Pickup
Return
Car rental in Bali is the most reliable way to see the island from end to end, on your own clock. There is no metro, scheduled buses are rare, and a taxi from Canggu to Seminyak in traffic can take longer than the flight into Denpasar. With your own car the day opens up: dawn surf at Keramas, lunch above the Ubud rice terraces, sunset at Uluwatu — all on your own route.
Prices are reasonable: economy cars from about $25 a day, SUVs and MPVs from $40, a car with a driver around $40–60 a day with fuel inside a set radius. Payment in Bali is unusually flexible: an international Visa or Mastercard works, and cash deposits in rupiah are genuinely accepted by most local suppliers, which is not the European norm.
Most arrivals we meet at the Ngurah Rai terminal by flight number, walk around the car together and hand over the keys. By the time other guests are still queueing for an off-airport shuttle, our drivers are already on the road to Canggu.
A guest's first morning in Bali tends to be the same: you sit on the right, reach for the gear stick with the wrong hand, and find the cup holder. Left-hand traffic and a right-hand-drive car take about an hour to click — just not on a motorway.
This page is a short, honest handbook: documents, deposit, insurance, the road, accidents, fines, ferries. The things travellers usually find out the hard way — gathered before you fly.
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Verified suppliers at DPS and the main hubs
Meet-and-greet at Ngurah Rai by flight number; cars handed over at the airport car park or in Canggu, Ubud, Sanur and Nusa Dua — no off-airport shuttle.
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Cash-rupiah deposits accepted
Many suppliers take the deposit in local cash, and a portion waive it entirely on older economy cars.
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Bilingual support, English and Russian
Clear answers on Dharma Dewata checks and the current status of the foreign-driving ban proposal.
Driving in Bali
Bali drives on the left, like the UK, Japan and Australia, with the wheel on the right. If you land at night, sleep it off in Kuta or Sanur and start the mountain drive in daylight.
Speed limits: 50 km/h in town, 80 on country roads, 100 on the Bali Mandara toll. Villages often drop to 30. ETLE cameras roll out mainly on Mandara and central Denpasar; elsewhere, enforcement is physical.
The wet season
From November to March the rain is short but heavy: a street fills to wheel height in ten minutes. Even good tyres lose grip and braking distance doubles. Low-beam headlights are required in rain and fog.
A guest's day-one ritual is the same: you go to indicate and the wipers come on. The stalks have swapped sides. It clicks in half an hour.
Tyres in Bali behave differently in the rain. On worn rubber the markings feel like ice. Drop your speed by twenty.
Scooter or car
A scooter is three or four times cheaper — $5–10 against $25–35 for an economy car. Most foreign road injuries are scooter injuries. A car wins in the rain, with kids, with luggage, and on long drives — Canggu to Uluwatu is an hour, and that hour on a wet scooter is not a holiday.
A family of four on two scooters is a popular Instagram shot and a poor idea. A week of car rental costs less than the excess on one badly-judged corner.
A child seat is required up to age twelve. There's nowhere on a scooter to put one.
A car rental in Sanur suits anyone getting used to the left.
Frequently asked questions
An economy car for self-drive rental costs around $25–35 per day, while SUVs and MPVs start at about $40–60. Monthly rates are roughly $300–450 for an economy car and up to $750 for a crossover. A car with a driver typically costs $40–60 per day, including fuel within an agreed area.
It is safest to treat the limit as zero. Indonesia does not have a consistently applied numerical blood-alcohol limit, and the police take a strict approach to driving under the influence. Penalties may include a fine of up to IDR 10,000,000 or imprisonment. Do not drive after drinking any alcohol.
Basic third-party insurance is included with almost every rental. Cover for damage to or theft of the rental car is usually optional and can reduce or remove the excess. Without this additional cover, the supplier may deduct repair costs from your deposit.
Stay at the scene, as leaving may be treated as a hit-and-run offence. Photograph the vehicles, number plates, damage and everyone involved. Call the police on 110 and wait for an official report, then notify the rental company and insurer within 24 hours. Do not make informal cash payments at the scene without first speaking to the rental company or insurer.
Often yes. Many Bali agencies accept a cash deposit in rupiah, and peer-to-peer operators frequently waive it on older cars. International desks at the airport usually still want a credit card for the hold. Confirm the payment method in writing before booking.
At Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS), the supplier normally meets you using your flight details and takes you to the car, either in the airport car park or via a short shuttle ride. Confirm the meeting point before you travel. Most operators send a location pin by WhatsApp or email shortly before you land.
As of 2026, this remains a proposal rather than a law. The issue returned to the local news after a serious accident, but foreign visitors may still rent and drive a car if they have a valid national licence and International Driving Permit. Check the latest rules shortly before your trip in case the position has changed.
If you cannot show a valid national licence and International Driving Permit, the police may fine you up to IDR 1,000,000, about $65, or impound the car. You would then need to contact the rental company and pay any fees required to recover it. Your rental and travel insurance may also be invalid if you were driving without the required documents.
Most agencies hold a refundable deposit roughly equal to the excess — commonly $100–300 on a credit card and returned when the car comes back undamaged. Many small local and peer-to-peer suppliers take a cash deposit or none at all on older economy cars. Always confirm the amount and how it's held before signing.
Yes. Indonesian law requires a home-country licence plus a valid IDP, and police check this routinely in tourist areas. Without an IDP you risk an on-the-spot fine or vehicle impoundment. Get the IDP in your home country before you fly — you cannot apply for one inside Indonesia.
Your passport, your home-country driving licence, a valid IDP, and a payment method for the deposit. Agencies keep a copy of the passport and licence and hand you the car's STNK, which must stay in the car. Keep all four on you while driving.
Bali, like the rest of Indonesia, drives on the left — the same as the UK, Japan and Australia. The driver sits on the right of the car. If you're used to right-hand traffic, take it slow on day one, especially at roundabouts and when overtaking.
50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h on country roads and 100 km/h on the Bali Mandara toll road. Posted signs override the defaults, and villages can drop to 30 km/h. Mandara also has a minimum speed of 60 km/h — driving below it can earn you a fine.
Yes — the Bali Mandara, linking Ngurah Rai airport with Sanur, Kuta and Nusa Dua across the bay. Payment is e-money card only (Mandiri, BCA, BNI, BRI); cash isn't accepted. Scooters are banned. From DPS to Nusa Dua in peak hours it takes 15–20 minutes versus an hour on the inland route.
Most agencies require drivers to be at least 21, although some set the minimum age at 23 and require at least one year of driving experience. Drivers under 25 may pay a young-driver fee. Premium and larger vehicles often have a higher minimum age.