Driving along Australian roads can be a great experience. While you can always have your own car, car rental options are also available to explore. But, how much does it cost to rent a car in Australia? Usually, you will need to pay around $50 per day in a major Australian city like Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, or Brisbane for an intermediate car. However, other factors may also be involved in the price, including mileage limits from destinations outside state capitals, one-way fees, etc. This blog discusses every necessary detail that you must know regarding car rental in this country.
Australia has a well-connected road network, which means hiring a car can be an excellent way to explore various corners. Although domestic flights, tour packages, and public transport are available, nothing can be more exciting than a road trip. Varied landscapes across the country make road trips fun-filled and eventful, which can be a lifetime experience for both drivers and passengers.
You will also gain unique experiences that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. For instance, seeing a kangaroo crossing the road in front of you is not possible in any other country. However, you must keep in mind that as a driver, you have to drive on the left.
The car hiring cost in Australia may sound costlier than in Europe or the US, but it is not too expensive to afford. Various international firms like Avis, Hertz, Budget, Dollar, and Thrifty operate in most Australian cities, airports, and towns. Besides them, there are other less popular options, too. You can check their sites and compare the prices before making the final decision.
Typically, if you ask someone ‘how much to rent a car?’, they will tell you that a daily fee under $50 will be a good price for an intermediate car.
While hiring your car, you must consider two key factors – one-way fees and mileage limits.
The inclusion of one-way fees can increase the car rental cost significantly. For example, if you hire a car for two weeks to pick you up from Brisbane Airport and drop you off at Sydney Airport, the costs will be much higher. Intermediate car hire from a reputed firm will cost you about $69 per day, making about $961 for a fortnight.
Also, if you want to go along some of Australia’s most popular road trips, your one-way fees will automatically go higher.
Usually, all one-way fees are hidden within the total price. The longer you rent the car, the smaller the one-way fees will be. So, it will be better to hire a car for three to four weeks instead of a fortnight. Likewise, in Tasmania, hiring a car for a week will be much cheaper than renting one or two days.
Another important factor to consider is the car’s mileage limits. If you rent a car to drive in the regional areas of Australia, there will be limits on how far you can drive your car before extra charges come up. In some regions like Geraldton, Port Lincoln, and the Eyre Peninsula, you may drive for a maximum distance of 100km per day.
In addition to the above two factors, other additional costs may also make the car rental cost higher than expected. These costs include:
Usually, Australian car rental companies offer insurance coverage for all the cars they offer on rent. So, you will not need to apply for a full car insurance policy for a car you want to rent only. However, if the car gets stolen or damaged in the period you have rented it, you have to pay an extra charge to the car rental company, which can sometimes go over $3000.
Most companies provide car rental excess insurance to protect their clients from any risk. However, you must keep in mind that this policy may increase your daily costs.
Several travel insurance policies offer coverage for rental car excess for a specific amount. So, before you rent, you can look at the product disclosure statement to check if you already have this coverage.
Apart from car hire services, rent-to-own, car-to-go, and car subscription services have also developed in recent times, mostly in state capitals. GoGet, Carbar, Car Next Door, HelloCars, etc., are popular car subscription services. The benefit of these services is that they allow drivers to test drive the car before buying. However, the costs can be higher than regular agencies, and there may be other limitations. So, it will be good to do detailed research before contacting them.
ESKA Car Rental is a leading car rental firm in Australia. For years, they have supplied all kinds of cars according to customers’ demands. Another good thing about their services is the reasonable range of prices. So, contact them anytime you need a compact car for a better driving experience.
