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Car Rental Melbourne

For car rental, Melbourne is pretty easy.

While renting a car in the city, I suggest you don’t rent from the airport because you will pay more than if you rent a car from your hotel in central Melbourne.

You’ll also have the time to call around and ensure that you get the best possible price that you can.

Driver's Licence

You can use your home driver’s licence for up to three months in Australia, as long as it has photo identification and it’s for the same type of vehicle you intend to drive. If you stay more than three months, you’ll need to get a Victorian licence.

Renting and buying a vehicle

You don’t really need a car in Melbourne because public transport is good and if you are in a hotel in central Melbourne, most places you'll want to visit are within walking distance or you just hop on a tram! However, if you feel that you will need one, be aware that the minimum age to rent a car in Victoria is generally 25. Some outlets will hire cars to those under 25, although surcharges and restrictions may apply. The main rental companies include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty. Two that cater to backpackers include Stand by Cars and Travellers Auto Barn.

If you are planning to take short daytrips to places like the Dandenongs, the Great Ocean Road or Ballarat, then car rental is definitely required, or you could simply join a tour.

Car rental Melbourne tips:

Car rental agreements normally require that you replace the fuel before returning the car. If there is less fuel in it, car rental companies may charge you a lot more than the cost of fuel, so make sure that you refuel the car before you return it. By the way, for those of you that refer to car fuel as "gas", here in Melbourne we call it "petrol".

Be careful of where you park your car in central Melbourne, and for how long, or you’ll get a parking infringement. Parking in Melbourne can be tricky. If you get a parking ticket and don’t pay it, the car rental company will pay it and put it on your credit card for you.

Learn about driving in Australia before you start. We do some things a bit differently here.