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Australia: Driver’s Licence Requirements for Car Rentals

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If you are a temporary overseas visiting driver and you hold a current overseas driver licence you do not have to get an Australian state driver’s licence. You can drive on your current overseas licence as long as:

  • You remain a visitor.
  • Your overseas licence remains current.
  • You have not been disqualified from driving.
  • You have not had your licence suspended or cancelled or your visiting driver privileges withdrawn.

Temporary overseas visiting drivers include:

  • Tourists.
  • Business people on limited-duration visits.
  • People studying or working temporarily (eg working visa holders).

Your licence must be written in English or, if the licence is not in English, you must also carry an English translation or an International Driving Permit (IDP) with your licence when driving.

You must carry your current overseas licence, IDP or translation with you while driving.

You do require to have a photo ID licence if you want to rent a car from Low Cost Car Rentals. If your foreign licence does not have a photo ID, you should get an IDP before travelling to Australia if you intend to rent a car.

All states require Australians from other states to get a new state licence after three month’s residence (with some specific exceptions). Some states also require New Zealanders to get a state drivers licence after they have been in Australia for three months.

Specific State Requirements

In Australia, laws and driving regulations differ from state to state. Some states require you to carry an International Licence with your current foreign licence. Other states request you carry your current foreign driver’s licence together with a formal translation of your licence into English.

Select the state or territory you will be driving in to find out what the laws are for driving with an overseas licence.

Cheaper Holidays without compromising on Car Rentals

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They are plenty of tips to save on car rentals. However saving on each item in your itinerary will not make your holidays better, it will only make it cheaper. The best way to save on holidays is to not be caught in stereotyping.

Obviously the best time to visit Sydney is in summer. It comes with Christmas on the Beach, Santa Clauses in shorts and plenty of Boat Parties and Dinner cruises in the Harbour. This also comes with the price.

Guess what, the Sydney icons such Harbour Bridge, Opera House and Anzac Bridge will not run away as the temperature drops. Did you know that you can save up to 44% on your hotel rentals and up to 61% on the flights by simply visiting Sydney in the less busy time?

Sydney’s beautiful beaches remain just as popular as ever, for coastal walks, whale watching, dining and even swimming — with many outdoor pools heated through the winter months.

And of course, there are boundless activities to be found indoors too, in pubs, wineries and cultural institutions.

Here’s our top 5 best activities to enjoy in Sydney this winter holidays.

1. Climb to the top of the world

A quintessential Sydney experience for tourists and locals alike, the Sydney Harbour BridgeClimb is open for winter ascents on Sundays. The air may be crisp but it’s also particularly clear, making those sunsets spectacular. BridgeClimb provides winter woollies to warm those muscles as you climb to one of the best views in the world.

Harbour Bridge view from Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens in Winter

2. Swim outdoors

There’s no need to avoid Sydney’s crystal blue waters and stunning coastal views just because it’s winter. Some of the best swimming pools in Sydney heat their lanes throughout the colder months. Enjoy that stunning view of the Harbour Bridge while swimming laps at North Sydney Pool, next door to the iconic Luna Park. The pool at Prince Alfred Park, next to Central Station, is also heated and has water temperatures set to a comfortable 26C.

3. Take a coastal walk

Get those legs moving and heat back in the body doing the Manly to Spit walk or the Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. Whether you’re a history buff, beach lover, or simply love nature, there’s something for everyone along the way. From Manly Wharf, the coastal trail winds past Dobroyd Head, one of the walk’s most scenic locations, and onto the military barracks at Bradleys Head.

Manly to Taronga Zoo coastal walk

Manly Beach in Winter

4. Watch some whales

May to November is whale-watching season when thousands of humpback whales migrate along the coast of NSW to give birth in the warm waters off Queensland. The best places to spot them are from North Head Lookout at Manly and Cape Solander in the Kurnell section of Kamay Botany Bay National Park. For a view from the water, plenty of cruise companies offer whale watching tours. So grab your binoculars, sit back, relax and enjoy nature’s best show.

Whale watching in Sydney Harbour

Whale watching in Sydney Waters

5. Warm up with winter reds

When it’s very cold outside, sometimes there’s nothing better to do than sit indoors with a warming glass of wine. Take a tour with a winemaker to Hunter Valley or Mudgee, sample a cheese plate at the cellar door, or impress your friends after taking a food and wine pairing class.

What is next?

If you saved too much on your holidays and had enough of relaxing Sydney, may be it is time to go skiing or snowboarding in the busy Sydney areas. Kosciuszko National Park is only 500 km drive from Sydney. You will be transferred from low +20 Celsius to minus something in Perisher or Thredbo. A day of the winter fun can cost as little as $80 pp.

The list of things to do goes on. It is perfect season for hiking. It is not too cold to go camping. Have I mentioned the amount of food and drink festivals? Here it goes and it is not complete:

  • Parramatta Winterlight.
  • Bondi Winter Magic.
  • Bathurst Winter Festival.
  • Snow Time in the Garden, Hunter Valley.
  • Winter Magic Festival, Blue Mountains.
  • Skating At Cathedral Square.
  • Winterfest Sydney Medieval Fair.
The Grounds, Alexandria NSW

The Grounds in Alexandria

Be aware, you might fell in love with Winter Sydney and will want to visit it again… in winter 🙂

To get the best Car Rentals Deal while you are in Sydney please call Low Cost Car Rentals.

What to do after a crash

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Rental cars are no different to the rest of the vehicles. The accidents happen.

First, make sure you have the most suitable insurance cover for your rental vehicle. However If you do not follow simple instructions in case of the crash, the insurance company may reject the claim and you will end paying the repairs out of your own pocket.

What to do in case of a crash

A step by step guide

Here is the procedure to follow in the case of a crash. Please note, this information is valid as of today 4 August 2017 and can be used for indicative purposes only. Please seek for a legal advice in case of disputes or further assistance.

Step 1

Stop! Don’t keep driving. If possible, use your indicator lights, hazard lights or headlights to warn other drivers and light up the scene if it is dark.

Help anyone who has been hurt. Call an ambulance if there are serious injuries.

Do not move anyone who’s been injured unless they are in immediate danger or need first aid. If someone has to be moved (if they are in danger), support broken limbs and be careful not to twist their back or neck.

For someone wearing a helmet, lift the visor but don’t remove it unless the person is vomiting or has stopped breathing. When removing a helmet, have one person support the head and neck, while another gently lifts the helmet off from the back.

Step 2

Call the police if anyone is killed or hurt, or if the other driver fails to stop or swap details. If the other driver seems like they might be drunk or high, or there is considerable damage to things other than cars, you also have to call the police. If nobody is injured and everyone involved has exchanged their details, you can arrange your own tow and leave the area, then report the crash later to the Police Assistance Line on 131 444.

Step 3

Once you have made sure everyone is okay, it is time to swap details. Both drivers will need:

  1. Date, time and location of the crash
  2. The other driver’s details, including: full name and address
  3. The other car’s rego number, make and model
  4. The car owner’s full name, address and contact numbers (if the driver is not the owner).

If possible:

  1. Contact details and the name of a willing witness
  2. The name of the police officer, their police station and contact details (if the police attend the crash)
  3. The name of the car owner’s insurance company, type of policy and policy number.

Being in a crash is always stressful, even if it is minor. To make sure you remember what details to get from the other driver, it is a good idea to leave a copy of the above list in your glovebox.

Step 4

If your car needs to be towed, take all of your personal belongings out of the car and wave goodbye. Always keep the contact details of the rental company handy so you can quickly contact them and organise a replacement vehicle. The rental company would help you to tow the vehicle away or get it delivered to the mechanic. It all depends whether the vehicle is still drivable or not.

Step 5

Call your rental company as soon as you can. They need to make a claim with the insurance company. Then keep in touch with the rental agency to organise the car replacement or repairs.

Important: Crashes are very stressful for everyone. The people involved will be pretty shaken up, so it is important that you keep calm and try not to get emotional. Even if the other driver is aggressive – do not rev them up or the situation could get out of hand very quickly.

Guide for people injured in a motor vehicle accident

A greenslip is a legal requirement for all motor vehicles registered in NSW, except trailers.

Greenslip is a generic term for Compulsory Third Party (CTP) Insurance (also referred to as CTP Greenslips, green slips, greenslip insurance, CTP and CTP Insurance).

A greenslip contains of two schemes. The Third-party Insurance scheme, regulated by the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 and the Lifetime Care and Support scheme, regulated by the Motor Accidents (Lifetime Care and Support) Act 2006.

If you are a person injured (but not at fault) in a motor vehicle accident, you can make a claim for a range of benefits including past and future medical treatment and rehabilitation costs, care costs and economic losses, as well as payments for pain and suffering (in some circumstances). Click here for more details.

SIRA is an organisation which is responsible for regulating workers compensation insurance, motor accidents compulsory third party (CTP) insurance and home building compensation insurance, in NSW.

If you are a person injured (and at fault), your Green Slip may provide limited cover, up to first $5000 of treatment costs and lost income incurred in the first six months after an accident. Check more on the official SIRA site.

References

The NSW Police brochure What to do after a car crash – available in ten different languages – provides a step-by-step guide for what to do in the event of a crash and specifies which details are necessary to record in the event of an accident. NSW Police recommend printing the brochure and keeping a copy in your carii. Along with the brochure, you can also download the Emergency+ app for iPhone and Android smartphones. The app uses your phone’s GPS to provide emergency service operators with your location details immediatelyiv,v.

Links

iNSW Police Force 2015, Crash Reporting FAQs, viewed 9 January 2015, 
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/community_issues/road_safety/crash_reporting_faqs

iiNSW Police Force 2015, Road Safety, viewed 9 January 2015, 
http://www.police.nsw.gov.au/community_issues/road_safety

iiiInsurance Council of Australia 2014, NSW accident reporting rules change tomorrow – but insurers should still be notified, viewed 3 December 2014, 
http://www.insurancecouncil.com.au/assets/media_release/2014/october2014/141014%20NSW%20consumer%20alert%20-%20accident%20reporting%20rules%20are%20changing%20but%20insurers%20should%20be%20notified.pdf

ivFire & Rescue NSW 2014, Emergency+, Google Play Store, viewed 3 December 2014, 
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.threesixtyentertainment.nesn&hl=en

vFire Rescue New South Wales 2014, Emergency +, viewed 3 December 2014, 
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/emergency-+/id691814685?mt=8

Avoid extra charges on cheap Car Rentals Deals

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Sales and discounts

The rate of car rentals might look reasonable, but once you get the final bill for your rental car, the bottom line can be a shocker. Taxes, fees and charges for everything from an additional driver to satellite radio, concession charges at airport locations and refilling the gas tank – all this can quickly add up to a big surprise if you have not navigated the confusing world of rental car contracts before renting. Read the fine print before you go. And don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Q 1 – Insurance

Enquiry your car rentals company about the insurance included in the quotation. You need to know who and what is covered.

Questions to ask:

  • What is the excess in case of an accident?
  • Any additional excess in case of a single vehicle accident?
  • What if the accident is not at your fault?
  • What if there is a dispute in liability?
  • What if the repairs are less than the excess amount?

Q 2 – Roadside assistance

It is something you definitely need while on holidays. Unfortunately bad things happen – tyre puncture, empty fuel tank, broken or lost car key, etcetera. You don’t want to ruin the day of your precious holidays dealing with some towing service or booking a hotel in the area where the car broken down.

All the prices of Low Cost Car Rentals include 24/7 premium roadside assistance. It means a help is just 10-60 minutes away from where you are, depends on your location and type of the issue.

Q 3 – Location fares

If you found the best price, don’t often assume it includes the taxes and GST. Even though it is not entirely legal to hide surcharges and GST, some companies find legal ways to work around it. Do not hesitate to ask the rental company if the price is final. Ask if it includes the car delivery (if applicable), airport fares or any other fees when picking up the car.

Check the company’s drop-off policies, which may include hefty charges for one-way rentals or drop-offs at a different location.

All quotations issued by Low Cost Car Rentals are final and include all the taxes, fares, delivery fees (if applicable) and refundable bond.

Q 4 – Membership points

If you own some credit card that has an awesome points system. Don’t use it just yet. Ask the rental company if there is any charges apply when paying with the credit card. Some companies charge it daily, most of the time it is one-off fee.

Low Cost Car Rentals does not charge any fees for any of the accepted payments methods.

Q 5 – Car Rentals fuel policy

Most of the companies follow the “full tank out – full tank in” policy. It is worth confirming though. You don’t want to get a car with 10% of fuel in and then being asked to return it with a full tank.

Also, sometimes you can be in a rush when returning a car and will not have a chance to re-fill the tank. Ask the rental cars company if there is any charge apply in this case.

If you happened to return a car to Low Cost Car Rentals with less than 100% in the tank. We would refill the car for you and only charge you the amount we pay at the petrol station. This is only valid if you return the car to our CBD location in Alexandria or Sydney Airport. Please ask our staff for any extra charges if you return the car into a different location.

Q 6 – Fines and toll payments

Obviously during the rental period you are liable for any toll payments, fines or parking tickets. If you know you would be travelling through the paid roads, be careful. With some car rentals, they would charge you a fee for each of those fines you receive. Additionally they might charge you an administration fee for each day you use the paid roads.

More tips on using the toll roads here.

Q 7 – Return date and time

Sometimes the trip doesn’t go as planned. Whether you are running late or one of your travel companions gets sick. You have no choice but extend the car rental. Most of the companies would start charging you a non-discounted daily rate. You will not be entitled for any discounts or specials you might of had before. Be careful, it is no uncommon the rental company would start charging you hourly rates. So a day of the extended rental can cost you an air ticket to LA and back 🙂

Here, at Low Cost Car Rentals, we are very flexible. As long as the car you have is available for the dates you need, you will have it for the same price. We are easy on 2-3 hours late returns as well and will not charge you any extra fees. The only condition, you have to contact one of our staff members in advance and make sure they are aware of the extended rental.

ADDITIONAL TIP

Examine both the exterior and interior of the car carefully before leaving the rental lot, making a note of any damages. A quick time-stamped photo on your cellphone is a good idea. Point out any defects out to the rental agent to avoid being charged for damage that was already there when you picked up the car.

WARNING

Follow the rules and conditions of your contract. Do not smoke in a non-smoking car. Never let an unauthorized driver operate the car, even a valet. Never drink and drive. Violations can void the contract and result in hefty charges. Treat the car as you would your own, keeping it clean, parking it in safe locations and always locking the doors and trunk.

Using Toll Roads in a Rental Car

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Please watch this video to know more about paid roads also known as Toll Roads in Australia.

A number of toll roads in Australia are cashless and only accept payments via an electronic tag or online. It is not uncommon for travellers to get caught out when driving through toll roads in a rental car. If you are driving interstate or if you are an overseas traveller in a hire car, you need to pay your tolls within a certain time frame to avoid paying any extra fees.

For short period rentals, you possibly could just pay the tolls online as you travel. You will need to know the name of the road you travelled and find the website of the correspondent authority online.

If you intend to rent a car for a few months or longer, we would recommend you to open an e-tag account, those are only paid as you travel and don’t involve any monthly or annual fees. It will also be handy if you travel to Australia often. It is easy to link and de-link any cars to your account. Thus you would register the account only once, then keep updating the number plates of the hired car in the system of the tolling company. Technically you will not even need to carry your e-tag device in the rental car with you. Although it is recommended to avoid paying extra fees for the number plate identification.

To help you out with your next long term car rentals in Australia, here is an outline from Low Cost Car Rentals on how to obtain the toll roads pass for up to 30 days period.

New South Wales (Sydney)

RMS eMU Pass

Motorists are required by law to pay the toll when they drive on a toll road. If you don’t have an electronic tag, you can set up a electronic pass before you leave home or up to three days after you travel on a toll road. You will have up to 2 days to set up the Pass, if you happen to use the Toll roads without a e-Tag.

What are the costing Involved?

  • $1.50 online start up fee
  • Relevant toll charge plus a $0.75c video processing fee for each toll

How to set it up?

  • You can call them on 13 18 65
  • You can set up a Pass using the RMS Online service via the following link and click on eMU pass link Paying tolls

To see the map of the toll roads or estimate the cost of using them, please visit Toll Calculator

Victoria (Melbourne)

CityLink

You will have up to 3 days to set up the Pass, if you happen to travel on one of their Toll roads.

What are the costing Involved?

  • $5.50 online start up fee.
  • Relevant toll charge plus a $0.75c video processing fee for each toll

How to set it up?

  • You can call 13 26 29
  • You will find all the Passes CityLink sell via the following Link Buy a Pass.

To check the tolls prices, please see here.

Queensland (Brisbane, Gold coast, Cairns)

goVIA

You will have up to 3 days to set up the Pass, if you happen to travel on one of their Toll roads.

What are the costing Involved?

  • The relevant Toll plus
  • Video processing fee for each toll (To find out the Video Processing fee, please call 13 33 31, as they change it from time to time)

How to set it up?

  • Can call 13 33 31
  • Buy a pass on their Website via the following Link Go via Road Pass.

You can calculate your toll here.