Australia Car Rental Guide
The current page informs you of the car rental possibilities in Australia and also gives an overview of the car rental and driving restrictions valid on the continent.
Rental Restrictions
To rent a car in Australia, you must be at least 21 years old and have held your license for 1 year. Drivers under the age of 25 may incur a young driver surcharge. The maximum age to rent with some suppliers is 75 years old.
Rented vehicles may not be driven outside Australia and travel on ferries is prohibited.
Driving Restrictions
In Australia, traffic is on the left and overtaking on the right. The minimum driving age is 18. All passengers are required to use seatbelts and children must be properly restrained in a child seat or seatbelt. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0.5‰ and drunk driving is severely punished.
From sunset to sunrise you must drive with your headlights and rear lights on. In cases of poor visibility, you must also have your headlights on. In suburban areas you must use the low beam.
In bigger cities, parking areas often have pole signage advising of parking restrictions. During business hours, some public areas allow parking up to 1 or 2 hours. Some cities also use parking meters.
Speed cameras are extensively used to catch traffic violators. When you are renting a car, the fine for your traffic offence will be sent to the rental company who has the right to charge you.
Speed Limits:| Area | Speed |
| Suburban roads | 50KM/H |
| Major connector roads | 80KM/H |
| Highways | 100KM/H |
Emergency Numbers
Police/fire/ambulance: 000
Road Tolls
There is a toll to cross the Sydney Harbour Bridge and also on some of the highways exiting Brisbane. Alternate routes are available to avoid these tolls.
About Australia
Australia is the world’s largest island and the smallest continent. The biggest attraction of the country is its natural beauty. The landscape varies from tropical rainforests to chilly southern beaches. The climate, flora and fauna are extremely diverse. A large part of Asutralia is desert and the country has many mountain ranges, rivers, lakes and water reserves.
Australia is a multicultural society with a mix of cultures and people from all over the world.
Modern architecture in Australia is probably best known for the Sydney Opera House. Coexisting with the modern skyscrapers, there are older stone buildings and cottages that have been preserved.
Population: 19,357,594
Area: 7.68 million sq km
Capital City: Canberra
Language: English
Time Zones: Eastern Standard Time: UTC+10 (+11 in summer), Central Standard Time: UTC +9.30 (+10.30 in summer), Western Standard Time: UTC +8 (+9 in summer)
Monetary unit: Australian Dollar
