Melbourne Car Rental Guide
The current page gives you information about car rental in Melbourne and also introduces the main car rental and driving restrictions valid in Australia.
Rental Restrictions
In order to rent a car in Australia, you must be at least 21 years old and have held your license for at least 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 have to use seatbelts at all times 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. There are parking meters in some cities.
Speed cameras are used all over the country in order to catch traffic violators. When you are renting a car, the fine for your traffic offence will be sent to the rental company who then 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 Melbourne
Melbourne is the second largest city in Australia and the largest and capital city of the state of Victoria. It is a melting pot of many nations and languages and has been named the cultural capital of Australia with nonstop film and food festivals, art exhibitions and musical performances. The city also arranges the Australian Grand Prix and the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show.
There are many Victorian-era buildings and beautiful parks in Melbourne. New buildings are being erected all the time: you can visit the Melbourne Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria or have a look at underwater life at Melbourne Aquarium. The city also offers you great shopping facilities as well as many cosy restaurants and pubs.
Area: 1,700 sq km
Population: 3.4 million
Country: Australia
Time Zone: East Coast Standard time GMT + 10
Telephone Area Code: 3
Monetary unit: Australian Dollar
