Frequently Asked Questions

Why take a ‘driving holiday’?

• A drive holiday gives you the freedom and flexibility to decide on where you travel and what you see and do.
• A drive holiday is for independent travellers seeking a better holiday experience.
• You are in charge of how much time you wish to spend at a particular attraction.
• A drive holiday allows you to discover so much more as a car will allow you to drive through the little villages in out of the way places.

For more advice to help you decide if a Self Drive Holiday is for you, click here to visit our info page.

Q. Is it cheaper to pre-book my car rental or should I book when I arrive.
A. By pre-booking with DriveAway Holidays, you receive the benefit of our purchasing power. Our prices with the major car rental operators are considerably lower than walking in off the street in a foreign country to rent a car. In addition you are pre-paying in Australian dollars so the risk of fluctuations in the currency are reduced.

Q. Are there any hidden extras?
A. DriveAway Holidays in most cases include all mandatory charges, like Road taxes or Airport surcharges. Many optional charges are applicable such as Young or additional drivers, Insurance Excess Reduction or Child Seats and you will find on each page a full breakdown of any of these supplementary costs. Be sure to check out our list of inclusions, including our Bonus inclusions, as you will find our prices generally include more features than our competitors. Please note all Supplementary fees are correct at time of printing but are subject to change and should be used as a guide.

Q. Do I need to take out Travel Insurance?
A. Yes, this is strongly recommended and your travel agent is the best person to advise on the right policy.

Q. Why do I need Travel Insurance when the car is already insured?
A. In most countries an Excess will apply in the event of an accident or theft of vehicle. This is the Renters responsibility. However many Travel Insurance Policies now have provision to cover you for Car rental excess up to a specified amount. Therefore if the excess was applied you have the option to claim it back on your Travel Insurance policy. Alternatively, ask DriveAway Holidays for their Excess Refund Cover rate to cover the rental vehicle excess.

Q. What if I did not take out Travel Insurance?
A. Then we recommend you consider taking the optional Insurance Excess Reduction at the time of collection or pre-pay the DriveAway Excess Refund Cover rate through DriveAway Holidays*. The Insurance Excess Reduction is a supplementary fee, which either removes your liability for the excess or reduces it to a nominal amount. *Not available in all countries or on all vehicles.

For more info on travel insurance and Excess Refund Cover, see our comparison here.

Q. What kind of fuel will my rental car require?
A. Rental Cars with most suppliers will come in both petrol and diesel models, which can usually be requested at time of booking. Although in many cases no guarantee can be given, depot staff will do their absolute best to provide a car with the fuel type requested. In the case of Car Leasing, fuel type is guaranteed to be exactly what you selected.

If you would like some more info on fuel types and differences between them, see our Petrol vs. Diesel comparison here

Safe Driving

Get to know your car before heading off. Familiarise yourself with all the controls. If you have any questions about the car seek advice from the Rental operator before commencing your journey.

Always lock your car and keep windows up when leaving the vehicle unattended. Get Directions. If you are not sure where you are travelling to be sure to ask for assistance from the Rental company.

To view more useful driving tips, visit our Driving Information Pages here.