To rent a car in Australia you need to be over 21 years of age. This age requirement is subject to change regarding the sort of vehicle you wish to hire. If however you are less than 25 years of age you may be expected to pay a surcharge on top of the rental fee. Most car hire companies in Australia state 75 years of age to be the maximum age allowed to hire a car. You must have also held your full licence for at least one year. It is the law in Australia that drivers and all passengers of the car must be wearing a seatbelt. It is also a legal requirement in Australia that you carry your driving licence with you at all times. If you are stopped by the police and asked to produce it and are unable to do so you could be liable for heavy fines. If your driving licence is not in English you will also need to carry a translation of the licence with you.

Australians drive on the left as they do in the UK, so for those who are moving to Australia from the UK there should be no problem taking to the road. Those who are moving from a country that does not drive on the left may need to exercise caution when first starting to drive in your new country. You should also be aware for the road signs and speed limits prior to setting off in your hire car. It is also worth noting that road signs showing speed limits are in Km and not miles per hour as in the UK.

If you are travelling with small children you should be aware that children’s car seats and booster seats must meet the requirements laid out by Australian law. If you bring your own child seat with you, you may find that it is not suitable for use and will either be turned away at customs or will be banned from use in you hire car. Car hire companies should be able to provide this additional equipment for you to use safely while renting a car in the country but you may need to book this in advance.

Car insurance for a hire car is usually automatically included in with the car hire fees. However, there may be need to top up the insurance with optional extras depending on your need. An additional cover for personal items may be required if you are going to be transporting valuable items with you in the car. This can include laptops or business or personal use. Each car hire company is different and operates under its own rules so it is wise to check just what sort of cover you already have as additional insurance may not be required. Only a selected amount of insurance companies make the additional cover available and rates can vary immensely. You will also need to arrange your policy excess cover in advance. This is because the Australian insurance companies have some of the highest excess for car insurance in the world. If you do get in to an accident you may find yourself liable for a large amount in repairs. Excess cover may seem like an unnecessary expense but it is very useful to have in case of an incident, even if the accident is not your fault.

Hire cars are not allowed on the ferries. This means travelling from mainland Australia to Tasmania or New Zealand with your car is not possible. You will however be able to travel as a foot passenger then hire another car once you have reached your destination. It is possible to rent a car just for a one way journey. This means you collect the car at your starting point, drive to your destination and leave the car in an approved area or car rental outlet. However, if you choose this option there may be additional fees to cover the cost of returning the vehicle to its original starting point and there may be a minimum rental period, for example one week.

There are several main car hire companies that are internationally known such as Hertz and Avis so finding a car hire company in your state should be no problem. Using a comparison website such as www.vroomvroomvroom.com.au can also help you decide exactly which car hire company has the best deal for you. You can choose your collection and drop off point and the length of hire period in the search terms and the site will show the deals which match your requirements.

Once you have found an affordable deal with a car that suits your needs you can then book your car hire directly through the site. If you do not wish to do that you can call the hire company directly and speak to one of their advisors to make your arrangements.