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Car Rentals
Major car rental companies include: Hertz, Avis, No Birds, Europcar and Thrifty. Most car rentals offer the option of picking a car up in one city, either at the airport or in the CBD, and allowing you to return the car to an office in a different city. Most of the car rental companies offer unlimited kilometres on the car, but remember to ask about this when signing the contract for car rental, as it is possible there are limitations such as 200 km a day, etc. The age of the main driver can impact upon the price of rental, due to insurance costs being higher for younger drivers, generally under-25s. Furthermore, if you will be driving using an overseas driver’s licence, extra costs often apply.
Approximate prices for the following vehicles are as follows: (keep in mind that prices vary depending on the company and the period of the rental.)
Type of car |
Price |
| Small hatchback | 60 to 70 dollars per day |
| Small sedan | 80 dollars per day |
| Medium/Large sedan | 90 dollars per day |
| 4WD | 100 to 200 dollars per day, depending on the size of the vehicle |
| Van | 35 to 100 dollars per day |
Some companies specialises in van and camping car rentals include Wicked Campers and Britz Australia.
When travelling to places such as
Third party insurance is often included in rental cost, however, additional insurance cover can be purchased for an fee, to reduce the damage liability fee you must pay for the vehicle.
Buying a Car
No matter the size of your budget, you will easily be able to buy a car that suits your needs, whether it be a car to get you from point A to point B, or something with a little more luxury. For brand-new cars, car dealerships are the best option, although a lot of dealerships do deal in second-hand vehicles.Other options include the Trading Post newspaper and website, Trading Post and Gumtree. Notices are often put up in backpacker’s hostels as well, as backpackers leaving the country often decide to sell not only their vehicles, but also numerous other household items, such as camping gear, televisions, etc.
Insurance and registration of a vehicle is compulsory in Australia. The minimum requirements for insurance are compulsory third party insurance, which covers damage to other people and their vehicles and property. Other forms of insurance include comprehensive cover, which is the most expensive, but covers you for accidental damage to other people, their vehicles and their property, as well as damage to your own car and things inside it. This applies regardless of who was at fault.
Companies which offer car insurance include: Iselect, Youi, AAMI, Allianz, NRMA, GIO and Budget Direct. Currently Budget Direct is receiving rave reviews regarding their low-cost, high-quality insurance for motor vehicles.