Car hire Australia conditions
Below you'll find a summary of the applicable terms & conditions for hiring a car. If you would like to hire a car or 4x4, we suggest reading the following conditions carefully. If you have any questions after reading, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Included in the prices quoted by Australia Travel Plan are:
- car hire, based on 24-hour time periods (example: if you pick up a car at 10:00, you'll have to drop it off at 10:00 at the latest or be charged an additional day)
- unlimited kilometres
- 10% taxes (GST)
- surcharge for additional driver(s)
- standard insurance (excess AU$ 2000)
- vehicle registration fee
- surcharge for drivers aged 21 - 24
- Government Stamp Duty (local tax)
- Administration Recovery Fee
- 24 hour roadside assistance
- maps and driving directions
Additional costs (to be paid locally):
- optional additional insurance coverage
- any extras
- one way fee if applicable
- stamp duty on hire care rate (3%)
- when paying with Visa or MasterCard there's a 2% surcharge; when paying with American Express or Diners Club 4,5%
- petrol (approximately AU$ 0.95 - AU$ 1.55 per litre, depending on which state you're driving in)
- AU$ 33 administration processing fee for speed tickets and parking violations, damage and theft
Insurance
For 2WD-cars, car hire includes: basic (third party) insurance, CDW insurance with an excess of AU$ 2000 (equal to the deposit) and SVA (AU$ 0 in metro locations and AU$1000 in remote locations)
For 4x4 vehicles, car hire includes: basic (third party) insurance and CDW insurance with an excess of AU$ 7500.
Australia Travel Plan strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance with global coverage for your trip. PAI (Personal Accident) insurance is sold locally; however in most cases this coverage is already provided by most forms of travel insurance, so additional local insurance may not be necessary. It's best to check your insurance policy just to be sure.
Detailed insurance terms and conditions are available at the car hire office. Please ask for a copy when you pick up your vehicle. Your right to insurance coverage ends if you do not stick to the terms and conditions of the contract (for instance if you drink and drive etc).
Excess waiver (to be paid locally)
-Metro area: excess of AU$2000 can be paid off to the amount for AU$250 (deposit AU$250) for AUS$12 per day.
-Remote area: excess of AU$2000 can be paid off with Liability Reduction Option to the amount of AU$250 (deposit AU$250) plus AU$1000 SVA, for AU$18 per day.
There are two options for pay-off the excess of AU$ 7500 (plus 2% administration fee) for 4x4 vehicles:
- up to AU$ 2500 (deposit AU$ 2500 and 2% administration fee) for AU$ 25 per day.
- up to AU$ 250 (deposit AU$ 250) VIP coverage package for AU$ 38 per day (max AU$ 1900).
All-inclusive insurance coverage
This insurance provides the most extensive coverage and can be booked while you book your holiday for £8 (2WD) or £20 (4x4) per day. It includes the following:
- VIP coverage (excess AU$ 250)
- unlimited kilometres
- 10% taxes (GST)
- 3% stamp duty on the hire rate
- surcharge for extra driver(s)
- 24 hour roadside assistance
- maps and driving directions
- baby or booster seat (if applicable)
One-way fees:
These are fees you pay locally when you pick up your hire car in one location and drop it off at another location. There are no one-way fees for 2WD cars; for 4x4 vehicles the one-way fee is AU$ 200.
Exceptions:
* Car hire within (pick up or drop off) in the Northern Territory (Alice Springs/Darwin) and West Australia (Perth); always AU$ 750 one-way fee.
* In Broome you can only hire a 4x4 and you will always pay an additional surcharge of AU$ 750 on top of the one-way fees.
Concession Fee Recovery (CFR) and Location Fee (LF)
CFR: to be paid locally in event of pick-up at depots Ayers Rock downtown and Sydney City
LF: surcharge to be paid in event of pick-up at most airports in Australia. In some cases LF is also charged for additional products paid locally.
Car hire period
The minimum car hire period is 5 days (pick-up/ drop-off in the same location) or 7 days (pick-up location is different than the drop-off location). The pick-up day determines which price is paid. The daily rate is lower for longer periods of car hire. If you drop off a car too late, a fine will be charged and you will have to pay extra hours or days at the local rate. If you decide to drop off your hire car early, you will not be reimbursed for unused days or hours.
Deposit
A deposit can only be made by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Diners Club). The credit card holder must be present personally to sign for the deposit. Depending on which insurance you take out (see: excess pay-off), the deposit amount is placed on hold on your credit card when you pick up your car (make sure you have sufficient credit available) and will be released when you drop off the car, as long as the car is not damaged. No surcharge is required for exchange rate fluctuations and no money will be returned.
Multi-hire
If you hire a car in 2 or more locations, the total number of car hire days will be added in order to allow for a long term car hire discount. A minimum car hire duration of 5 days applies. Multi-hires are treated as separate car hire time periods in regards to the one-way fees and insurance coverage.
Extras:
- baby seat; one-time fee AU$ 20 (is required for all children between 6 months and 2 years of age; available for children up to 3 years of age and can be used in all car types)
- booster seat; one-time fee AU$ 20 (is required for all children between 3 years and 8 years of age and can be used in all car types)
- camping equipment; AU$ 15 per day (maximum of AU$ 315), available when hiring a compact, medium or 4x4 car. The equipment is appropriate for 2 people and includes: a tent for 3 people, ground tarp, sleeping bags, sleeping mats, pillows, ice chest, plates, cutlery, pots, pans, gas burner, dish towels, hand towels, torch and camping guide
- GPS system; AU$ 10 per day (maximum of AU$ 100)
Reservations for 'extras' should be made during booking of the car and must be paid to the car hire office on location.
Driver's license:
The following rules apply. All drivers must:
- have a valid driver's license for the duration of the car hire time period,
- have an international driver's permit in English (it is available via the Automobile Association for a minimum of £7.50 and The Royal Automobile Club)
- have been in possession of a driver's license for at least 2 years
Both your regular and international driver's license must be shown when picking up your hire car.
Age:
The minimum age for (co-) drivers is 21; the maximum age is 75.
Co-drivers:
All drivers must be mentioned on the car hire contract. There are no additional costs for co-drivers. Car hire offices/ assistance
The main car hire offices (Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Alice Springs and Darwin) are open from 9am to 5pm, 7 days a week. They are closed on Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday), Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Exact opening times may differ per depot (usually longer). We will plan your car hire according to local opening times. In Broome you can only hire a 4x4 land cruiser. Car hire on Tasmania is organised through a separate car hire organisation and therefore requires a separate request.
Damage/ breakdowns
In the event of a breakdown, the rental company will provide 24 hour Roadside Assistance. Keep in mind that in remote areas like the Northern Territory, it can take a long time for help to arrive.
Pick-up/ Drop-off
The hire car will be picked up/ dropped off at the car hire depot. The transfer from the airport tot the car hire office (and vice versa) is not included in the price of your trip. Pick-up and drop-off times are noted on your travel voucher. If you are delayed, please contact the applicable depot as soon as possible.
Where to drive, where not to drive:
- Tasmania: it is not permitted to take a car hired on Tasmania off the island, or car hired on the mainland to Tasmania.
- Alpine Resorts: it is not permitted to drive above the snow line
- Unpaved Roads: it is not permitted to drive any type of 2WD car on unpaved roads, except in the event of roadworks or direct access routes to national/state parks and accommodations. (This excludes Kangaroo Island where driving is not permitted on unpaved roads under any circumstances). 4x4s are permitted on official unpaved roads. Off-road driving is not permitted for any vehicle.
- Beach/ salt water: it is not permitted to drive the hire car on the beach or expose it to salt. It is not permitted to take the car to Fraser Island under any circumstances.
- Northern Territory: Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls in Kakadu and Mereenie Loop Road are not accessible by hire car.
- Western Australia: it is not permitted to drive on the following roads: Gibb River Road, Tunnel Creek Road, Windjana Gorge Road, Cape Leveque National Park and the Bungle Bungles.
- Southern Australia: it is not permitted to drive north of the Oodnadatta Track, including: Dalhousie Springs, Mount Dare, Witjira National Park and Pedirka Desert.
- Kangaroo Island: it is not permitted to take your car onto the island. One Way rentals are not available. Driving on unpaved roads on the island is not permitted.
- Driving between sunset and sunrise: driving at night is not permitted in designated remote areas (Northern Territory, Kimberley, Exmouth en Kangaroo Island). In the event of an accident in these locations during these hours, the driver has 100% liability for any damage.
- Trains: it is not permitted to take the hire car onto the train
Car category
Hire car bookings are always made based on category and not on the basis of make or model. The models mentioned are examples. If there are no cars available in the category you made a booking for, a higher category hire car will be offered at the same price. If you would like to purchase an upgrade to a larger car type, then a surcharge will apply based on local rates. Should you voluntarily request a smaller car on pick-up (or within 14 days of pick-up), no refund will be given.
Baggage
Space in a hire car is always limited. Many travellers bring along more baggage than can be stored away in their cars. Soft travel bags are easier to store away then hard-shell suitcases. An upgrade to a higher category car will provide more space. We've provided an indication of how much baggage space is available for each type of car in the summary of car categories.
Depots
Metro locations: Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, Surfers Paradise, Sydney
Remote locations: Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Darwin
Car hire information subject to change
All information regarding local rates, one-way fees, insurance premiums and terms & conditions can be changed without prior warning or changed due to changes in local legislature.
Detailed information is available at the car hire office and subject to change. Always ask for a paper copy of all car hire terms & conditions when picking up your car. These are the only legally binding, valid terms & conditions.
Other information:
- Return to our Australia car hire rates
- Read through our practical car hire tips for Australia
- Have a look at an impression of driving distances in Australia
- Check out our suggested self-drive Australia holidays | 
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