Car Hire in Cairns

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Cairns, Australia
Unable to find any location
Driver's country of residence is United States of America (USA) and age is 30-65
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700+ Trusted Suppliers:

Cheapest Car Hire Rates

Cairns Airport
Intermediate
Hyundai i30 or comparable
Hyundai i30
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
EastCoast Car Rentals
£16.79 per day
Cairns Airport
Standard
MG 5 or comparable
MG 5
  • 5
  • 2
  • 5
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Bargain Car Rentals
£16.86 per day
Cairns Airport
Economy
MG 3 or comparable
MG 3
  • 5
  • 1
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Alamo
£19.71 per day
Cairns Airport
Compact
MG 3 or comparable
MG 3
  • 5
  • 1
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Simba Car Hire
£22.22 per day

Most Popular Car Hire Deals

City Centre
Full-size
Toyota Camry or comparable
Toyota Camry
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Budget
£30.10 per day
Cairns Airport
Premium Van
Kia Carnival or comparable
Kia Carnival
  • 8
  • 3
  • 5
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Europcar
£37.06 per day
Cairns Airport
Economy Elite SUV
Audi Q2 or comparable
Audi Q2
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Hertz
£60.91 per day
Cairns Airport
Premium Elite SUV
Toyota Land Cruiser or comparable
Toyota Land Cruiser
  • 8
  • 1
  • 5
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Thrifty
£62.44 per day
The above prices are only approximate and were last updated at 04:02 on 21/03/2025. Prices may vary based on the booking dates, length of rental, and car class.
Why book with us?
Special offers
As a market leader, we get special offers like contactless pick-ups, great prices, and free upgrades.
Award-winning
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Highly-rated
A combined rating of 4.5 with 175k+ total reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, Google, and Review Center.
4M users
Have already booked on one of the fastest-growing car rental booking websites.

Travel information

Languages
English
Currency
AUD
Drive on
Left-hand side
Dialing code
+61
Average car hire price
£33 per day
Average car hire length
7 days
Speed limit within city centre
50 km/h or 31 mph
Speed limit out of city centre
100 - 130 km/h or 62 - 81 mph
Acceptable limit of BAC
0.05%
Score
9.5 / 10
Average petrol price
£0.84 per litre or £3.19 per gallon
Lowest petrol price
£0.79 per litre or £3.00 per gallon
Highest petrol price
£0.88 per litre or £3.32 per gallon

One-way Car Hire in Cairns

The most popular one-way car hire options for pick up in Cairns and drop off in another city include:

  • From Cairns to Gold Coast - 35 offers from £53.52 per day
  • From Cairns to Brisbane - 35 offers from £53.52 per day
  • From Cairns to Townsville - 35 offers from £32.38 per day

Top 20 cities near Cairns

  1. Port Douglas starting at £24.52 per day
    54.3 km / 33.7 miles
  2. Rockhampton starting at £19.82 per day
    874 km / 543.1 miles
  3. Hervey Bay starting at £37.55 per day
    1,193.4 km / 741.5 miles
  4. Brisbane starting at £14.02 per day
    1,391.1 km / 864.4 miles
  5. Ipswich starting at £36.59 per day
    1,394.4 km / 866.4 miles
  6. Alice Springs starting at £27.86 per day
    1,454.7 km / 903.9 miles
  7. Tamworth starting at £19.01 per day
    1,660.8 km / 1,032 miles
  8. Darwin starting at £14.78 per day
    1,675.3 km / 1,041 miles
  9. Newcastle starting at £29.14 per day
    1,871.3 km / 1,162.8 miles
  10. Sydney starting at £13.00 per day
    1,972 km / 1,225.3 miles
  11. Wagga Wagga starting at £24.04 per day
    2,035.3 km / 1,264.7 miles
  12. Canberra starting at £24.04 per day
    2,076.5 km / 1,290.3 miles
  13. Adelaide starting at £16.28 per day
    2,132.4 km / 1,325 miles
  14. Bendigo starting at £23.05 per day
    2,208.3 km / 1,372.2 miles
  15. Melbourne starting at £23.83 per day
    2,313.2 km / 1,437.4 miles
  16. Mount Gambier starting at £24.21 per day
    2,369.7 km / 1,472.5 miles
  17. Devonport starting at £66.38 per day
    2,701.9 km / 1,678.9 miles
  18. Launceston starting at £30.60 per day
    2,745.5 km / 1,706 miles
  19. Kalgoorlie starting at £19.44 per day
    2,903.9 km / 1,804.4 miles
  20. Perth starting at £19.92 per day
    3,431.9 km / 2,132.5 miles

Top 15 locations near Cairns

  1. Alice Springs Airport starting at £27.86 per day
    1,454.7 km / 903.9 miles
  2. Darwin Airport starting at £14.78 per day
    1,675.3 km / 1,041 miles
  3. Sydney Penrith starting at £26.74 per day
    1,939.3 km / 1,205 miles
  4. Sydney St Mary's starting at £25.93 per day
    1,943.7 km / 1,207.8 miles
  5. Sydney Castle Hill starting at £26.76 per day
    1,945.5 km / 1,208.9 miles
  6. Sydney Parramatta starting at £26.50 per day
    1,955.7 km / 1,215.2 miles
  7. Sydney Artarmon starting at £29.22 per day
    1,959.1 km / 1,217.3 miles
  8. Sydney Airport starting at £13.00 per day
    1,972 km / 1,225.3 miles
  9. Canberra Airport starting at £29.29 per day
    2,076.5 km / 1,290.3 miles
  10. Adelaide Airport starting at £16.28 per day
    2,132.4 km / 1,325 miles
  11. Melbourne Airport starting at £23.83 per day
    2,313.2 km / 1,437.4 miles
  12. City Centre starting at £29.80 per day
    2,327.9 km / 1,446.5 miles
  13. Melbourne Hoppers Crossing starting at £33.79 per day
    2,336 km / 1,451.5 miles
  14. Melbourne Clayton starting at £27.84 per day
    2,339.1 km / 1,453.4 miles
  15. Perth Fremantle starting at £38.48 per day
    3,455.1 km / 2,146.9 miles

Map of Car Hire Destinations

In which month is car hire in Cairns the most affordable?

According to our data, prices for hiring a car in Cairns fluctuate depending on the time of year. This graph displays the average hire prices in each month in order to help you find the best bargain.
Average price for hiring a car per day in Cairns
£26.55
January
£19.65
February
£21.91
March
£28.28
April
£24.27
May
£30.56
June
£41.14
July
£37.16
August
£31.45
September
£34.22
October
£29.08
November
£38.05
December
The best month to hire a car in Cairns is February (when the average price is £19.65 per day). This is 35% less than the yearly average and 52% less than hiring in July (when the average price is £41.14).

This information can help you determine the low season. But note that these prices are only averages. The cost of your car hire is determined by the type of car you select, the length of time you hire it for, and how much in advance you book. Simply select your dates in the form at the top of the page to find out the exact prices.

What's the usual period for which people keep their hire cars, on average, in Cairns?

Car hire lengths vary from month to month: in July, the average hirer keeps their car for 9 days, and in March, they keep their car for 6 days.
Average number of hire days in Cairns
7
January
7
February
6
March
6
April
7
May
7
June
9
July
7
August
9
September
8
October
8
November
7
December

What is the most favoured month for hiring a car in Cairns?

Given the number of searches made by our customers, the most popular month for hiring a car in Cairns is December, and the least popular is September.
Popularity of Car Hire in Cairns by Monthly Searches
127%
January
90%
February
105%
March
93%
April
87%
May
83%
June
82%
July
91%
August
75%
September
107%
October
126%
November
135%
December

Car hire information

Car hire locations 3
Airport locations 1
Popular suppliers Bargain Car Rentals, Simba Car Hire, EastCoast Car Rentals, Jucy, SIXT
Popular car categories SUVs, Medium cars, Large cars, Small cars
Lowest price £17 per day
Cheapest supplier EastCoast Car Rentals

Most popular car models of suppliers

Hire Agency Model Doors Luggage Type
Bargain Car Rentals Hyundai Accent 4 2 Medium cars
Bargain Car Rentals MG HS 4 2 SUVs
Bargain Car Rentals Kia Stonic 4 2 SUVs
Simba Car Hire Toyota Corolla 4 2 Medium cars
Jucy Hyundai Accent 5 2 Medium cars
Bargain Car Rentals MG 5 5 2 Large cars
Simba Car Hire MG ZS 4 2 SUVs
Simba Car Hire MG 5 5 2 Large cars
Simba Car Hire MG 3 4 1 Medium cars
Jucy Toyota Corolla 4 2 Large cars

Our customers' reviews

Because we want to make sure each review listed here is left by a real customer, we don’t have the option to post a review here. Instead, we ask each and every customer to leave a review after they return their rental car. This way, you know that all reviews are authentic.

United Kingdom
Mitsubishi Outlander
02/03/2025
Met my daughter who is living in Tully. Drove into the Daintree National Park. Saw many beaches and waterfalls. Saw the wild life (birds, roos, crocs etc) Rode on the train to Kuranda and back on the cable car. Went down the Tully river white water rafting.
United Kingdom
Suzuki Swift
26/11/2024
Perfect for visiting port Douglas and Daintree
Malaysia
MG HS
21/09/2024
All went very well from Cairns to my drive to Cape Tribulation and back. Just a big disappointment that Skydive Australia had to cancel my tandem jump on my last day because of inclement weather. This was sad 😪
United Kingdom
Mitsubishi ASX
16/03/2024
Dauntree rainforest, Whitehaven islands tour with Sealink, Scenic flight with Ocean Rafting
United Kingdom
Hyundai Accent
02/03/2024
Magnetic Island was really good
United Kingdom
Toyota Corolla
18/02/2024
Snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef - Rainforests and 3000k!!
United Kingdom
Kia Stonic
30/03/2023
Cape Tribulation was worth the drive
Australia
Hyundai Kona
14/03/2023
Was visiting family and friends so appreciated a good experience hiring a car.
Australia
Hyundai Kona
13/07/2022
Loved Skyrail, The Crystal Caves, Koala Park and Hartley's Crocodile Farm. I would recommend Reeftrippers for a great small experience at seeing the Great Barrier Reef, they were amazing.

Car Hire Statistics

Highest-rated company
Simba Car Hire
9.3 / 10
)
Lowest-rated company
Routes Car Rental
7.3 / 10
)
Total number of reviews
181
Total rental companies
18
Average daily price
£33.27
Lowest daily price
£16.79
Total cars available
334

Top 18 suppliers in Cairns in 2025

Simba Car Hire
Simba Car Hire
Exceptional 9.3 / 117 reviews
1 location
£22 - £169
SIXT
SIXT
Exceptional 9.1 / 259 reviews
2 locations
£25 - £57
Ace Rent a car
Ace Rent a car
Very good 8.9 / 55 reviews
2 locations
£25 - £58
Europcar
Europcar
Very good 8.8 / 83 reviews
2 locations
£27 - £224
Budget
Budget
Very good 8.8 / 26 reviews
3 locations
£25 - £50
Dollar
Dollar
Very good 8.8 / 15 reviews
2 locations
£32 - £68
National
National
Very good 8.8 / 9 reviews
1 location
£34 - £159
Bargain Car Rentals
Bargain Car Rentals
Very good 8.7 / 1,129 reviews
1 location
£17 - £122
Avis
Avis
Very good 8.7 / 9 reviews
3 locations
£29 - £95
Alamo
Alamo
Very good 8.7 / 201 reviews
1 location
£20 - £64
EastCoast Car Rentals
EastCoast Car Rentals
Very good 8.6 / 394 reviews
1 location
£17 - £56
Hertz
Hertz
Very good 8.6 / 8 reviews
1 location
£44 - £70
Thrifty
Thrifty
Very good 8.3 / 227 reviews
2 locations
£30 - £79
Enterprise
Enterprise
Very good 8.1 / 5 reviews
2 locations
£22 - £159
Keddy
Keddy
Average 7.9 / 5 reviews
2 locations
£22 - £159
Firefly
Firefly
Average 7.7 / 0 reviews
2 locations
£22 - £159
Jucy
Jucy
Average 7.6 / 334 reviews
1 location
£22 - £159
Routes Car Rental
Routes Car Rental
Average 7.3 / 1 review
2 locations
£28 - £39

Our clients highly recommend us

26 Mar 2025
Always good deals
Always good deals
Joanna Grimwood
26 Mar 2025
Easy
It was an easy rental experience; had a van big enough for my party. Very excited.
Mandy Parrey
26 Mar 2025
If Carlsberg did car hire..................
Incredibly easy to book and fantastic value for money. Hopefully, the airport pick up and drop off will be just as smooth.
Mark C
26 Mar 2025
Everything was easy .
Everything was easy .
Michael Maj
25 Mar 2025
Easy online booking
Easy online booking
Heather Darbyson
25 Mar 2025
Happy to rent with discovercars.com
Ease of booking and pick up/return,deposit released within the same day. Try to book the car within the opening hours to avoid the extra charge for the out of hours pick up/return that is quite expensive.
Olimpiu Ciobanu
25 Mar 2025
Easy peasy
Easy website with plenty of possibilities to filter. Flawless payment process
Wiebe van der Horst
25 Mar 2025
Excellent value for the hire car
Excellent value for the hire car. Superb rates and easy to book.
John
25 Mar 2025
easy to navigate and follow…
easy to navigate and follow instructions. Really like the reviews being so prominant. Lots of options.
Robyn Medeiros
25 Mar 2025
Very helpful and accommodating.
Matteo was very efficient and made the experience easy for me when my flight times had changed and the hire car company withdrew the car that I had booked. Communication was fast, even though through email. Would recommend.
Andrew
25 Mar 2025
Price was what caught my eye
Price was what caught my eye. Same great experience I usually had with " National " at half the price
Anthony Wolfe
25 Mar 2025
Clear and easy.
Clear, simple and easy to book.
Pete Cullen
25 Mar 2025
Drove around northern half of Mallorca…
Drove around northern half of Mallorca when weather was not great for cycling. Used car mainly to transport to and from by airport
Craig
25 Mar 2025
Price
Better deal
Mathewos Gobena
25 Mar 2025
Great service and great full coverage!
Great service and great full coverage!
The friendly neighborhood bear
25 Mar 2025
Excellent
The car was exactly want I expected
Andreas Diakatos

Cairns

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Driver's country of residence is United States of America (USA) and age is 30-65
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