Melbourne Car Rental - Melbourne is an ideal city for renting a car. It will allow you get around to the many sights and visit outlying venues. In fact if you are sticking to one region of Australia, having a rented car is very valuable.

You will need an international driver's license though for some countries, your national driving license will suffice – check this out with the car hire company. You will also want to familiarise yourself with driving regulations before you set out. Australian drivers drive on the left side of the road. Melbourne roads are excellent but some roads in the more outlying areas may not be in perfect condition.

General:

Speed limits and distances are expressed as Kilometres. The speed limit in cities and towns is 60 km/h (35 mph), while it is 50 km/h for residential areas. On highways and rural areas, the speed limit is 100 km/h (60 mph) unless there are signs that indicate otherwise. It is advisable to drive within speed limit as it is heavily enforced in Australia. Fines are imposed and the level of fines can be twice as high during festive seasons and holidays. It is necessary to wear seatbelts in any vehicle in which they are fitted. It is an offence to drive under the influence of alcohol. The legal tolerance limit is 0.05%. However, only in New South Wales the limit is 0.02% for rental car and this is also strictly enforced.

Hook Turn:

One thing you need to figure out before setting out to drive in Melbourne city is this unique rule – the hook turn. This is a special way to turn right at some intersections to clear the way for the trams at the intersections. Drivers turning right must do so from the left-hand lane, this is called the hook turn. There will be a clear indication on the road if it applies to an intersection.
To make a hook turn, you simply move forward in the left-hand lane and wait on the far left-hand side of the road. When the lights turn orange, and the road is cleared of oncoming traffic, for you make a wide turn to the right.

Car Rental Companies:

Major and international car hire companies are located at Melbourne airport terminals and in downtown Melbourne. Smaller independent and local owned companies also offer a wider range of cars, such as camper vans, sports vans and 4WD's.

List of car Rental Company in Melbourne.

1) Avis
Tel: (+61) 03 9663 6366

2) Atlas Rent a Car
58 Franklin Street
Melbourne
Tel: 1800 808 122

3) Britz
Building 24, Central West Industry Park,
South Road, Braybrook, Melbourne
Tel: 1800 331 454

4) Network Car & Truck Rental
Tel : 1800 687 068 (Toll free)

5) Exotic Cars
24 Swan Street,
Richmond
Tel : (+61) 03 9427 8400