▷ BEST Car Rental Companies in AUSTRALIA in 2024

When it comes to visiting Australia, the opinions are quite diverse: Some people would say it is too remote, others might think it is too wild and full of nature, and others might think about its amazing cities, beaches, and relaxed lifestyle. But most people will agree that it is a beautiful country totally worth visiting.

It is not a secret that Australia has a vast territory, so much so that it is considered a continent, smaller than Europe which is bigger considering that we are talking about a single country. This huge size means big cities and many roads, which will be best traveled by renting a car. Please note that you may need an international driver’s license for Australia.

All major cities in Australia have so much culture, things to do, and incredible architecture; that it would be hard not to want to hop from Melbourne to Sidney, to Brisbane, to Perth and several others in one trip. And because of this, renting a car might be your best choice.

Whether you want to visit Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Cairns, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, Townsville, Launceston or Karratha, we have made a Ranking of the Best Car Rental companies in Australia in 2024 to help you choose your next car rental booking, which, by the way, you can do easily and at the best price on this website.

#1 – Avis (8.8/10) 🏆

Avis Rent a Car is a popular, international can rental company with an overall very good reputation, and a great number of locations throughout the world, and it is not an exception in Australia.

This vast country counts with several Avis offices all over the territory, both, in major airports as well as cities, and their reputation in the country is quite good, which can help you to rest assured if you wanted to rent a car with Avis during your trip to Australia.

When booking your car in Australia, make sure to do it directly with Avis Australia, either on their website or with a representative, in order to make sure that you will be paying exactly what you agreed during the booking process, and not be charged extra for hidden mandatory insurance.

Some users have reported limitations from Avis in Australia to take the car rented from them to other parts of the country, apparently due to the remoteness of certain areas, which might make it difficult to bring support in case of a breakdown or an accident.

For this reason, it is a good idea to talk with an official representative of Avis in Australia and tell her/him about your itinerary, so that you don’t find out about a limitation after you have picked up the car.

Avis is a car rental that enjoys a good reputation, and this is also the case in Australia, where many travelers choose this company. Do make sure to ask enough questions, and to examine the car very well during the pick up in order to avoid uncomfortable or negative situations in your trip.

Avis customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
⭐ Excellent service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

Book Now!

#2 – Budget (8.6/10) 🥈

Budget is a well-reputed international car rental company, which is known for being a bit smaller than Avis or Hertz, and yet continue to be one with enough locations and a good fleet of cars.

In Australia however, Budget is owned by Avis, and their cars are the same, but rates do may vary, and you could end up getting a better deal with Budget, which is a good enough reason to choose them.

Do notice that just as it is the case with Avis, there might be limitations on where you can take your rented car with Budget to in Australia. These limitations come into play when taking the car to remote places from the one it was picked up, but the renter should take this into consideration to make sure this won’t incur extra charges.

Overall, Budget enjoys a good reputation in Australia, but it is never a bad idea to take some extra precautions and photograph the vehicle, as well as being informed about the mandatory and optional insurances and extra fees when renting directly with Budget.

Budget customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
⭐ Excellent service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
⭐ Excellent overall value for money

Book Now!

#3 – Hertz (8.4/10) 🥉

Another car rental company that doesn’t need an introduction, Hertz is a big international car hire which also enjoys a good reputation in Australia, where they have several different locations all across this large country, both in all major airports, as well as cities.

Many travelers from other countries are used to rent with Hertz, and would like to continue doing so during their time in Australia, but might be worried, as Australia has received some bad reputation when it comes to car hires.

However, the situation seems to be improving thanks to some investigations performed on car rental companies in Australia, and Hertz has been one of the targets, as they are one of the biggest companies in the business, which could yield better customer service and reduction of doubtful practices.

In order to avoid any inconvenience, take photographs of your car during the pick-up and drop-off, and make sure to fill the tank before dropping it off. If you had a claim you find unfair, don’t doubt to dispute it and ask about it, and you will most likely get a refund.

If you want to rent a car in Australia through Hertz, you might rest assure as overall they have a good reputation, and even though their rates tend to be on the higher end, you will receive a good service, good cars, and count with many locations all across the country.

Hertz customer ratings:

⭐ Excellent cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Very Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#4 – Enterprise (8.3/10) 🔝

Enterprise Rent-a-Car is a company with a great reputation, especially in the US, and it also enjoys a good reputation in Australia, where they have several locations across the country, including all major airports and cities.

This car rental company has received considerably good reviews among renters who have chosen them from different cities in Australia and have had a good experience with them, with overall good customer service and not too many cases of charging extra fees.

When deciding which company to rent a car within Australia, Enterprise should definitely also be taken into account, as they do offer an overall good experience, and if using the common precautions that are recommended when renting a car with any common, there should not be a negative experience that could ruin your trip to Australia.

Enterprise customer ratings:

✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Very Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#5 – Thrifty (8.2/10) 🔝

For a smaller, yet well-known car hire company with an overall good reputation over the world, and in Australia, Thrifty is a company with locations in all major airports and cities in the country, as well as a fleet of new cars in great conditions.

You will most likely be able to find a Thrifty office at most parts of Australia you might be considering traveling to, especially in all major cities, and there doesn’t seem to be restrictions in regards to where to take your car to. Though you should ask Thrifty if you are considering taking the car to an Australian island.

As with every car rental, the ratio of good and bad reviews tend to go a bit more to the negative side, but one might notice that some of these are more related to subjective perspectives, such as customer service or something that could have been better, and overall the experience of renting a car with Thrifty is quite positive in most of the cases.

Prices might also be a good reason for you to consider renting with Thrifty in Australia, as they have good rates for very new cars, and prices might get better if renting for longer.

When considering which car rental to choose in Australia, Thrifty is definitely one that is worth taking a look too, always renting through Thrifty Australia instead of a broker to make sure that the price won’t have hidden fees, such as mandatory insurance.

Thrifty customer ratings:

✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#6 – East Coast Car Rentals (8.2/10) 🔝

For a local, Australian car rental company, East Coast Car Rentals is an important car rental with many years of being established in Australia and also in New Zealand, and with very good rates that would be difficult to overlook.

East Coast Car Rentals is a well-known company in Australia and one you should probably take into account when considering the options on car rentals in Australia. Do consider that their car fleet is not as new as those of major international companies, but they do offer cars in very good conditions.

Make sure to book directly with East Coast Car Rentals and ask any question regarding limitations to where you can take your car to, as well as what insurance is mandatory, and what are some extra services you might be charged for in order to make sure you will pay exactly for what you booked.

There have been negative reviews by customers who have rented through East Coast Car Rentals, though some of these have rented through consolidators, and might have got initially better rates with hidden costs. You should also take photographs of the car during pick-up and drop-off, and ask any questions regarding renting cars with them.

East Coast Car Rentals customer ratings:

✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#7 – Alamo Rent A Car (8.1/10) 🔝

Alamo is one of the largest car rental companies for international travelers visiting Australia and has a great reputation worldwide. It is a value-oriented company that serves the car and van hire needs of main airports and cities for leisure travelers.

Alamo is a subsidiary brand of Enterprise. With Alamo, you’ll always get it right.

Alamo customer ratings:

✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Very Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Very Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#8 – National (8.0/10) 🔝

National is also a subsidiary brand of Enterprise. Enterprise-Holdings is one of the largest car hire groups for international travelers visiting Australia and has a great reputation worldwide. It is a value-oriented company that serves the car and van hire needs of main airports and cities for leisure travelers.

With National, you’ll always get it right.

National customer ratings:

✔️ Very Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#9 – Firefly (7.5/10) 🔝

Firefly is a low-cost car rental brand subsidiary of Hertz.

Firefly customer ratings:

✔️ Good cleanliness of the car
✔️ Good service at the rental desk
✔️ Quick pick-up process
✔️ Quick drop-off process
✔️ Good overall value for money

Book Now!

#10 – Europcar (7.0/10) 🔝

A very important car rental company in Europe, which also has many locations and a good reputation in other parts of the world, including Australia, is Europcar, one of the most used car rentals in Australia, and one that is worth reviewing.

Europcar is a company with an overall good reputation, many locations across major airports and cities in Australia, and you might find better rates with them if comparing with the leader companies Avis and Hertz.

However, there have been some negative reviews and experiences from users who have rented from different locations in Australia with Europcar, reporting extra charges from the company based on damages that either was not detected during drop-off or were already there.

Being a large company, many travelers choose Europcar, and therefore the ratio of bad reviews becomes bigger, which might make it harder to overlook such negative reviews. But several other renters have had an overall positive experience with the company.

Overall, Europcar is a good car rental in Australia, but in order for you to have a great trip, and not to get surprised once you are back home, do make sure to take pictures of the car you have rented during the pick-up and drop-off.