One Way Car Hire

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Popular one-way trips

One Way Car Hire in Australia

Pick up a car in one city and drop it off in another. Road Genius compares one-way prices from the big and local rental companies on more than 60 Australian routes. Prices listed on Road Genius include the one-way fee.

Choose your pick-up and drop-off above, or start from one of the popular trips. On the busiest routes, such as Sydney to Brisbane or Melbourne to Sydney, 10 to 15 companies offer one-way cars from the airport.

What One Way Car Hire Costs

A one-way hire usually costs more than bringing the car back, because most companies add a one-way fee. On the big city-to-city routes a typical one-way car costs two to three times as much per day as a return. Short trips and Launceston to Hobart cost little more than a return. Crossing the country from Perth costs the most.

Road Genius prices for 7-day hires picked up in November and December 2026, checked October 2026. Typical car = the middle price of the budget and mid-size cars quoted. Prices change daily: search above for your dates.
Trip	One way, typical car (AUD/day)	Return, typical car (AUD/day)	Companies doing it one way
Sydney Airport → Brisbane	$185	$71	15
Melbourne Airport → Sydney	$185	$68	13
Sydney Airport → Melbourne	$187	$71	10
Brisbane Airport → Sydney	$178	$73	13
Melbourne Airport → Adelaide	$151	$68	11
Adelaide Airport → Melbourne	$154	$76	9
Melbourne Airport → Brisbane	$173	$68	14
Gold Coast Airport → Sydney	$177	$76	13
Brisbane Airport → Gold Coast	$88	$73	15
Launceston Airport → Hobart	$213	$205	13
Hobart Airport → Launceston	$157	$102	11
Cairns Airport → Brisbane	$239	$122	13
Canberra Airport → Sydney	$158	$96	8
Perth Airport → Melbourne	$349	$74	5

Source · Prices checked October 2026

Car Relocation Deals or One Way Hire?

Relocation deals are cars a rental company needs moved to another city, often for $1 a day. The company sets the route and the dates. You usually get only a few days for the trip and take whichever car needs moving. Deals go up at short notice and are often gone within hours, so they're best booked directly with the rental company.

With a one-way hire you set the route and the dates, keep the car as long as you need and choose the car that suits your trip. Search your dates above to compare one-way prices and find the lowest.

Good to Know Before You BookOn most routes the airport has the most companies doing one-way hires. A city pick-up can still be cheaper. Search both.
The direction can change the price. In our October check a typical car from Brisbane to Cairns cost about $348 a day. Cairns to Brisbane cost about $239. If your trip works either way, compare both.
Hire cars generally can't go on the Spirit of Tasmania. Most travellers drop the car in Melbourne and hire another in Devonport, Launceston or Hobart. Within Tasmania, a one-way from Launceston to Hobart cost little more than a return in our check.
Few companies offer one-ways across the country, such as Perth to the east coast or Darwin to Adelaide. The one-way fee on those trips is large. Book early and check the kilometre allowance.

FAQs

Can I rent a car if I’m under 25?

Yes, you must be over 21 years old to rent a car with most of the providers listed on our website. If you are under 25 years old an age surcharge fee will usually apply.

What is one way car hire?

Picking up a hire car in one place and dropping it off in another, for example collecting it at Sydney Airport and returning it in Brisbane.

Is there a one-way fee?

Most companies charge one. Prices listed on Road Genius include it. On the main city-to-city routes a typical one-way car costs two to three times the daily price of a return (our October 2026 checks).

Which one-way routes cost least?

Short trips, such as Brisbane to the Gold Coast, and Launceston to Hobart in Tasmania cost little more than a return. Long crossings from Perth cost the most.

Can I take a hire car on the Spirit of Tasmania?

Generally not: most hire companies don't allow it. Drop the car in Melbourne and hire another in Tasmania.

Every one-way car hire route we compare in Australia, by starting city:

Adelaide
- Adelaide to Alice Springs
- Adelaide to Brisbane
- Adelaide to Darwin
- Adelaide to Melbourne
- Adelaide to Perth
Airlie Beach
- Airlie Beach to Cairns
- Airlie Beach to Mackay
- Airlie Beach to Townsville
Brisbane
- Brisbane to Byron Bay
- Brisbane to Cairns
- Brisbane to Gold Coast
- Brisbane to Hervey Bay
- Brisbane to Noosa
- Brisbane to Sunshine Coast
- Brisbane to Sydney
Broome
- Broome to Darwin
- Broome to Perth
Byron Bay
- Byron Bay to Brisbane
- Byron Bay to Sydney
Cairns
- Cairns to Airlie Beach
- Cairns to Brisbane
- Cairns to Mackay
- Cairns to Mission Beach
- Cairns to Port Douglas
- Cairns to Townsville
Canberra
- Canberra to Melbourne
- Canberra to Sydney
- Canberra to Thredbo
Darwin
- Darwin to Broome
- Darwin to Katherine
Exmouth
- Exmouth to Perth
Gold Coast
- Gold Coast to Brisbane
- Gold Coast to Sunshine Coast
- Gold Coast to Sydney
Hervey Bay
- Hervey Bay to Brisbane
Hobart
- Hobart to Launceston
Kalgoorlie
- Kalgoorlie to Perth
Launceston
- Launceston to Hobart
Mackay
- Mackay to Airlie Beach
Melbourne
- Melbourne to Adelaide
- Melbourne to Brisbane
- Melbourne to Canberra
- Melbourne to Perth
- Melbourne to Sydney
Newcastle
- Newcastle to Sydney
Noosa
- Noosa to Brisbane
Perth
- Perth to Adelaide
- Perth to Alice Springs
- Perth to Broome
- Perth to Exmouth
- Perth to Geraldton
- Perth to Melbourne
- Perth to Sydney
Port Douglas
- Port Douglas to Cairns
Sydney
- Sydney to Adelaide
- Sydney to Brisbane
- Sydney to Cairns
- Sydney to Canberra
- Sydney to Melbourne
- Sydney to Newcastle
Townsville
- Townsville to Airlie Beach
- Townsville to Cairns