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It'd be easy to anchor yourself to the city centre on a trip to Adelaide. Its festivals, galleries and bars make it hard to leave.
However, if you hire a car, within a few revolutions you could find yourself in wine country, walking the foothills of a mountain range or unfurling on a sandy beach.
Before you start the ignition there are a few things to know, including how much you need to budget and the top road trip routes.
Compare hire cars and prices in Adelaide
To give you an idea of how much you should budget for hire, we searched our car hire tool for a week-long rental from Adelaide Airport for drivers 30–65 booked a month in advance.
We then looked at the cheapest prices based on vehicle size. Prices stated below were retrieved 28 October 2018.
Small, economy car
Car: Kia Rio
Seats: Four
Luggage: One large bag, one small bag
Rental company: Alamo
Cost: $149.06 for 7 days or $21.29 per day
Medium car
Car: Hyundai Accent
Seats: Five
Luggage: One large bag, one small bag
Rental company: Alamo
Cost: $152.36 for 7 days or $21.77 per day
Large car
Car: Kia Cerato
Seats: Five
Luggage: Two large bags, one small bag
Rental company: Enterprise
Cost: $377.28 for 7 days or $53.90 per day
Estate car
Car: Mitsubishi ASX
Seats: Five
Luggage: Three large bags
Rental company: Europcar
Cost: $391.19 for 7 days or $55.88 per day
Prices mentioned above were retrieved on 28 October 2018 and change constantly. Get the latest prices for your car hire today.
On the whole, driving is pretty straightforward in Adelaide. Drivers use the left side of the road and there are no toll roads to worry about. If you use common sense and brush up on the following tips your road trip around the city should go without a hitch.
Stay wider of the rider. Drivers are required to give cyclists a berth of at least one metre when passing them on roads with speed limits of 60km/h or less. On roads with higher speed limits drivers must stay 1.5 metres from the rider.
Speed restrictions. A couple of additional speed restrictions apply in Adelaide. Drivers must not go faster than 25km/h if they are overtaking a school bus or passing a stationary emergency services vehicle with flashing lights.
Overtaking on the left. Drivers may overtake other vehicles using both the left- and right-hand lanes on multi-lane roads in Adelaide.
Tips for hiring a car in Adelaide
P-platers might not be able to hire a car. Most car hire companies require you to have a full licence to rent a car in Adelaide. Redspot is one of the best-known brands that offers P-plate holders the opportunity to rent a car.
It's good to compare car hire excess insurance. Hire cars come with basic insurance though this is often very high on the provided policies. Before signing up for this, compare your options on our car hire rental excess page as you'll often find more suitable budget-friendly policies elsewhere.
Available on rentals until 30 April 2021 when you spend a minimum of $200. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and more. T&Cs apply.
Available on rentals from 1 February - 15 December 2021 across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Cairns, Adelaide, Darwin, Hobart and more. T&Cs apply.
Available on rentals from 8 January - 28 March 2021, including Saturday night. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Perth, Adelaide and more. T&Cs apply.
Available on rentals until 11 December 2021 across Australia and New Zealand including Sydney, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Auckland and more. Minimum of 5 days rental required. T&Cs apply.
Available for rentals until 31 March 2021. Destinations include Adelaide, Alice Springs, Brisbane, Cairns, Broome, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Must book at least 180+ days prior to the start of your rental. T&Cs apply.
Available on rentals until 31 March 2021 when you book a minimum of 21 days. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and more.
Available for travel on select dates until 28 February 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne and more. Minimum rental period of 3 consecutive days applies. T&Cs apply.
Available for travel on select dates until 28 February 2021 on participating locations excluding Tasmania. Minimum rental period of one consecutive days applies. T&Cs apply.
Available for travel on select dates until 28 February 2021 on participating locations excluding Tasmania. Minimum rental period of 3 consecutive days applies. T&Cs apply.
Available for travel on select dates until 28 February 2021. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne and more. Must include a Saturday night keep. T&Cs apply.
Join the Emerald Club and earn 1 rental credit for every qualified car rental. Inclusive of free rental days and other benefits. Destinations include Australia, Canada, United States and more. T&Cs apply.
Rentalcars.com can help you compare major car hire company rates for the best price. Companies it compares include Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Thrifty, Alamo, Dollar and Budget. Destinations include Australia, New Zealand, Canada and more.
Available on select rental dates. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Newcastle and more. Sample rate is for a Flexi Delish in Baldivis, WA. T&Cs apply.
Receive an exclusive $200 accommodation credit voucher when you book an intermediate class or higher vehicles for 3+ nights. Destinations include Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Auckland and more. T&Cs apply.
The Epicurean Way (Adelaide to the Barossa and Clare Valley)
How long is the drive? 282 km return
How long do I need? Two days
Must-sees along the way: McLaren Vale, Hahndorf Hills, Barossa, Clare Valley
You could do this drive in a couple of hours but you wouldn't really be able to make the most of all this region has offer. This is wine country so it was made for lazy vineyard lunches, wine tasting sessions and nights of deep sleep in winery accommodation.
The Coastal Way (Adelaide to Moonta)
How long is the drive? 324 km, round trip
How long do I need? Two days
Must-sees along the way: Ardrossan, Stansbury, Edithburgh, Inneston, Point Pearce
This road trip is lined with pit stops where you can get out and enjoy the fresh air. Walk to the Arrium Lookout, go crabbing in Ardrossan, shuck oysters by the sea in Port Vincent and visit the lighthouse at Troubridge. If you're into hiking then devote a few hours to exploring Innes National Park.
Kangaroo Island
How long is the drive? 530km, round trip
How long do I need? One or two days
Must-sees along the way: Flinders Chase National Park, Admirals Arch, The Remarkables.
Kangaroo Island sits off the coast of Adelaide and is one of the area's most lauded national beauties. A third of the island is protected by national reserves and native wildlife abounds. You'll need to hop on the ferry to cross over but this takes vehicles so you can drive around to your heart's content while on the island. The island also has accommodation if you wish to stay overnight.
Stephanie Yip is the travel editor at Finder and has been writing about travel and lifestyle for over a decade. She has written for Travel Weekly, Escape, Showpo, The Nibbler and Hostelworld. She was also the editor of kids magazine DMAG. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Technology Sydney and has visited 55 countries (and counting).
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