Car Rentals ...

Why Car Rentals ?
If you've managed to get some cheap flights to Sydney then you might be interested to read here where you can find travel safety tips, travel recommendations and also the cheapest car rentals. If you're a first time tourist to Australia, there a a great number of things to do in Sydney Australia, a city which has some great attractions, including the Sydney Harbor Bridge, Sydney markets and the Sydney Opera House. If you possibly can, do the Sydney Bridge climb ... it's unforgettable ! For travel in Sydney, the city has adequate bus train and ferry public [we especially recommend you take a Sydney Harbor tour to see a completely different perspective of the city from the water]transport systems.

10 things to do in Sydney

However, if you really want to see Australia, you'll probably want to spend at least some of your time outside the city. We'd especially recommend you consider the attractions of the NSW South Coast, but then again, we may be accused of being just a little biased in that direction. :-) Naturally, many international visitors to the South Coast choose to rent for their driving holiday. You can choose from an array of car rental companies.
These companies offer a wide range of services with pick-up and drop-off at Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra airports.
If you travel to Sydney, arriving into Sydney's Mascot on an international flight, then we'd recommend you pre-book a car through Sydney Car Hire Free Booking & the Cheapest Rates for car hire and car rental in Sydney!

In some cases, they also enable a pick-up and drop-off at the South Coast regional airports at Moruya, Merimbula.
If you plan to arrive at Moruya Airport, we can recommend Red Spot Car Rentals, who can provide quality new model cars during your stay on the South Coast.
In addition, we've recently noticed a trend from 'Sydney-siders' [particularly those living in the inner suburbs] to dispense with all of the costs associated with owning and maintaining a motor vehicle.
Consequently, more and more of our intra-state guests are opting to arrive in a rented car.
If you're one of these visitors, you can't go past the "no-frills" or "no birds" option.
Alternatively, for visitors arriving by air, with Regional Express airlines, contact us for details of the Best Car Rentals.

Travel Tips for the Tourist to Australia:

As well as the basics such as maps for travel, the car rental company you choose should be able to provide you with full details of the following, but for your convenience, we include a brief summary below:

Insurance: Your contract should include car rental insurance, but remember to check the terms and conditions and in particular, check the accidental damage excess.

General Driving Information

The following information is included to assist international drivers who intend to drive in Australia. We hope this information will give you a general view of the driving requirements and safety precautions to enable you to have an enjoyable and driving experience in Australia.

Drivers Licence Visitors driving in Australia must observe the licence requirements:

• Whilst driving, you must carry your drivers licence with you as there is a penalty for not having your licence with you.
• If your drivers licence is not written in the English language, you must carry an English translation or international drivers licence when driving in Australia

Speed Limits Most roads & Highways in Australia have the driving speed limits indicated with internationally standard roadside signage. Most roads also have recommended speed sign [black text with a yellow background for guidance, especially at corners. You should drive at or below the indicated speed limits. Naturally, it makes sense to drive with caution in wet conditions and drive below the speed limits. Speed checks are regularly conducted by the Police using fixed and mobile [in car] speed cameras, radar and lasers along all types of roads. In cities and towns, the general speed limit is 60 km/h but many suburban and local roads have a 50 km/h speed limit. The maximum speed you can drive in Australia is 100 km/h on country roads and highways and where indicated by signage 110 km/h on motorways and freeways. Exceeding these limits risks heavy financial penalties.

Rules of the Road: In Australia, we drive on the left hand side of the roadway and usually the steering wheel is on the right hand side of the car.

Drink Driving There are strict laws about drinking alcohol and driving in Australia. Police are authorized to stop any vehicle and breath test the driver randomly. For competent driving, there is no absolute safe level of alcohol consumption as alcohol effects different individuals differently. The legal limit is 0.5% for normal fully licensed drivers. Provisional and special purpose licensed drivers may have different limits imposed. The best advice is not to drive at all if you are going to drink any alcohol. If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident and you are over the legal limit, your insurance will be void and you are not covered.

Gas (Fuel) or "petrol" stations are plentiful in most areas and open varied hours depending on location and usually accept major international credit cards. Most of our vehicles operate on unleaded fuel at high octane levels, generally between 95 & 98. Unleaded fuel costs approximately US $1.10 per litre [approx $2 per gallon] however this can be more expensive in country areas.

Tolls There are tolls on most freeways which start from each city and usually cost between AUD$2.00 to AUD$4.50 to use. Many of the tolls require an electronic pass and some do NOT accept cash of any kind. Check with your Car rental agent. If you do not wish to use these freeways, there are alternate routes are available to avoid these tolls.

Seat belts It is a requirement for the driver and all passengers to use seat belts at all times.

For children, Baby capsules or child restraints, depending on the age/size of the child, must be used.

Motorways and Freeways Traffic travels at high speed on motorways and freeways. Naturally, this requires drivers to be especially alert in these situations.

• When driving on a motorway or freeway do not stop except in an emergency. Move off the roadway completely if you must stop for any other reason. Do NOT stop in emergency stopping lanes which are built into many steep mountain roads, in case of emergency.
• You can not make a 'U' turn or reverse when driving on a motorway or freeway.
• Unless you are going to overtake another vehicle, you should keep to the left lane

Parking Parking stations and meters are common in major Australian cities. Read the instructions on the meter, or ask at the entrance to pay. You may park at a meter for up to 2 hours unless indicated otherwise.