way fee, this is especially common when picking up or dropping off at remote rental branches in Australia.

For those who have a flexible travel schedule One Way Relocation rentals can offer amuch cheaper alternative. These deals occur where rental companies need to move vehicles, both cars and campervans, between locations. Rather than paying a staff member to drive they will offer the vehicle for rent from as low as $5 a day and in some instances include a fuel allowance. There are additional Terms and Conditions and some restrictions (mainly around the number of days allowed for the journey), however if you do have a flexible schedule and can travel last minute this is a very cost effective way to travel.

No, not as standard yet, although since early 2023 this has started to change with some providers including GPS sat-nav in certain vehicles. Check when booking your vehicle. You can also opt to hire a GPS unit. Budget no longer rent our GPS units in Australia and New Zealand.

Exploring areas in which you’re not familiar is one of the fun things you can do on your trip. On the other hand, getting lost in remote areas is not. A GPS unit might be the tool you need to enjoy the former and avoid the latter.

Most rental providers will automatically charge your account with any road tolls incurred whilst renting their vehicles. Speak with your chosen car rental supplier about options to pay when you collect your hire car.

No. Not unless you have purchased a specific snow package from the car hire company. Driving a rental car above the snow line in Australia without a snow package voids your insurance cover and you are liable for all and any damage to a vehicle. The Snow package includes things such as Snow Chains which are mandated in Australia above the snow line.

Some rental companies will allow you to nominate a second (and more) driver for free whilst others charge a small daily fee per additional driver. All must have full and valid licenses covering the vehicle being hired.

Unlike some countries, the cost to rent a car in Australia with automatic transmission is generally the same if not cheaper than a manual. The majority of rental cars in Australia are automatic. This makes renting a car that much easier for those who hold driving licenses covering only automatic vehicles.

DriveNow is a comparison and booking website that allows travellers to compare pricing and availability on Car, 4 Wheel Drive, Campervan, Motorhome and RV rental around the world then book the vehicle of choice. Founded in 2002 and based in Melbourne, Australia, DriveNow partners with the world's leading rental organisations to source and compare the cheapest rental vehicle deals.