Consistently ranked as one of the world’s most liveable cities, there are SO many great reasons to visit Melbourne.
The city is famed for its fantastic blend of rich cultural history and new age trends, with attractions such as art galleries, exhibitions, events, dining experiences and vibrant nightlife.
It sits on the south coast of Australia, and is a popular place to kick off any Aussie road trip. Australia is such a vast landscape with so much to explore, that you really need a vehicle to get the full experience.
Melbourne is a fantastic hub as you can either cross over into South Australia and over to the west, or head up the East Coast, one of the world’s most popular backpacking routes.
Now if you are looking for a car to rent in Melbourne you have come to the right place. We’ve taken the task of intense research out of your hands and whittled it down to the top 10 for you!
So here are our 10 best car rental firms in Melbourne…
The market is now beyond saturated with different car rental firms, all promising similar but slightly different things, so it’s no wonder you don’t know where to even start.
Well a car rental search firm like Rentalcars is a great place to begin your search.
The site gives you the chance to compare loads of the top car rental firms.
They also offer one way rentals. Which is a great choice for car hire in Melbourne, as once you start heading up that east coast, it’s a long way to come back!
Rentalcars ensure all customers experience a great service with:
Rentalcars is really easy to use. Just search your pick up and drop off locations, along with your availability and it will show you all the vehicles available to you.
You can then sort by price or rating, or filter down by certain features or amenities, depending on what is most important to you.
Using a site like this is a great starting point on your car rental search as it gives you a great overview of what is out there, and what you can afford.
Bargain Car Rentals are Australian owned and operated, after being founded in Tasmania over 15 years ago.
They now operate at 11 locations across the country, offering a great value and up to date fleet. Their great prices mean they were an accessible and inclusive company for all travellers.
What sets Bargain Car Rentals apart from the rest is their strong values base and ethos which surround integrity, customer satisfaction, quality, and valuing people.
Budget Car Rentals have a fantastic variety of vehicles on the fleet, and even the most compact vehicle has 5 seats so they are the perfect choice for families and groups.
They also offer larger SUVs and an 8 seater minivan.
East Coast Car Rentals are one of the largest independent car hire providers in Australia, operating at 13 locations nationwide.
They’re ideally based at airports across Australia, including Melbourne.
Their all inclusive car rental package offers you a saving when you go all in on miles, cover and additional benefits. East Coast Rentals also offer a discounted rate on long term rentals (21+ days).
East Coast Rentals fleet stretches from small economy cars all the way to a 12 seater minibus.
The fleet is made entirely of automatic vehicles, and there are plenty of electric and hybrid options too.
Hertz is a great option for Melbourne car rentals with 27 locations throughout the city
As one of the best known and most renowned car rental firms in the world, you know Hertz is a brand you can trust, with a huge variety of vehicles on offer.
Hertz Australia offers a 15% discount and free additional driver on certain deals.
You can cancel bookings with Hertz up to 2 days before scheduled pick up, so if your plans change at the last minute you don’t need to worry.
As one of the largest car rental firms in the world, Hertz has an extensive fleet.
They have a wide variety of cars suitable for all budgets, and all types of travellers whether it’s a couple, a small group or a larger family.
They also offer a ‘Green Collection’ which is Hertz’s range of EVs and fuel-efficient cars, ideal for environmentally conscious travellers.
The Green Collection offers a range of EV and fuel-efficient cars perfectly suited to environmentally conscious drivers.
Green Motion is the best in the business for eco-friendly car rental. And the environmental focus doesn’t stop at their car rentals. Green Motion has environmentally conscious ethos in place to ensure all their depots operate as sustainably as possible.
Every dept has low energy lighting with sensors, and aims to recycle and use renewable energy as much as possible.
All vehicles from Green Motion are low in CO2 emissions, whether it’s a small, medium, premium, SUV or MPV.
Green Motion provides 4 different rental packages that provide customers with different features, benefits and amenities, so you can secure the rental most suited to your budget and your needs.
The National rental office is located opposite Terminals 1,2 and 3 at Melbourne Airport, so you can get straight off your plane and on the road!
National offers a competitive rate on fuel, so you can purchase pre-paid fuel at a competitive price at the time of pick up, eliminating the need to refill before returning the car.
National will rent to drivers 21 and over, but those aged 21-24 must pay a young drivers fee. One way rentals are also available for an additional fee, which is arranged when you book.
Like many other Melbourne car hire firms in this guide, there are compact, economy, intermediate and SUVs on offer at National.
Standard cover and unlimited mileage is included with all the rates.
Advance Car Rental is a great choice for budget car rental in Melbourne both at the airport and in the CBD.
But great value doesn’t mean the customer service has to suffer. Advance ensures that the customer experience is top notch every time!
They are known for not only offering customers cheap car rental services, but also providing reliable vehicles too.
Despite the great prices at Advance, they still aim to keep their fleet as up to date as possible.
They offer economy, luxury and family cars, as well as commercial vehicles. Their largest vehicles are 7 and 8 seaters.
As one of the most famous car rental firms out there, Europcar has definitely earned a spot on this list of Melbourne car hire firms.
With a brilliant loyalty programme, Europcar guarantees travellers the best rates with the best benefits.
Each rental includes basic protection, unlimited miles, so you won’t be hit with unexpected and hidden fees.
Generally rentals include mileage, basic protection and VAT, but some rates have a mileage allowance you’ll be charged for any extra, so check this before you book.
Typically rental rates can be higher from Eurocar so bear this in mind if you’re travelling on a budget.
There’s so much to offer on the Europcar fleet from compact Citroen C1s and Fiat 500s, to larger 7+ seaters. When searching just select the category of vehicle you’re interested in to see what’s available for your dates.
There’s a choice of both automatic and manual transmission, as well as electric vehicles. You can also see the CO2 emissions rating for each vehicle when researching.
With a whopping 2000+ branches across 105 countries worldwide you’re guaranteed a good rental experience with Sixt.
Their app ensures the experience is fully digital, and means pick up and drop off runs smoothly and efficiently, so you don’t waste any time.
The longer you rent the car, the cheaper the rental rates are from Sixt, so if you are after a long term rental Sixt could be the place for you!
They’re also a great option for one way rentals. Some one way rentals are free of charge, but some have an additional cost. If you are planning on heading out of Victoria with your rental, Sixt is a great pick!
The Melbourne fleet is made up of 58 cars. The majority of vehicles are automatic.
There’s a great mix of smaller vehicles, and a variety of other sizes all the way up to 7 seaters.
Sixt hire in Australia rents most cars to over 21s. Their full fleet is available to drivers that are 25 and over.
Thrifty have been renting cars since their establishment in 1958, and they’re a top pick for those after a great value rental.
They have a great loyalty program, the Blue Chip Member program which promises 15% off rentals, exclusive member offers and skipping the queue at pick up.
With 25% off for 14+ day rentals, they’re a great pick for those after long term car rental in Melbourne.
The Thrift fleet is very varied with cars, vans, 4x4, luxury vehicles and even buses and tricks available for hire!
All the vehicles on their Australia fleet are automatic. Most vehicles are 5 seats but there are some larger vans.
They also offer an elite sports vehicle which is ideal for a couple or individual who fancy a premium rental.
Avis always springs to mind when you’re after a car rental, as they have years of experience in the game, making them a well recommended and trusted option for Melbourne car rental.
Avis has great deals on one way rentals and long term rentals, and most rentals come with unlimited mileage.
Avis is also a great choice for its variety of pick-up locations in and around Melbourne, so it’s easy and convenient to collect your vehicle and get straight on the road.
A company as renowned as Avis, you know there’s going to be a huge fleet to choose from, so there will definitely be something perfect for you.
From small and medium sized cars, to trucks and vans there is something suitable for different types of travellers.
There’s also 4 wheel drive and electric vehicles on the Melbourne fleet.
Melbourne car hire can start from as little as $30AUD a day, and go all the way up to $200AUD depending on the vehicle type and the time of year you are travelling.
Don’t forget to consider all the other costs involved in car rental such as taxes, tolls and fuel.
The minimum age to rent a vehicle in Australia is 21, however there are often additional fees for drivers under 25.
Melbourne car rental companies generally accept any full driver licence printed in English, If your driver licence is not in English, you'll need an International Driving Permit.
If you are just planning on staying in the city, then no you won’t need a car. But if you want to explore the wider area and see more of Australia, then yes absolutely!!
If you are travelling for a shorter period of time then car rental is definitely worth it but if you are planning on travelling for more than 3 months it may work out more economical to buy a car.
So hopefully this has given you some inspiration for your Melbourne road trip, and now you can get planning the more exciting stuff.
The itinerary, the accommodation, the best things to do in Melbourne, the list of things to plan for a road trip is never ending!
If you want to take accommodation planning out of the equation, then check out our guide to the best campervan and RV rentals in Melbourne. That way you have your accommodation, transport, and maybe even dinner all in one place!
If you choose any of these car rental firms above for your road trip to Melbourne, please drop a comment below and let us know!
If you are planning a big trip to Australia you might find some of these guides helpful:
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