Drive the price of your rental down by comparing the car rental companies from around the world.
Renting cars for holidays can be a confusing business. There are so many providers to choose from, all with different terms and conditistephaons, vehicles and models and, most crucially, prices.
We’ve rounded up the best car hire sites on the Internet to help take the stress out of your search.
What’s the difference between booking direct and booking with an online aggregator?
The first decision to make is whether you want to book direct through the rental company (such as Avis or Europcar) or through a booking engine or aggregator (like Expedia or Hotwire). We’ve previewed a mixture of both here, so you’ll have plenty to compare.
Something to keep in mind when deciding which to go for is the deals and specials each is offering. Sometimes it’s possible to get exclusive offers through aggregators, but going through an aggregator can occasionally create problems as it’s an extra ‘layer’ you have to go through if anything goes wrong. For example, if you need to change or modify your booking at a later date, you might have to contact the aggregator for details to contact the car hire company to make the amendments on your behalf.
If you’re going through an aggregator, read the terms and conditions properly so that you’re aware of who you will have to deal with at a later date and the processes to follow should any issues arise.
Avis
Global car hire giant Avis has been around since 1946. Since then it has expanded and currently has over 5,000 rental locations worldwide.
- Mobile app available for iOS
- Offers and specials available in the site’s deals section
- Avis Preferred Membership offers priority service and pricing
Europcar
Despite the name Europcar is not confined to Europe. Since it was founded in 1949 it has spread to over 140 countries worldwide, and rents a wide variety of cars, vans and trucks.
- Redeem Virgin Velocity Frequent Flyer points against your booking
- Accounts available for business customers
- Privilege Loyalty Program offers exclusive rewards and discounts
Hertz
Hertz was founded in 1918 with just 12 Model-T Fords in its fleet. Today it has operations in over 146 countries and is the largest worldwide airport use car rental brand in the world.
- 24-hour roadside assistance with every booking
- Hertz Mobile Wi-Fi connects you to Wi-Fi wherever you go
- Hertz Gold Plus Rewards users receive exclusive rewards
Budget
Part of the Avis rental group, Budget specialises in cars and trucks for those on, well, a budget. It stocks a wide range of cars, vans and trucks in over 2,500 locations worldwide.
- RMS E-Toll in all bookings automatically charges any tolls incurred to your credit card
- Join the Budget Fastbreak program for exclusive rewards
- Earn FlyBuys or Qantas Frequent Flyer points on all bookings
DriveNow
Use Drive Now to compare the price of car hire, plus book campervans and car relocations.
- Compare car prices from multiple companies
- Guaranteed best rate on your car hire or you'll get 10% off
- Book cars in almost 100 countries around the world
Expedia
Since it was founded in 1996, Expedia has become one of the world’s leading online travel agents and is a trusted site for finding online deals. It is known for flight and hotel bookings, but also offers rental car deals.
- Price match guarantee ensures it won’t be beaten on price
- Exclusive last minute deals
- Expedia+ provides members-only discounts and deals
Sixt
With thousands of locations around the world, no matter where you need a car, Sixt has you covered.
- Frequent deals with up to 35% off hires
- Discounts available if you pre-pay for your vehicle
- Average age of cars is just three months
Wotif
Australian travel-planning site Wotif burst onto the scene in 2000, offering bookings for flights, hotels, packages and car hire.
- Customer reviews let you see what others thought of hotels, airlines and rental agencies
- No hotel booking fees
- Sign up to the newsletter for exclusive deals and savings
BYOJet
One of Australia’s leading travel sites, BYOJet finds great deals on a range of travel needs, including car hire and discounts on world famous attractions.
- Car hire, packages and insurance available worldwide
- Live chat available
- Exclusive deals on local attractions
Hotwire
Hotwire specialises in unsold travel deals. This means that anytime a plane seat goes unsold, a hotel room goes unbooked or a hire care is not reserved, Hotwire swoops in and negotiates a cheaper rate for consumers.
- Exclusive rates and deals
- Get $10 off when you sign up for the newsletter
- Mobile app for on-the-go browsing and booking
Which of these retailers allow me to compare different car companies?
- Wotif compares car hire companies including Avis, Europcar, Budget, Sixt and Hertz
- Drive Now compares both car hire and campervan rental from popular companies including Hertz, Budget, Avis, Europcar, Britz, Jucy and Maui.
- Expedia compares car hire companies including Avis, Europcar, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty and Enterprise
- BYOJet compares Avis, Thrifty, Europcar, Hertz and Budget
- Hotwire compares Alamo, Budget, Dollar Rent A Car, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, National and Thrifty
Which car hire company should I choose?
There's no single right answer to this question. Sometimes it might be cheaper to book direct with the car hire company, but aggregators like Wotif and Expedia may feature special deals that you can only access through them.
If you’re looking for the cheapest car hire available for your trip, spend the time to see what each company and aggregator is offering in terms of cars, price and insurance costs, to make an informed decision. Don’t forget to check out our coupon codes and deals [link to the coupons below] to see what steals you can drive away with.
Which of these retailers allow me to add on hire car insurance?
Considering car insurance?
READ MORE: The ins and outs of car rental excess insurance
READ MORE: Does your credit card offer car rental insurance?
Which car hire providers let me hire a caravan?
Want to book car hire online? Use one of our coupons:
UBER
$20 off your first ride
Valid for an instant $20 off in all cities across Australia, including Sydney, Melbourne, Gold Coast, Perth and Adelaide. First ride only.
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Go Catch
$20 off your first ride
Valid for new users only for on-demand trips and advance bookings in an economy, taxi, maxi or premium car excluding payments outside of the GoCatch App. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
$30 off on car hire
Valid until 31 December 2018. Minimum spend of $300. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
$10 off on car hire
Valid until 31 December 2018. Minimum spend of $100. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
$20 off on car hire
Valid until 31 December 2018. Minimum spend of $200. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
Up to 20% off base rate
Valid for rentals until 16 December 2018 at participating locations across Australia and New Zealand. Must book 21 days in advanced and a minimum of 2-days rental to redeem offer. T&Cs apply.
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Enterprise Rent a Car USA
Up to 10% off New Zealand car hire
Valid until 31 December 2018. Minimum of 3 days rental. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
$1/day one-way car hire
Valid on select dates on select car hire relocations in Australia. Destinations updated regularly.
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Budget Car Rental
10% off USA car hire + 30% off Legoland tickets
Valid until 31 October 2018. T&Cs apply.
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DriveNow
Campervan hire from $5/day
Offers and validity dates updated daily. Available on select routes in Australia and New Zealand.
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DriveMyCar
$30 off on car rental
Valid until December 2018. Minimum of 2-day rentals. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
7-day France car hire for the price of 5 days
Valid on select dates and destinations. Minimum of 7 days rental. Conditions apply.
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Avis
Up to 15% off USA car hire
Valid until 28 February 2019 and get up to 65% off voucher at any Simon Shopping destination. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Fifth-day free SUV car hire
Valid until 30 September 2018. Minimum of 5 consecutive days car hire across Australia. T&Cs apply.
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National Car Rental
$20 off weekend hire
Valid for rentals through August 31, 2018. Minimum rental of 5-days with a Saturday night keep is required. T&Cs apply.
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National Car Rental
$20 off weekly hire
Valid for rentals through August 31, 2018. Minimum rental of 5-days with a Saturday night keep is required. T&Cs apply.
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Tripcover Deals
5% off your car rental excess policy
Get 5% off your next policy with Tripcover by using your frequent flyer number when you take out car rental excess insurance cover.
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Budget Car Rental
Free extra day on weekend car hire
Valid for travel from 1 July - 30 September 2018. Minimum rentals of 3 days with third day free. T&Cs apply.
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Budget Car Rental
35% off Canada car hire
Valid on all dates and select Canada destinations. Must be pre-pay to avail the discount. Conditions apply.
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Avis
7-day Europe car hire for the price of 5 days
Valid on all dates at participating locations like Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden and more. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Free upgrade on car hire
Valid from 1 July - 30 September 2018. Minimum of 3-day rental. T&Cs apply.
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Budget Car Rental
Free upgrade on 2-day car hire
Valid for rentals from 1 July - 30 September 2018. Minimum of 2 days rental. T&Cs apply.
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Budget Car Rental
$30 off car hire
Valid for rentals from 1 July - 30 September 2018. Minimum of 5 days rental. T&Cs apply.
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Hertz
10% off weekly car rental
Valid for rentals until 31 August 2018. Minimum of 5-day rental to redeem offer. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Seventh-day Tasmania free car hire
Valid until 19 September 2018 at select Hobart and Launceston locations. T&Cs apply.
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Hertz
10% off USA car hire
Valid until 31 December 2018 at select USA locations. Minimum of 5 days rental.
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Hertz
20% off car hire
Valid until 31 August 2018. Minimum of 7 days rental in Australia.
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Budget Car Rental
Fourth day free car hire in Queensland
Valid from 4 June 2018 - 31 October 2018. Minimum of 4 days rental. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
15% off the 5+ day hires
Valid on select dates until 16 December 2018 in Australia or New Zealand. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
Up to 15% Ireland car hire
Valid until 20 December 2018 across Dublin, Ireland. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Free SUV upgrade on Tasmania car hire
Valid until 19 September 2018. Minimum of rental of 4 consecutive days T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Third day free on weekend hire in Tasmania
Valid until 19 September 2018. Minimum of 3 consecutive days or more including a Saturday night rent. T&Cs apply.
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Enterprise Rent a Car USA
Up to 10% off Australia car hire
Valid until 31 December 2018. Minimum of 3 days rental. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Free two days UK car hire
Valid until 8 December 2018 at select locations across UK. Minimum of 14 days. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Free one day UK car hire
Valid until 8 December 2018 at select locations across UK. Minimum of 10 days. T&Cs apply.
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Europcar AU
10% off New Zealand car hire
Valid until 16 December 2018. Minimum of 3 days rental. T&Cs apply.
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Hertz
20% off car hire on prestige cars
Valid until 29 October 2018 at participating locations in Australia. T&Cs apply.
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Holiday Cars
10% off on all car hire
Valid on select dates on all participating car rental brands. Includes Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, Alamo, Enterprise and more. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Sixth-day free Queensland car hire
Valid from 1 October - 16 December 2018. Minimum of 6 days. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
Queensland one-way free car hire
Valid from 15 August – 14 December 2018. Minimum of 3-day rental. T&Cs apply.
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Hertz
Earn 3 Velocity points per $1 spent on car hire
Valid on select car hire when you quote your Velocity membership number. Points earned from base rate only.
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Hertz
15% off USA premium car hire
Valid until 31 December 2018 at select USA locations. Minimum of 5 days rental.
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Avis
Earn more Qantas points
Earn more Qantas points when you ride with Avis. Get (4) four Qantas points for every $1 spent on eligible time and kilometre charges.
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DriveMyCar
$50 off on your next luxury car rental
Minimum of 4 days rental. T&Cs apply.
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DriveMyCar
$50 off car hire with code
Minimum of 14 days rental. T&Cs apply.
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DriveMyCar
$100 off car hire with code
Valid when you rent a car for 30 days or more. T&Cs apply.
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Hertz
10% off Europe car hire
Valid on select dates. Minimum of 5 days rental. T&C's apply.
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DriveMyCar
Car hire from $23 per day
Hire cars across Australia from as little as $32 per day.
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Europcar AU
25% off premium hire insurance
Get up to 25% off on your car rental when you purchase GoZen Cover. Valid at participating locations across Australia and New Zealand. T&C's apply.
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Avis
1,000 bonus Qantas Frequent Flyer points
Valid for rentals of car Group D and above. Minimum of 4-day consecutive rental to redeem offer. T&Cs apply.
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Alamo Rent a Car
5% off when you pre-pay
Pre-pay for your car hire and get an instant 5% off your booking.
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Alamo Rent a Car
5% off for members
Join Alamo Insiders, a free membership program, and get 5% off.
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Avis
Fourth day free car hire
Valid on rentals until 30 September 2018 with minimum of four consecutive days rental across Australia. T&cs apply.
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Sixt Car Rental
Up to 35% off weekly rentals
Valid for rental on select dates. Minimum of 7-day rental to redeem offer. Earn miles and points for all major airline and hotel loyalty programs. T&Cs apply.
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Sixt Car Rental
Up to 15% off Los Angeles rentals
Offer is only valid for online bookings on Sixt Rent a Car. Includes unlimited mileage and free rebooking and cancellation. T&Cs apply.
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Holiday Cars
10% off on car hire
Get 10% off on your first car hire. T&Cs apply.
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Avis
$20 off car hire
Get $20 off an intermediate (Group C) through to Luxury (Group H) and Full-Size Sports (Group P) car rental when you rent for three or more consecutive days. Valid for rentals on select dates until September 2018. T&Cs apply.
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DriveMyCar
Subaru XV hire from just $229 per week
Valid for use on select dates. Minimum of 7-day rental to redeem offer. Inclusive of 100km plus extra 100km free per day, roadside assistance and comprehensive insurance.T&C's apply.
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Sixt Car Rental
5% off US car hire for seniors
Valid on select dates and US rental locations. Valid I.D. proving age of 50+ must be shown upon renting. T&C's apply.
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Sixt Car Rental
Up to 20% off Mexico car rentals
T&Cs apply
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Sixt Car Rental
Up to 35% off Germany weekly rentals
Valid for travel on select dates and locations in Germany. Includes free rebooking and cancellation, third party insurance and more. T&C's apply.
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Sixt Car Rental
15% off Miami car rentals
Valid for travel on select dates and Miami locations. Includes free rebooking and cancellation, unlimited mileage and more. T&C's apply.
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Sixt Car Rental
Up to 10% off car rentals in Europe
Valid for travel on select dates. Includes free rebooking and cancellation. T&C's apply.
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Sixt Car Rental
Up to 15% off business car rental
Sign up today as a partner to get up to 15% off on your business car rentals. Visit site for more details.
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Europcar AU
10% off 3+ day truck, ute and van rentals
Valid for pick ups until 31 August 2018 in Australia. Minimum three day hire required.
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DriveNow
Hire a car and get your fourth day free
Hire a car with Budget Car Hire through DriveNow for a minimum of four consecutive days and get your fourth day free of base rate charges. Available for pick ups at the airport in Cairns, Gold Coast, Sydney and Melbourne (Tullamarine). Valid on select vehicles including family, full-size and SUVs.
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Rentalcars.com
Free changes your booking
Pay no credit card or amendment fees when you book through rentalcars.com giving you peace of mind.
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Rentalcars.com
Compare over 800 car hire companies worldwide
Rentalcars.com can help you compare major car hire company rates for the best price. Companies it compares include Hertz, Avis, Europcar, Thrifty, Alamo and Budget.
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Rentalcars.com
Best price guaranteed
Find a lower price on the same vehicle for the same days and rentalcars.com will match it.
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