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, you may be restricted as to where you can take your 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.
Keen to learn more? Check out our info on travel restrictions and snow driving restrictions.
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.
Here is some further information on kilometre limits.
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.
Read more about car accidents here.
If you’ve already collected your rental car, you’ll need to contact your rental provider directly in order to extend your booking. Approval will depend upon vehicle availability. Also, it’s important to note that extending your booking will likely affect the price, and you may be charged at a different rate for your rental — this could be higher or lower than the daily rate of your existing rental.
Read more about extending your booking.
The policy for adding additional drivers is different for each car rental provider. Generally, you can add an additional driver to your rental agreement upon collecting the car if the additional driver is present at the depot and able to present their driver’s licence.
Read more about adding additional drivers.
While some rental providers have a “no pets” policy for their vehicles, some providers may be more lenient. In any case, you will need to check with your rental provider before collecting your vehicle as to whether or not your pet can travel in your rental car.
Rental providers may allow small pets to travel with you, but the car must be clean and in good condition when you return it or additional cleaning fees may apply. If you’d like to travel with a pet, contact our team so we can get in touch with your provider.
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.
Learn more about roadside assistance.
In the event the 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.
Read more about stolen rental cars.
No, our rental partners do not allow you to drive 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 call our customer care team to check.
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