When renting a car in Australia, there are some things you should be aware of. We recommend that you pay close attention to your rental agreement for any restrictions that may apply to your booking; Terms and Conditions can vary between locations and rental providers.
Yes, there are restrictions as to where you can take your hire vehicle. For example, many car rental providers do not allow their vehicles to be driven on Australia’s islands, beaches, or any unsealed roads, including parts of Cape York, Kakadu National Park, the Kimberley, and Savannah Way.
Travel restrictions may also apply to alpine areas of New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. Some rental providers may require you to purchase additional cover before taking your rental car above the snow line.
Rental providers do not allow you to drive your hire car on unsealed roads, though you are allowed to take your car on gazetted roads. Gazetted roads are any roads unkept by the government that are displayed on a map, regardless if they are bitumen, tar, or dirt. If you’re unsure about whether you can drive on a certain road, please contact our customer care team to check.
Some rental cars — usually in the Northern Territory and Western Australia — will have a daily kilometre limit. This is often around 100 kilometres per day. If you exceed this limit in your travels, you’ll be charged extra for each kilometre over the limit. The amount you’ll be charged will differ depending on your rental provider.
If you are driving on Australian toll roads in a hire car, you’ll be responsible for paying any toll costs. Most of our car hire partners fit their vehicles with e-Tags, which automatically cover the price of any tolls during your journey, so don’t pay these costs in advance, via Linkt, or by any means not outlined by your car rental provider as otherwise you could end up paying one toll twice. Toll roads in Australia do not accept cash.
The first thing you should do is call emergency services if anyone has been injured. In Australia, this number is 000. You’ll also need to contact your rental provider and let them know about the accident. They will generally ask you to fill in an accident report form.
In the event your vehicle breaks down during the rental period, make sure to get to safety before calling your rental provider for roadside assistance. The rental provider will have the vehicle repaired at the soonest possible time, and usually, a replacement vehicle will be provided for the duration of your rental period if your original vehicle cannot be repaired and is considered to be a write-off.
In the event that your rental car is stolen, you should immediately report the theft to your car rental provider and to the police. The sooner you do this, the better chance your provider will have in tracking down the stolen vehicle.
Although some of Australia’s islands are accessible by road, others are not, and if you’re hoping to take your rental car on a ferry, it’s important that you adhere to the terms in your rental agreement. Depending on your rental provider, there may be restrictions around where you can take your rental car, so make sure to check with them before setting off.
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