When you need a car
- Farm and regional work: many jobs for your second or third year visa are outside public transport.
- Early or late shifts in warehouses, hospitality or construction.
- Road trips: Noosa, Byron, the Gold Coast hinterland and the Scenic Rim are all within a few hours.
Rent or buy?
Buying a backpacker car can look cheap, but you also pay for registration transfer, repairs and roadworthy issues, and you need to sell it before you fly home. Renting by the week costs more over a full year, but you start with only the bond and first week, and you can stop when your plans change. For a few weeks or months, renting usually wins.
Licence and documents
- Your overseas licence is fine on a working holiday visa. Bring an IDP or an official translation if it is not in English.
- At QuickVan you need 12 months of driving experience and no learner or provisional licence.
- Bring your passport, proof of address in Australia and a card for the $500 bond.
Money-saving tips
- Rent for 8 weeks or more and the first 2 weeks are half price (from $80/week).
- Choose a manual car if you can drive one: from $160/week on 30+ days.
- Return the car with the same fuel and clean inside so the whole bond comes back.
Road trip rules
QuickVan cars can go anywhere in Queensland on sealed public roads with unlimited kilometres. Unsealed roads, beaches and flooded roads are not allowed. Our travel guide has easy trips from Brisbane.
