Car Rental Finder: Compare car rental deals and prices

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Car Hire: Coupon codes and deals

Motorhome Republic Motorhome Republic

Motorhome Republic

Up to 10% off early bird rentals

Ends

East Coast Car Rentals East Coast Car Rentals
Exclusive

East Coast Car Rentals

15% off every car, everyday with code 15OFF3DAYS

Exclusive
Big Bus Tours Big Bus Tours

Big Bus Tours

Sydney bus tours from $69

Europcar Europcar

Europcar

Up to 20% off your first rental

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Want to book car hire online? Use one of our coupons

Code exclusive

15% off every car, everyday with code 15OFF3DAYS

Verified Today
Minimum 3-day rental. Available at all locations, all vehicles, every day. 14 city and airport locations across Australia. T&Cs apply.
Code exclusive

$100 off your booking with code FINDER100

Verified Today Expires 2 Jul 2025
Subscribe to get $100 off on your booking at Camplify using the code FINDER100. They offer national road assistance, damage cover, 24/7 customer support, and more. T&Cs apply.
Code

Up to 10% off early bird rentals

Verified Today Expires 31 Mar 2025
Available from and to all locations on Let's Go Motorhomes rentals booked 90 days in advance. Minimum 7-day hire. Offer applicable for new bookings only. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Up to 40% off motorhomes across Australia

Verified Today Expires 1 Mar 2025
Available for travel until 31 December 2025 at Motorhome Republic. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Up to 15% off first car rental

Verified Today
Sign up to SIXT's newsletter to get up to 15% off your first car rental on select locations. Visit site for more details. T&Cs apply.
Deal

$50 off your first campervan experience

Verified Today
Available when you book a JUCY car or campervan rental on your preferred dates at all JUCY locations across Australia. T&Cs apply.
Deal

60% Qeeq Diamond annual membership

Sign up for Qeeq's 1-year Diamond membership for only $80 (was $200) at 60% off, plus get a 1-year Flight Accident Protection. T&Cs apply.
Deal

2 days free

Expires 30 Apr 2025
Get 2 days free when you book 7 or more days for travel between 30 June 2024 and 30 April 2025. T&Cs apply.
Deal

As low as $1/day on relocation campervans from Cairns

Save on your Cairns relocation campervan rental when you book at JUCY for as low as $1 per day. Destinations include Brisbane and Sydney through JUCY Crib+. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Hobart car hires from $51

Verified Today
Available on select rental dates with Avis, Budget, SIXT, Europcar and more. Destinations close from Hobart include Port Arthur, Tasmania and more.
Deal

Cairns car hires from $37

Verified Today
Available on select rental dates in 2025 with Avis, Budget, Sixt, Europcar and more. Destinations close from Cairns include Palm Island, Mareeba and more.
Deal

Adelaide car hires from $41

Verified Today
Available on select rental dates in 2025 with Europcar, Thrifty, Hertz and more.
Deal

Gold Coast car hires from $43

Verified Today
Available on select rental dates in 2025 with Avis, Budget, Sixt, Europcar and more. Destinations include Brisbane, Toowoomba, Lamington National Park and more.
Deal

Auckland car hires from $89

Verified Today
Available on select rental dates in 2025 with Avis, Budget, Europcar, Sixt and more.
Deal

Perth car hires from $47

Verified Today
Available on select rental dates in 2025 with Europcar, Thrifty, Budget and more. Destinations include Fremantle, Busselton and more.
Deal

Brisbane car hires from $45

Verified Today
Available on select rental dates in 2025 with Avis, Budget, Sixt, Europcar and more.
Deal

Up to 20% off car rentals

Verified Yesterday Expires 1 Sep 2025
Get up to 20% off your first rental at Europcar. This offer is valid for a limited time only. T&Cs apply.
Deal

10% off selected motorhomes from top brands

Verified 2 days ago Expires 1 Mar 2025
Get 10% off selected motorhomes from top brands at Motorhome Republic. This offer is valid for a limited time only. T&Cs apply.
Code

Earn Qantas Points with Apollo

Verified 4 days ago Expires 1 Mar 2026
Apply the promo code at checkout at Motorhome Republic. Book before 31st of March 2026. Travel on 1st of April 2024 to 27th of March 2026. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Win an MG3 or $10,000 CASH

Expires 1 Mar 2025
Book direct at East Coast Car Rental to win fuel cards, Visa gift cards, holiday vouchers, and even an MG3 or $10,000AUD cash. This offer is valid for a limited time only. T&Cs apply.
Deal

10% off Express All-Inclusive Car Rental Package

Get 10% on Express All-Inclusive car rental package at East Coast Car Rental. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Free access to select camp grounds in Australia

Available on select travel dates on handpicked campsites around Australia when you book with Travellers Autobarn.
Deal

Member Price: 10% off or more on over 100,000 hotels

Available for travel on select dates across Australia at Expedia. Destinations include Sydney, Sunshine Coast, Melbourne, Gold Coast, and more. T&Cs apply.
Code

Early Bird: 45-89 days prior

Expires 1 Jan 2028
Available for booking from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2027 at Motorhome Rental using the code. Pick-up locations are Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth. T&Cs apply.
Code

Early Bird: 90+ days prior

Expires 1 Jan 2028
Available for booking from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2027 at Motorhome Rental using the code. Pick-up locations are Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, and Perth. T&Cs apply.
Code

Early Bird Book & Save

Expires 1 Jan 2028
Available for booking from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2025 at Motorhome Rental using the code. Pick-up locations are Sydney, Brisbane, Cairns, Hobart, Hobart Airport, Melbourne, and Perth. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Campervan hire Perth - Price beat promise

Find a lower price and we'll beat it by $150 at Motorhome Republic. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Free cancellation up to 64 days in advance

Explore early bird offers that include travel in 2025 and 2026 across Australia, Europe, Canada, and more at Motorhome Republic. T&Cs apply.
Deal

10% off All Inclusive Package

Get 10% off rental, premium damage waiver, premium roadside assistance, tire & windscreen, and ZERO security bond at East Coast Car Rentals. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Earn Qantas Points on rentals

Earn 4 Qantas Points per $1 spent on car rentals across Australia or 700 Qantas Points per rental overseas. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Up to 50% off secret deals

Subscribe now and get up to 50% off at Qeeq when you subscribe. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Sydney car hires from $50

Available on select rental dates in 2023 with Europcar, Thrifty, Hertz, Avis, Budget and more.
Deal

Melbourne car hires from $50

Available on select rental dates in 2023 with Europcar, Sixt, Hertz, Avis, Budget, DriveNow and more.
Deal

Car rental from $61

Available for travel on select dates and select locations within Australia. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Up to 25% off your rental

Valid at the following locations like Cairns Airport, Mackay Airport, Brisbane Airport, and more. T&Cs apply.
Deal

7-day car rentals from $350

Available on select dates at select KINTO locations around Australia including Melbourne, Adelaide, Cairns, Sydney, Hobart, Darwin and more. Distance fees apply.
Deal

Up to 20% off your first rental

Join Europcar's Privilege Loyalty Program and score up to 20% off your first rental. T&Cs apply.
Deal

Brisbane car hires from $26/day

Available on select rental dates in 2023 with Avis, East Coast, Budget, Hertz, Europcar and more. Sample rate is for a BMW 3 series.
Deal

London car rentals from US$86 per day

Available for car hire on select dates. Sample fare is on a mini Toyota Aygo to London Heathrow Airport. T&Cs apply.
Code

Up to 10% off pet-friendly vehicle rentals

Expires 1 Oct 2025
Available for travel until 1 October 2025 with Let's Go Motorhomes in all locations across Australia. T&Cs apply.

Frequently asked questions

How do I find cheap rental cars?

Use our price comparison tool above to search over 900 companies across 53,000 locations worldwide for the best-priced car rental for you dates and destination. Searches are displayed by price so it's super easy to pinpoint the cheapest option and companies and each of their cars are reviewed and rated by customers for transparency and peace of mind.


How much does it cost to hire a car?

Car hire costs depend on the type of car, pick-up and drop-off locations, length of hire and your age.

The longer you hire the car for, the cheaper per-day price the car will have. If you're renting a car for a one-day trip or for a week or two for a road trip, you'll most likely pay a lower daily date for the longer hire. Those who are under 25 will typically have a "youth fee" attached to their hire due to heightened risk of accident and damage. Most car hire sites allow you to filter your search by cost so you can find the cheapest cost for your hire needs.


Do car hire companies price match?

Yes! Many car hire companies and car hire booking sites such as Rentalcars.com and DriveNow feature price match or best price guarantees. If you find a comparable deal you can call them up to match or even better the price.


Can I hire a car without a credit card?

Not really. While car hire companies accept numerous forms of payment, including credit cards, debit cards, cash and traveller's cheques, it's pretty rare that you'll be able to hire a car without supplying a credit card. This is required to cover incidentals such as tolls, excess kilometres, cleaning bills or damages that are found after you've dropped the car off. Credit cards can be ordered online quickly and easily and many come with no annual fee.

What driving licence requirements are there?

Licence requirements differ depending on where you are driving. Locally, you can use your Australian licence to hire cars anywhere in Australia and New Zealand.

Internationally, you may be required to obtain an international driving permit (IDP), which is a translated version of your licence to help you communicate with local authorities should you need to present proof of your eligibility to be on the road. Provisional licence plate holders can hire cars in most countries, though you may be hit with a surcharge if you're under 25 years old. If in doubt, check with your car hire company before booking.

You can find a comprehensive list of countries that require Australians to obtain an IDP from the Australian Automobile Association here. Applications can then be made online here or at your state motoring organisation.


How old do you have to be to hire a car?

The eligible age to hire a car differs by location. In the US you can rent a car at 18 while in Australia rental age starts from 20.

Generally most locations will hire to drivers aged 21+ however there is often a youth surcharge attached to drivers aged 21–24.


Is there a car hire age surcharge if you're under 25 years of age?

Rental car agencies can charge additional fees daily for drivers under 25. The amount of the surcharge varies with each company and for different age ranges. In Australia, larger companies will only allow under 21s to hire a car if they hold a full driver's licence.

To give you an idea of costs, we've outlined some of the more popular companies and their youth surcharges in the table below. If your company isn't included, consult its individual terms and conditions to determine what the charge will be.


Youth surcharges by age range

We've based these surcharges on the cheapest hires from Sydney Airport. Fees may change depending on the car hired and the hire location.

AvisThriftyHertzEuropcarFirefly
18–20 years oldUnavailableUnavailableUnavailableUnavailable$15/day (driver must be 20 or over)
21–24 years old$25/day$27.50/day$30$40.70/day$15/day

How do I decide on which car model to hire?

If you are attempting to save money with a rental car, the model type you choose should be suited perfectly for your needs.

Generally the larger the car, the more expensive it will be, so if you are travelling as a pair there is no need for a larger vehicle. Larger cars are most economic when you're at or near the maximum capacity of passengers.

Also, take into account the amount of room you need for your luggage, the amount of petrol it consumes and the expected distances you plan to travel by car.

For a general idea, this is what you can expect to get from economy rentals, SUVs, larger cars and luxury vehicles:

EconomySUVsPeople carriersLuxury and prestige
Sample models
  • Suzuki Swift
  • Toyota Yaris
  • Toyota Corolla
  • Kia Rio
  • Hyundai Accent
  • Hyundai Elantra
  • Toyota Camry
  • Nissan Qashqai
  • Subaru Forester
  • Mitsubishi ASX
  • Toyota RAV4
  • Kia Sorento
  • Hyundai Tucson
  • Mitsubishi Pajero
  • Hyundai Imax
  • Kia Carnival
  • Toyota Commuter Bus
  • Hyundai iMax
  • Mercedes C Class
  • Mercedes E Class
  • BMW 2 series convertible
  • BMW X5 XDrive 30D
  • Jaguar F-Pace AWD
CostLow-range/budgetMid-rangeMid- to high-rangeHigh-range
Number of passengers559–125
Pieces of luggage it can fit2–33–443

What is one-way car hire rental?

One-way rentals allow you to pick up your vehicle from one location and drop it off at another. Most car hire companies offer this service. You can search for one-way hires with our comparison tool by toggling between "pick up" and "drop off".

If you're lucky and a relocation deal fits in with your plans you could be in for a hefty discount. Relocations are one-way rentals on specific routes for specific dates and are an economic way for rental companies to have cars that were dropped off at a different location returned to them.

Most sites, like DriveNow, have a relocations page, where you can search for these deals.


Is it better to book car hire in advance or at the counter?

What is car hire excess insurance?

Car hire excess insurance is your financial saviour should things turn south during your trip and your vehicle gets stolen, maliciously damaged or involved in an accident. It does this by covering or reducing the excess imposed by the rental company and could save you a motza as this excess can cost up to $5,000.

NameInternational or domestic coverEligible driver ageFeaturesStarting price (per day)Apply
Rental cover logo

Rentalcover.com

Both19–99 years
  • Complete vehicle coverage for up to $100,000 in damages
  • Coverage for theft, towing, damage to tyres, windscreens, roof, underbody, and key loss
  • Coverage for accident-related charges e.g. admin/processing fees, "loss of use", relocation fees, and more
  • Cancel anytime up until pickup, and for any reason
  • No further excess payable
$9.48 ($0 excess)Get quote
Picture not described

Car hire excess

Both21–75 years
  • Cover from $4,000 to $8,000
  • Additional cover for damage to windscreens, roof, tyres and underbody
  • Underwritten by Lloyds
  • No further excess payable
$9.30 ($0 excess)Get quote
Picture not describedTripcover car excess insurance

Tripcover

Both21–71 years
  • Cover from $4,000 to $8,000
  • Underwritten by Allianz
  • Excess options: Nil or $300
$5.68 (with a $300 excess payable)
Picture not describedAmerican Express logo

American Express

BothUp to 79 years
  • Cover up to $3,000
  • Underwritten by Chubb
  • Excess options: $100, $200 and $500
$2.83 (with a $100 excess payable)
Picture not described

RACV

Domestic cover only18–110 years
  • Cover from $1,000 to $8,000
  • 15% discount for RACV members
  • Underwritten by Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd
  • No further excess payable
$2.25 (for $1,000 cover)Get quote

*Prices are based on a 15-day hire in Australia, as of September 2019. Benefits vary from brand to brand. Always read through the product disclosure statement (PDS) to make sure the product is suitable for you.

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Alex Keshen was the global travel publisher at Finder and has been living, breathing and, of course, writing about all things travel for more than 10 years. She has a Bachelor of Journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada and has appeared in Travel Weekly and the Huffington Post. See full bio

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