Perth car hire

Excellent public transport makes getting around the city a cinch. But to find quiet beaches, explore wine country, go on solo whale-spotting jaunts or inspect eerie limestone towers, hiring a car in Perth is essential.

Better still, major freeways and highways here are free from tolls – unlike Sydney and Melbourne – meaning that Perth car rental tends to work out cheaper than elsewhere in Australia.

Language: English | Currency: Australian dollars (‎$) | Avg. Flight time: 20 hrs

Perth’s main local beaches – Cottesloe, Crawley, Scarborough, Trigg – can get busy, especially in summer. However, having your own wheels makes it easy to vroom up-coast and find quieter coves like Sandtrax.

Hiring a car in Perth also enables proper exploration of the nearby Swan Valley. This gourmand hotspot contains some 40 wineries, along with cheese factories and micro-breweries like Feral, which offer guided tours.

Adventure World is located in Fremantle, just outside the city, but its waterslides, go-karts and rollercoasters are much more easily accessed by those choosing Perth car rental, plus there’s plenty of parking.

A 45-minute drive south gets Perth car-hirers to Penguin Island, where thousands of little penguins reside. Anyone visiting the south of Western Australia in spring (September-November) will also have a chance of seeing migrating humpback whales off the coast – and wildflowers blooming across the state.

Two towns make for nice day-trips. Mandurah, Australia’s fastest-growing coastal town, has cruises up its river estuary and excellent oysters to chow down on, while historic York, found 55 miles (90 kilometres) inland, combines 19th-century buildings with canoeing opportunities on the Avon River.

Around 2.5 hours’ drive north of Perth is Nambung National Park, home to thousands of pinnacles - pointy yellow limestone spires with strange ruffled textures, some 5m (16 feet) high. A desert-crossing driving route showcases the best of them: a prime reason to plump for car-hire in Perth.

A closer source of physical pleasures is the Perth Hills area, sandwiched between the townships of Mundaring and Kalamunda. Hiking, mountain biking and horse riding are possible, as are scenic drives through pretty villages and soaring views.

International car-hire providers at Perth Airport’s international arrivals hall include Hertz and Europcar, while the Australian contingent is led by Redspot and Classic Car Hire Perth. Local firms like Bayswater can arrange cars to be waiting at the airport, too.

In Perth itself, car-hire stations are scattered around town – most commonly in or close to the Central Business District (CBD), somewhere near Murray Street.

Looking to visit Perth? Make sure to check out our Tips and Advicefirst

1. While it’s rare to see police checks in Western Australia, manned mobile speed cameras are very common, so beware the general speed limit: generally 50kph (31mph) in built-up areas and 110kph (68mph) in rural ones.

2. Take plenty of spare water, food and fuel if you venture out into the bush, and make a note of petrol-station locations.

3. Almost all Perth car-rentals are automatics; if you prefer a manual, make this clear in advance.

Fair fuel policy

A fair fuel policy (also known as full-to-full or same-to-same) means you’ll only pay for the fuel you use. All car rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket come with a fair fuel policy, so you can book your hire car safe in the knowledge there will be no nasty surprises at drop-off. More information on TravelSupermarket’s commitment to fair fuel policies can be found here.

No hidden fees

All rental deals compared on TravelSupermarket include mandatory fees (for example, one-way and young driver surcharges) in your rental quote at the time of booking, meaning you’ll know the full price of your car hire upfront.