Cheap Car Rental in Townsville

Car Rental in Townsville: driving the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef

Townsville is often considered the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, though the city is an excellent base for exploring both the ocean wonders in the east and the fascinating climate of the dry tropics in the west. Make the most of your visit to Townsville by exploring The Strand downtown for a day or two and then driving beyond the city limits. There is a lot to see! Book you rental car today.

The summer months are quite hot in Townsville, making the cooler winter months of May through September far more comfortable for a visit. High temperatures typically range between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius (77 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit) throughout the winter.

The de facto official language of Australia is English, which is also the language spoken by the majority of Townsville’s residents. Birri-Gubba is the Aboriginal language spoken in the Townsville area, the original inhabitants of which were the Bindal and Wulgurukaba people.

Townsville is in the Australian Eastern Standard Time Zone, UTC+10 or +11 during Daylight Savings Time.

The currency is the Australian dollar and credit cards are widely accepted throughout the country.

Car hire is available in 2 locations throughout Townsville, Townsville Airport (TSV) and downtown.

Visa Regulations

All visitors to Australia require a visa to enter the country, except those coming from New Zealand. Depending on your country of citizenship, you can apply for these visas online for a fee of $20 to $130; be sure to only visit government websites for these applications in order to avoid surcharges and other fees. Some nationalities will have to apply for a visa via a paper application at an Australian embassy. Double check regulations for your nationality before you confirm your travel plans.

Driving in Townsville

Though Townsville is the largest city north of Sunshine Coast in Queensland, driving throughout the city is still fairly easy. While you won’t need a car to explore The Strand or take cruises out to Magnetic Island (though you can drive here, if you take the Fantasea Cruising Magnetic ferry line), Palm Island, or the Great Barrier Reef, you will definitely want to explore Townsville’s mainland surroundings as well. Make the most of your visit by planning some road trips along the coast and inland!

Left-Hand Driving

• Traffic drives on the left-hand side of the road throughout Australia.

Speed Limits

• In the city: 50 km/h
• On the highway: 110 km/h
• Traffic congestion can develop during morning and evening rush hours in Townsville, so it is recommended to avoid driving in the hours around 8 am and 5 pm.

Other Regulations

1. There are about 700 free parking spots in downtown Townsville, including a number of free all-day spots in parking lots on Dean Street, Flinders Street, and at the corner of Leichhardt and Eyre. The closer you park to downtown, the more regulated parking will become, so be sure to double-check signs before you leave your car, as payment may be required.
2. If your domestic driver’s license has been issued in a language other than English, an international driver’s permit will be necessary to rent a car in Australia.
3. The only tolled motorways in Queensland are located around Brisbane, where prices vary according to how far along them you travel. If you plan to drive south to Brisbane, ask your rental company if your rental includes a pre-paid toll account in order to ease your travel along these tolled motorways.
4. The minimum driving age in Queensland is as young as 16 years, though most rental companies will require that you are at least 21 years old to rent a car, and you are likely to face young-driver surcharges until the age of 25.

Cheap Car Rental in Townsville

Car hire in Townsville typically starts at around $30 a day. Here are some of the best deals in Townsville:

• Mitsubishi Mirage or similar (economy class) – $30/day
• Hyundai i20 or similar (compact class) – $31/day
• Hyundai Accent or similar (intermediate class) – $32/day
• Kia Cerato or similar (standard class) – $34/day
• Holden Malibu or similar (standard class) – $35/day

Note that prices vary depending on the availability of each specific car and the season in which you rent. For the most accurate offers, use the search bar above.

Tips for Renting a Car Inexpensively in Townsville

Car hire prices vary by about $5 throughout the year in Townsville, where you can typically get equally good deals at either of the city’s locations.

Particularly with the help of discounts of at least 17%, the car rental companies Thrifty and Hertz compete to offer drivers the lowest prices throughout the year. Though you can typically book the cheapest rental car at Townsville airport, it’s well worth your time to check prices for your specific rental period at the downtown locations as well, as they may be able to beat the airport prices from time to time.

You can also typically save between $5 and $10 a day by extending your rental period to over a week!