Australians or travelers there: Can you drive a Rental Car completely around Australia?

Question

I'd like to drive all the way around Australia, but have only seen rental cars that let you travel in one half or the other. None allow me to drive from Sydney to Perth, or Perth to Sydney. The only similar option I've seen is to rent a small camper (called Caravan?), but it requires too much gas.

Has anyone heard of a car rental agency that let you drive all the way around?

Also, feel free to add anything else, like special places to visit, special things to do, etc.

Thanks mates.

Answer 1

Hire car companies don't care if you want to drive around Australia BUT they will have limitations on where you take it for instance if you want to go to Cape York you will need a 4WD a normal car cannot get there. There will be a lot of other restrictions but if you want to stay on main roads and highways they won't care how far you drive it. I'm not sure if you have any idea how big our country is but it can be circled in less than three weeks i only know this because a couple of mates and i did it on our motorbikes 13years ago.We didn't really see anything but we had fun but very sore bums after 14000klms approx. Anyway on to sight seeing Great Ocean Road,Ayers Rock,Great Barrier Reef,Olgas,Kakado National park you could travel this country your entire life and not see everything.

Answer 2

http://www.apollocamper.com/

Apollo also have cars to hire I'm sure they will allow you to go around Australia. But a camper van can be cheaper in the long term as you are not paying for accommodation. and you also haave somewhere to cook in the camper van. they supply the bedding etc. I have travelled Around Australia 6 times and each time I find somewhere different and have a different experience. You want to be up North Cairns Darwin etc between April and  September as this is the dry season The trip from Darwin is fabulous down the West Coast to Broome through the  Kimberlies but also going down the centre is great calling into Uluru and Coober pedy It is an amazing adventure but not cheap as fuel prices are on the up and up.

Answer 3

If you want to drive all the way around this huge country, it will take you a long time and would cost a huge amount in car hire charges. Have you considered buying a car and then selling it before you leave? I'd say that would be far cheaper than renting.

Hiring or buying a campervan is a good idea. It wouldn't cost much more for fuel and it would provide you with very cheap accomodation in some very out of the way and beautiful places - the savings should more than balance out. Caravan parks are found all around Oz, are very cheap, many have excellent facilities and some of them are in amazing locations virtually on the beach.