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Australia is one of those countries where a hire car stops being an optional convenience and becomes the only practical way to see the place properly.
The cities are vast, the distances between the things worth seeing are considerable, and public transport outside the major urban centres is either limited, slow, or simply non-existent. If you are planning any serious exploration, you will need a car.
The good news is that hiring a car in Australia is straightforward, the roads are in excellent condition, and the driving rules will be familiar to anyone from the UK — they drive on the left, the highway code is similar, and international driving licences from most countries are accepted without issue.
The less good news is that the hire market here varies significantly from city to city. Prices, availability, age restrictions and the quality of what is available at the airport desk can all differ substantially depending on where you are flying into.
Compare car hire rates across Australia to see what is available for your dates.
This guide covers what to expect in each of the main cities, and where the practical differences are worth knowing before you book.
Car Hire in Sydney
Airport: Sydney Kingsford Smith (SYD) — 8km south of the CBD
Best for: City base with day trips; coastal drives; Blue Mountains
Sydney is the busiest hire market in the country, which means the best availability and, in most cases, the most competitive pricing, particularly if you book in advance rather than walking up to the desk on arrival. The airport is compact and the hire car facilities are well-organised, which is a relief after a long-haul flight.
The city itself is not particularly easy to drive in. Traffic in the CBD and inner suburbs is heavy during peak hours, parking is expensive and often confusing, and the toll roads catch many visitors off guard, most are cashless and billed automatically to the hire car, which then charges the cost back to you along with an administration fee that can add up quickly. Worth asking about this when you collect the car.
Where Sydney hire really earns its keep is on day trips. The Blue Mountains are an hour west, the Royal National Park is an hour south along the coast, and the Hunter Valley vineyards are roughly two hours north. None of these are particularly accessible without a car.
The coastal road between Sydney and the Central Coast, via Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, is one of the better scenic drives in New South Wales and is best done at your own pace.
Local tip: Book at least two weeks ahead in December and January. Sydney in summer is peak domestic travel season and the airport counters sell out of the better vehicle categories faster than most people expect.
Car Hire in Melbourne
Airport: Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL) — 23km northwest of the CBD
Best for: Great Ocean Road; Yarra Valley; Mornington Peninsula
Melbourne has a reputation as the most liveable city in Australia, and it is easy to see why. It is also the hire car market that tends to offer the best value outside peak school holiday periods, with a wide range of suppliers operating from the terminal and genuine competition keeping prices sensible.
The city centre is reasonably easy to navigate, though the tram network creates some unusual road rules that catch overseas visitors out. The hook turn is the main one to be aware of in parts of the CBD, right-hand turns must be made from the left lane to avoid blocking trams. It sounds complicated and looks strange when you first see it, but it becomes obvious quickly enough.
The Great Ocean Road is the obvious reason to hire a car in Melbourne, and it deserves its reputation. The 250km coastal route from Torquay to Allansford passes the Twelve Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and some of the most dramatic coastline in the country. Allow at least two days if you want to do it properly rather than racing through for the photographs.
The Yarra Valley wine region is an hour east, the Mornington Peninsula is an hour south, and the Grampians National Park is roughly three hours west. Melbourne is the best base in Victoria for road-based exploration.
Local tip: Pick up your car the evening before if you plan to start the Great Ocean Road early. The Tullamarine airport is a 45-minute drive from the start of the route and morning traffic on the Western Ring Road can be slow.
Car Hire in Brisbane
Airport: Brisbane Airport (BNE) — 16km northeast of the CBD
Best for: Gold Coast; Sunshine Coast; Noosa; hinterland drives
Brisbane is the gateway to Southeast Queensland, and for most visitors hiring a car here means using it to escape the city rather than explore it. The city itself is pleasant enough and easy to drive in, but the reason most people come to this part of Queensland is the coast.
The Gold Coast is an hour south down the M1 motorway, which makes it easy to position yourself in Brisbane and do a day trip, or equally easy to use Brisbane Airport as your arrival point and head straight down to a Gold Coast base. The Sunshine Coast is an hour north.
Noosa, which offers a very different and considerably quieter experience than the Gold Coast, is about 90 minutes from the airport.
For something away from the coast, the Scenic Rim and Lamington National Park in the hinterland behind the Gold Coast are worth the drive. The rainforest here is extraordinary and most of it sees a fraction of the visitor numbers that the coastal strip attracts.
Brisbane itself has invested significantly in its road infrastructure and is one of the easier Australian cities to navigate. The main irritation is the tunnel and bridge tolls, which operate on the same cashless system as Sydney and carry similar administration fees through the hire companies.
Local tip: If you are splitting time between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, check whether it is cheaper to hire from Brisbane Airport and drive down, or from Gold Coast Airport directly. The difference varies by season and supplier and is not always what you would expect.
Car Hire in Gold Coast
Airport: Gold Coast Airport (OOL), Coolangatta — 25km south of Surfers Paradise
Best for: Beach base; theme parks; hinterland day trips; Byron Bay
The Gold Coast is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Australia and the hire car market reflects that, there is no shortage of suppliers and pricing is competitive, but availability in peak periods (school holidays, Christmas, Easter) can tighten quickly. Book ahead.
Gold Coast Airport is at the southern end of the strip at Coolangatta, which puts it close to the New South Wales border. Byron Bay is 90 minutes south and well worth the trip if you have the time, it is a different world from the Gold Coast’s resort strip and the driving down through the northern New South Wales coast is genuinely scenic.
The theme parks like Dreamworld, Warner Bros. World, Sea World, Wet’n’Wild, are spread across the northern end of the Gold Coast and are difficult to reach without a car unless you are staying right next to one. If the theme parks are part of the plan, a hire car is essentially non-negotiable.
The Lamington National Park and Springbrook National Park in the hinterland are both within an hour of the coast and offer a complete change of scenery. The drives up into the rainforest are winding and take longer than the distance suggests, but the payoff is considerable.
Local tip: Gold Coast Airport serves the southern end of the strip. If you are staying in Surfers Paradise or further north, factor in 40 minutes of driving after collection before you reach your accommodation — and that’s before Gold Coast traffic, which can be slow on the main boulevard.
Car Hire in Perth
Airport: Perth Airport (PER) — 17km east of the CBD
Best for: Margaret River wine region; Fremantle; Southwest
Perth is the most isolated major city on earth, a fact that shapes almost everything about visiting it. The city is clean, well-organised and genuinely pleasant, but it is 2,700km from its nearest Australian neighbour Adelaide.
That isolation means flights in are long and expensive, which tends to filter the visitor profile toward people who are serious about exploring the region properly, and that requires a car.
The Perth hire market is competitive and well-stocked. The airport has terminals on both sides of the runway so it is worth confirming which terminal before you land. Most suppliers have consolidated pick-up facilities but the signage can be confusing on first visit.
Margaret River is the main draw beyond the city, a three-hour drive south through the Darling Range and the forests of the South West.
The wine region here is world-class, the beaches at Prevelly and Gracetown are spectacular, and the cave network around Margaret River township is extensive. Allow at least two nights if you are making the trip.
Fremantle is 30 minutes south of Perth city centre and easily reached by hire car or train, though the car gives you more flexibility for the markets, the fishing boat harbour and the drive along the Cottesloe and City Beach coastline.
The quokkas on Rottnest Island are accessible via ferry from Fremantle, and the island itself is car-free, so park on the mainland and take the boat.
Local tip: Fuel prices in Perth are noticeably higher than the eastern states. Fill up in the suburbs rather than on the freeway or near tourist areas where the price differential can be significant.
Car Hire in Cairns
Airport: Cairns Airport (CNS) — 7km north of the city centre
Best for: Great Barrier Reef day trips; Daintree Rainforest; Atherton Tablelands; Cape Tribulation
The road north from Cairns into the Daintree is one of the most memorable drives in Australia. A 4WD is recommended in the wet season when creek crossings can become impassable.
Cairns is the jumping-off point for two of the most extraordinary natural environments on the planet: the Great Barrier Reef offshore and the Daintree Rainforest an hour north.
Neither requires a hire car to experience at a basic level, but a car opens up parts of both that the organised tours simply do not reach.
The Daintree Rainforest is the oldest tropical rainforest in the world, and the road north from Cairns through Port Douglas and on to Cape Tribulation is one of the most memorable drives in Australia.
North of the Daintree River ferry crossing, the road is unsealed in places and a 4WD is recommended in the wet season (November to April) when creek crossings can be impassable in a standard vehicle.
The Atherton Tablelands in the hinterland behind Cairns are less visited but genuinely rewarding — crater lakes, waterfalls, coffee plantations and a dramatically different landscape from the coast.
The Gillies Range road up from Gordonvale is steep and winding but perfectly manageable in any hire car.
Cairns Airport is one of the smaller hire car markets on this list, which means the range of available vehicles can be more limited in peak season. If a 4WD is part of the plan for the Daintree, it is worth booking early — they tend to go first.
Local tip: The drive from Cairns to Cape Tribulation is only 140km but takes close to three hours because of the speed limits, the ferry crossing and the road conditions north of the Daintree. Do not underestimate the time required.
Practical Information for Hiring a Car in Australia
Driving Licence Requirements
A valid UK driving licence is accepted across all Australian states and territories. If your licence is not in English, you will also need a certified translation or an International Driving Permit.
Most hire companies will also ask for a second form of photo ID alongside the licence.
Age Restrictions
The standard minimum age for hiring a car in Australia is 21, though some suppliers and some vehicle categories require drivers to be 25. Young driver surcharges typically apply for anyone under 25 and can add a meaningful amount to the daily rate.
Check the age policy before booking rather than discovering the surcharge at the counter.
4WD and Campervans
If you are planning to leave sealed roads at any point, including parts of the Daintree, some areas of the outback, or certain national park tracks, you will need a 4WD and specific hire terms that permit off-road use.
Standard hire agreements exclude unsealed roads and the insurance implications of ignoring this can be serious. Be specific when booking about where you intend to drive.
Toll Roads
Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane all have extensive toll networks that operate electronically. Hire cars are enrolled in toll pass systems automatically by most suppliers, and the charges are passed on to the hirer along with an administration fee per toll day.
Ask for details when you collect the car. If you are planning multiple toll crossings over several days, the combined administration fees can become a notable additional cost.
When to Book
Australian school holidays drive significant demand spikes across all hire markets. The main peak periods are December to mid-January (summer holidays), Easter, and the July school holidays.
Comparing car hire rates in Australia and booking four to six weeks ahead during these periods will give you considerably more choice at better prices than leaving it to the last minute.
Ready to Book?
Australia rewards people who explore it at their own pace, and that means having a car. Whether you are arriving into Sydney for a coastal road trip, Melbourne for the Great Ocean Road, Cairns for the Daintree, or any of the other cities on this list, the right hire car at the right price makes the difference between a good holiday and an exceptional one.
Compare car hire rates across Australia. search by city, check availability for your dates, and book before the vehicle category you want disappears.