Renting A Car In Sydney

Though most people from Down Under will say “hire” rather than “rent” a car, the American terminology has crept into the Australian car hire industry, and accordingly you can now find “car rental” or “rent-a-car” companies.

If you are looking for a vehicle to travel over and in Sydney, you can hire just about anything that comes on wheels: sedans, wagons, buses, buggies, limousines, 4WDs, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, inline skates, or even horse-drawn carriages.

Booking a Car Online

There are a number of websites to provide you with different options, as well as different prices, for car hire depending on where you want to travel.

One can sometimes get some real bargains online, however be sure to look closely for the fine print as sometimes these deals are a way of trapping you into paying unexpected additional charges.

In general it is better to stay with the more reputable car hire companies or perhaps some other company which someone you know has had great experience with.

Airport-ready car hire

It is possible to book a car and have it waiting for you at the airport, but do not overlook the following:

Regardless of whether you reserved your car beforehand or directly from the airport upon arrival, consider which side of the road is driven on in the country you are visiting, as some people are not confident of their ability to drive comfortably on the other side of the road from which they are familiar.

Also please keep in mind that airport rates will usually be higher than discounted rates that you may find online, and you will have far fewer options than you would if you arrived at your hotel first with more leisure to choose online.

Payment Options

You will normally be asked for your credit card information in case any additional charges arise, such as a fuel top-up charge (some people are not aware that hired cars should be returned with a full tank).

And more than likely this top-up charge will include an extra service fee in addition to the cost of the petrol, so you are better off filling the tank yourself beforehand.

Another typical extra charge would be for any damage done to the vehicle (if you didn’t opt for the insurance option at the time of the rental). You may also have to pay fines for traffic violations, such as not paying toll road charges, especially if your car is not set up for paying tolls electronically.

Is There Anywhere You Can’t Travel in a Hire Car?

Normally, yes, however you should always check your particular car hire contract. For example, some companies will limit you to something like a 100-kilometer radius from the origin point of the rental.

Moreover travelling on certain types of terrain, like unsealed dirt roads or beaches, might also be prohibited. Also if you would like to return the car at a different point from which you originally hired it, please check beforehand as some companies, especially the smaller ones, will not allow this.

Using Your Own Driver’s License

Any valid driver’s license written in English and including a photo and your signature will generally be sufficient for hiring a vehicle in Australia.

However having an international driver’s license never hurts, especially if your country’s license is written in a language other than English.