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Car hire in Australia is more than a convenience—it's the only practical way to see most of what brings visitors here. The Opera House and Bondi in Sydney, Melbourne's laneways, the Reef out of Cairns, Uluru in the centre of the continent, the wine regions of Tasmania—hundreds and thousands of kilometres separate them. Public transport works in the major cities, but everything else requires a car.
Australia is larger than Europe. The drive from Sydney to Perth covers roughly 4,000 km, while Sydney to Brisbane is about 925 km. Experienced travellers do not attempt to cover everything by road in one trip. Instead, they fly between regions and hire a separate car at each base. Land in Melbourne, hire a car, and drive the Great Ocean Road; fly to Cairns and hire another to reach the Reef.
Driving is on the left, following British heritage. The steering wheel is on the right, and the indicators and wipers are swapped accordingly. Roads are of excellent quality, signage is clear, and the country is generally easy to drive, with fuel and service available almost everywhere except in the deep outback.
Adjusting to a right-hand steering wheel takes about an hour. Getting used to the swapped positions of the indicators and wipers takes noticeably longer—most drivers activate the wipers instead of the indicator for the first day or two.
Do not book one car for your entire stay in Australia—book a car for each specific region. Arrange pickup in Sydney for the Blue Mountains and a separate one in Cairns for the Reef. Travel between regions by domestic flight rather than days behind the wheel.
The fastest way to plan the trip is to choose the regions first and then arrange a car for each. Select the bases (Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns, Perth) and book a car for each leg.
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Documents
Valid driving licence + passport + credit card; for licences not in English (including Russian and other non-Latin scripts), an International Driving Permit is required, valid for at least 6 months after the return date, with at least 1 year of experience.
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Age
Standard from 21; SUV, 4WD and premium categories often require 25+; the young-driver surcharge for ages 21–24 is typically 20–30 AUD/day.
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Deposit
Card hold of 200–1,500 AUD on economy and 1,500–3,000 AUD on SUV/4WD; international chains accept only credit cards in the driver's name, debit cards are case-by-case and under a higher hold.
Where to drive and how to plan it
Australia is not one trip but a collection of regional ones. Sydney offers the Opera House, Harbour Bridge, Bondi, and the Blue Mountains as a day trip. Melbourne serves as the base for the Great Ocean Road to the Twelve Apostles—243 km one way, requiring two or three nights.
Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, which is reached by boat, while a car is essential for the Daintree and Port Douglas. Car hire in Brisbane suits the Queensland coast or a combination with the Gold Coast—and car hire on the Gold Coast is often 10–15 percent cheaper than in Sydney.
Uluru is a special case: fly to Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ) and hire locally. Perth and Western Australia form a separate long trip that includes Margaret River, the Pinnacles, and wildflowers in September. Tasmania is reached via the Spirit of Tasmania ferry—not every hire company allows the rental car on board.
The Great Ocean Road is where many visitors run into difficulty after realising it is three hours from Melbourne to the Twelve Apostles one way. Plan at least two nights—doing it as a day trip defeats the purpose of the drive.
Uluru is best reached by flying in and hiring locally on arrival. Driving from Sydney overland takes three days through the outback, with fuel stops 200–400 km apart—not a practical tourist route.
If outback driving is planned, carry 10 litres of water per person, fill up at every opportunity, and download offline maps in advance. There can be 200–400 km between mobile signals.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, but you will normally need an International Driving Permit as well. Without one, international chains will usually refuse the rental, and acceptance by local operators is not guaranteed. It is best to arrange an IDP before your trip to avoid delays or problems at the rental desk.
Daily rates start at about 50–90 AUD for an economy car, 70–130 AUD for a compact car, 100–200 AUD for an SUV, 150–300 AUD for a 4WD, and around 100 AUD for a campervan. Prices vary considerably by season. December to February and school holidays are the busiest periods, while rates can be 30–40% lower in the shoulder seasons. Local Australian operators are often cheaper than international chains, but may impose stricter restrictions on off-road driving.
You will need a valid driving licence, a passport and a credit card. If your licence is not in English, you will also need an International Driving Permit. Many international chains require you to have held your licence for at least one year and for it to remain valid for at least six months after the rental ends. They usually require a credit card in the main driver's name. Some accept debit cards, but may require a larger deposit.
A licence written in English is generally accepted without an International Driving Permit. If your licence is written in another language or script, including Russian, most international chains require an IDP, and carrying one is advisable even when renting from a local operator. Arrange it before you travel, as an IDP can be issued only in the country that issued your national driving licence.
The usual minimum age is 21, with at least one year of driving experience. For SUVs, 4WDs and premium cars, the minimum age is often 25. Drivers aged 21–24 typically pay a young-driver fee of 20–30 AUD per day. A few operators rent to drivers from the age of 18, but apply stricter conditions and a higher excess.
For an economy car, the supplier may place a hold of 200–1,500 AUD on your card. For an SUV or 4WD, the amount is usually 1,500–3,000 AUD. The hold is generally released within 2–14 days after you return the car. International chains usually require a credit card in the main driver's name. Debit cards are accepted only in some cases and may require a larger deposit.
Visa and Mastercard cards issued by Russian banks generally do not work in Australia because of restrictions introduced in 2022. MIR cards are not accepted either. You will need cash or a card issued outside Russia. The same restriction applies to the card used for the deposit, so arrange an alternative before your trip.
The general blood-alcohol limit is 0.05%, equivalent to 0.5‰. Learner and provisional licence holders must have a reading of 0.00%, regardless of any previous driving experience overseas. Police carry out random breath tests at any time of day. Penalties are substantial and may include a temporary driving ban in Australia.
The rules are based on age. Babies under six months must use a rear-facing seat. Children aged six months to four years must use an approved rear-facing or forward-facing child seat, while children aged four to seven must use an approved child seat or booster. A child under seven may sit in the front only if all rear seats are occupied by younger children. Rental companies usually charge 10–15 AUD per day for a child seat.
Not always. Basic collision damage waiver, and sometimes even excess-reduction cover, may exclude damage caused by animals. Check whether you need a separate animal or wildlife-strike option, or choose a supplier whose comprehensive cover already includes it. This is particularly important when driving outside cities at dawn or dusk.
Rental cars usually have an e-Tag, an electronic transponder that records toll-road use automatically. After you return the car, the rental company charges the tolls plus an administration fee, typically 3–7 AUD for each day on which you used a toll road. A single trip across central Sydney usually costs around 3–10 AUD in tolls.
Yes. Australia does not offer visa-free entry. Citizens of many countries can apply online for an ETA or eVisitor visa, which is usually quick and inexpensive. Other travellers, including Russian citizens, need to apply for a visitor visa online or through a visa application centre. Check the current requirements a few months before your trip.
It depends on your itinerary. If you plan to stay only in central Sydney and Melbourne, public transport may be all you need. A car is much more useful if your trip includes the Great Ocean Road, the Blue Mountains, Daintree, the Whitsundays, Margaret River, Tasmania or the Outback, as many of these places are difficult to explore without one.
In most states: 50 km/h in cities, 40 in residential and school zones, 100 on rural roads, 110 on motorways. The unusual case is the Stuart Highway in the Northern Territory with 130 km/h sections. Limits vary by state — when crossing a border, it's worth checking the signs.
Yes. One-way rentals between major cities usually cost an additional 100–500 AUD, depending on the distance. Routes such as Sydney–Melbourne and Brisbane–Sydney are widely available and easy to book. Very long one-way rentals, such as Perth–Sydney, may be unavailable or disproportionately expensive. In many cases, it is cheaper to return the car and fly.