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
- vehicle registration 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$ 75 administration processing fee for speed tickets and parking violations, damage and theft
Insurance
For 2WD-cars, basic (third party) insurance and CDW insurance with an excess of AU$ 2000 is included.
For 4x4 vehicles, basic (third party) insurance and CDW insurance with an excess of AU$ 7500 is included.
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 pay-off (to be paid locally)
The excess of AU$ 2000 can be paid off for an amount of AU$ 250 (deposit AU$ 250) 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$ 20 per day.
- up to AU$ 250 (deposit AU$ 250) VIP coverage package for AU$ 35 per day.
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
- cleaning costs
- surcharge for extra driver(s)
- vehicle registration fee
- 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$ 500 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.
Car hire time 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$ 90)
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 8:00 to 16:30, 7 days a week. They are closed on Good Friday (the Friday before Easter Sunday), Christmas Day and New Year's Day. From December 1st through March 31st, the Alice Springs office is closed on Sunday; Broome and Darwin are closed on Saturday and Sunday. 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
Small repairs up to AU$ 100 can be conducted with prior consent from the car hire office. For those repairs of a higher amount, approval must be given by the car hire office prior to repairs being made. The cost of repairs will be reimbursed (save your receipt!), as long as the person hiring the vehicle did not cause the damage.
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:
- you are not allowed to drive any type of 2WD car on unpaved roads and off-road
- you are not allowed to take a hire car from Tasmania off the island to the mainland or a hire car from the mainland to Tasmania and Kangaroo Island
- you are not allowed to drive outside of the cities in the Northern Territory and West Australia in the dark, because of the danger of hitting kangaroos or other animals
- Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls in Kakadu are not accessible by hire cars
- 4x4 vehicles may be driven on unpaved roads; however for the following areas you'll need explicit permission from the hire car office: all islands, Tasmania, Simpson Desert, Gunbarrel Highway, Cape York (north of Daintree River), Oodnadatta Track, Birdsville Track, Tanami Track, Gibb River Road, Kalumburu Road, Warburton Road, Strzelecki Track, Cape Leveque, Bungle Bungles and Plenty Highway
- you are not allowed to drive any hire car along the Canning Stock-route, through 'The Lost City' in Litchfield Park, in Cape York (between December and May), in the Old Telegraph Road area and along the last 2km of Lennard River Gorge Road
- you are not allowed to drive above the snow level (winter season is from June through September)
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.
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.
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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