Australia is known as one of the best self-driving destinations. The country has so much space that it’s worth spending some time driving. Here are our top tips for driving and renting a car in Australia.
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There’s nothing better than hitting the road and seeing the landscape change as the city merges into vast open spaces that continue to evolve all around you. A driving holiday not only gives you freedom but also encourages adventure.
As proponents of slow travel and independent travel, road trips are perfect for us.
We drove around many places in Australia and enjoyed the pastoral scenery of Australia Tasmania to rugged landscapes Kakadu The endless coastal roads from the Northern Territory to Western Australia.
Most of our driving was done in rental cars, flying to our destinations rather than driving across this vast country to get there.
But even on our driving holidays from our home town of Sydney, we often hire a car to explore New South Wales – check out our Here are 15 of the most popular country towns in regional New South Wales.
Every time we rent a car here there is always something new to learn.
Add to that the myriad nuances of driving Australia’s 817,000 kilometers of roads, and you’ve got a host of challenges.
Here are our top tips for renting a car in Australia, as well as some of our favorite qualities about driving here.
Important tips for renting a car in Australia
Renting a car in Australia is easy. If you have an ID and are over 25, it’s easy. If you have an Australian driving license then the ID you need is sufficient, otherwise your passport is best.
People under the age of 21 cannot rent a car in Australia. If you are between the ages of 21 and 24, a “Young Driver Surcharge” will be added to your rental fee each day. You also can’t reduce the excess that much.
Which car rental company should you choose?
This is a question we get asked all the time, and understandably so, especially since the cost of renting a car is important to your travel budget.
Unfortunately, there are no absolute answers.
However, we usually prefer to use Budget Rental because they have a garage near us and their cars are all unmarked. Many car rental companies have their own logo on their vehicles, making you stand out on the road and in parking lots.
To get the best deal and be able to compare prices from multiple rental companies, you really can’t go wrong discovercar.com.
We found the prices here to be very competitive, and not just in Australia. Renting a car in the UK is notoriously expensive, but this site’s prices are surprisingly reasonable.
I also really like the search results page. You can easily view different categories of cars at the same time, with filters on the left showing information like number of seats, special offers, and electric vehicles.
You can also specify suppliers, so if we only want to rent from a budget, we can sort the results with just one click.
In short, check out discovercar.com.
Save Money – Where is the pick-up location for your rental car?
If you have time, don’t pick up your car directly from the airport. Because airports are considered “premium locations,” there are often surcharges.
The search pages of most car rental sites offer the option to search “all locations” in the city, which can lead to significant savings.
Also, if possible, use the same pick-up and drop-off locations. Car rental companies often charge additional fees depending on the drop-off location.
Go to the car!
Don’t expect to be able to rent a manual car in Australia. Unlike the UK and continental Europe, cars are far more common in Australia, to the point where many people can’t even drive a manual car here.
If you do find a rental company that offers a manual car you will have to pay more, contrary to the UK where you will find cars more expensive.
Should you purchase additional insurance for your rental?
When you rent a car, it’s important to have good insurance, but you don’t necessarily have to use the insurance sold by the rental company.
Third-party insurance is included in car rental prices in Australia, so don’t worry if that’s enough for you. Additionally, if you have good home or travel insurance, you may be covered by this.
As for paying the excess reduction fee, your travel insurance should also cover it. If you are looking for quality travel insurance, View more covers.
What damage should you look for and what is just “wear and tear”?
It goes without saying that you should always check your car for damage and confirm with the car company before you leave the premises.
Visible damage should have been marked on the report, and cosmetic scratches – especially on the edges of the trunk or around door handles – will be considered wear and tear. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t bring it to the company’s attention. Always report it. That way you’re covered.
This is definitely not wear and tear, but it was not listed in the report when we picked up the car in Nice, France. We logged in with the company, no problem.
It is important to take photos of the roof, windscreen and wheels as these are not subject to the wear and tear that less scrupulous companies are known to charge for.
We once had to hastily return a (completely undamaged) car to Melbourne Airport. They tried to charge us for the cracked windshield. That’s outrageous.
Which side is the gasoline on?
One of my favorite rental car tricks is the magic arrow on the fuel gauge. If you don’t remember which side the fuel is on, look for the small black triangle or arrow. It’s on every vehicle, not just rental vehicles, and points to the side where the gas is!
For more general tips on renting a car, check out our story 11 Tips for Winning Car Rentals
We also offer the following tips Drive and stay safe in Mexico, California Driving Tipsand Rent a car and drive in Japan!
Top tips for driving in Australia
I could talk about driving in Australia for years, but here are the most important tips for surviving on the roads here. I grew up in the UK, which you might think is very similar to Australia, but there are lots of subtle differences.
These tips will be very helpful if you are visiting Australia, and you may find them interesting if you are from here. 🙂
Watch out for speed cameras
Especially in New South Wales, speed cameras are everywhere. Don’t mess with these guys, they will punish even the slightest speed indiscretion.
The good news is that their signatures are good.
If you see a road sign next to a speed limit camera, take it seriously. After that you’ll see two more, and then the camera itself, which is probably on the other side of the road.
Speeding fines can be hefty and you’ll get points on your license (but not in a good way).
Worse yet, beware of red light speed cameras
Many traffic lights are now equipped with cameras that can capture not only drivers running red lights, but also speeding drivers. So if you step on the gas and run a red light, you pay the price!
The signs are not very clear, so take it easy at the traffic lights.
In addition, fines increase during public holidays in New South Wales, as do “double demerits” penalties for driving offences.
Pay attention to the school zone
The speed limit is reduced to 40 km/h on certain streets at certain times of the day (usually 8.00 am to 9.30 am and 2.30 pm to 4.00 pm). These are usually near schools, but not always.
These areas are clearly signposted, but please keep an eye out for them. Failure to slow down during school zone hours (during term time) will result in – you guessed it – a hefty fine.
Understand the special language of stop signs
When it comes to parking challenges in Australia, finding a spot on the street is just the beginning.
You then need to figure out how long you can park there (if at all) and then how much. “P3” means you can park for up to three hours, but you’ll need to read the fine print carefully which tells you the time of day and days of the week. Here’s a great explanation of the stop sign code.
Christina is proficient in parking sign language, but even she has had trouble in the past, so take your time. If in doubt, find another space.
Park in the right direction
Except for stop signs, park only in the direction of traffic. In other words, if you see a parking space on the other side of the street, you need to drive over, make a U-turn, and park on the curb.
I’ve heard that the penalty for parking the wrong way is “parking too far from the curb.”
Get gas (or “gasoline,” if you prefer!)
When you pull into a petrol station (which Australians rightly call a “bowser”), don’t expect anyone to help you. Unlike in the United States, there are no full-service gas stations.
Unlike in the U.S., you don’t have to enter a postal or postal code to buy gas here. You just pay in-store—some servos (“servo” is Strine for “service station” or “service”) also have a pay-at-the-pump option.
Traffic light sensor triggers signal light
If you are the first car to stop at a red light, make sure you drive directly to the light. Roads often have a series of pressure sensors that trigger light changes.
If you are not on the sensor it will take a long time for the light to turn green.
Watch out for pedestrians when turning left
When the traffic light turns green and you want to turn left, remember that pedestrians who want to cross the street need a green light at the same time in order to walk.
You can turn slightly off the road, but don’t go too far or risk being spotted by passers-by.
Melbourne’s famous hook turn
Driving in Melbourne is very similar to driving in most Australian cities, with the exception of drivers being more polite than in Sydney, except for one major difference: hooker turns.
To avoid being run over by a streetcar or, less obviously, to avoid a streetcar slowing down, cars turning right do not use the right-hand lane where streetcar lines run.
Instead, you should delve into faraway places left Enter the lane marked with the large right arrow and wait for the red light signal. Then you swerve all the way through other cars on the side of the road. It’s scary, but somehow it works.
Don’t disrupt road trains
Our final tip for driving in Australia concerns road trains. These huge trucks, often carrying three or three and a half containers behind their prime mover, are the boss of all roads.
These large vehicles are usually only found on inland roads and will not (and cannot) stop if you are in their way.
So if you see someone coming towards you, move closer.
If you see someone behind you, speed up or pull over carefully. If there is a person in front of you, use extra caution when overtaking. Good luck!
