Driving/car rental Tips in Australia/NSW

kevin301

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Yes, M4 has stopped being a toll road for a few years now. It's only recently that the toll gates have been totally dismantled and there's no more traces of it ever being a toll road once! :)

You mentioned Epping, so that's how I thought you were referring to the M2.

Yes correct I was referring to M2 coz I was answering a query about toll on harbour bridge.
To my knowledge there is no toll for northbound traffic on the bridge or tunnel. The first toll booth encountered is the one near Epping. Correct me if I'm wrong.
 

kevin301

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Noosa beachfront accommodation options are always a fantastic choice for holidaymakers in search for the perfect place to stay.

Why post this out of the blue?
Seems like most of the recent posts related to car rental, and around Sydney.
 

Timperial

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Has anyone rent a campervan in Sydney?

is it wise to do it or better to book a hotel and rent normal car?

or normally people rent campervan for other cities such as NSW?
 
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liemsc

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if you dont have a gps unit, i found google maps navigation pretty reliable. make sure you bring a car charger!

enjoy your trip!

Has anybody used Google Maps on android in Australia? Does the turn-by-turn voice navigation work?
 

liemsc

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Thanks 'kevin301' and 'touchme'. Like that can save money from the GPS liao :)
But last time when i rented car in Frankfurt, the built-in satnav has speed limit info and will tell you if you're over limit. Wah its really useful, because the speed limit in autobahn keep changing from place to place. I hope in Aussie is more simple (the speed limit).
 

touchme

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Thanks 'kevin301' and 'touchme'. Like that can save money from the GPS liao :)
But last time when i rented car in Frankfurt, the built-in satnav has speed limit info and will tell you if you're over limit. Wah its really useful, because the speed limit in autobahn keep changing from place to place. I hope in Aussie is more simple (the speed limit).
More than enough speed limit sign.boards, sts in every 100-200m.
Especially when approaching small towns. Drop from 100 to 50 and back to 100 in 2 km, with sppedboards in increment of 10s every few hundred meters.More kiasu than us.
 
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doody_

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ah the M4 is no longer a toll road! :)
As you can tell, it's been some years since I last drove on it. Used to have to go further west and join the motorway somewhere near Parramatta to avoid the toll :)


SydneyWest_zpsaa0bfb35.jpg

So this is the recommended route to Blue Mountains?
 

Shiny Things

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Has anybody used Google Maps on android in Australia? Does the turn-by-turn voice navigation work?

Yeah, it works great, but you're in Australia - you're not going to have data coverage everywhere you want it. Unless you're sure that turn-by-turn navigation works in offline mode (it doesn't seem to), you might want to find a standalone maps app; I personally like the Navigon apps.
 

liemsc

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Yeah, it works great, but you're in Australia - you're not going to have data coverage everywhere you want it. Unless you're sure that turn-by-turn navigation works in offline mode (it doesn't seem to), you might want to find a standalone maps app; I personally like the Navigon apps.

Good point, let me try it here first (navigation with data off).
As for mobile data coverage, I'm only going to the "normal" tourism places (Philllip Island, Dandenong, GOR, Blue Mountains) ; so I am assuming the mobile coverage will be fine :) Is this not the case?
 

touchme

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Good point, let me try it here first (navigation with data off).
As for mobile data coverage, I'm only going to the "normal" tourism places (Philllip Island, Dandenong, GOR, Blue Mountains) ; so I am assuming the mobile coverage will be fine :) Is this not the case?
You're still within 200km of the coast or of any cities, unless you are more 1000 km inland in the outback, then it gets intermittent.
 

LordKuroda

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Just wondering if I'm eligible to rent a car in Aus? (Looking at GC/Brisbane area)

Am 19, going 20 and have been driving for months but have yet to complete my probation period of 1 year. There's a car rental company that I've found online but am still unsure if I'm qualified, especially the "Green P-Plate" part.

"People as young as 19yrs and over 80yrs old can drive our cars. People who are on their "Green Ps" may also drive our cars.There are some restrictions for drivers not yet 21yrs of age and those who are over 79yrs of age, and for drivers of all ages who are on provisional licences. The restrictions are both in vehicle selection and area of use (Greater Gold Coast area only). "

Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks! :D
 

Shiny Things

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Good point, let me try it here first (navigation with data off).
As for mobile data coverage, I'm only going to the "normal" tourism places (Philllip Island, Dandenong, GOR, Blue Mountains) ; so I am assuming the mobile coverage will be fine :) Is this not the case?

Coverage will definitely be patchy on the Great Ocean Road - there's a huge hole in Telstra's coverage around Apollo Bay, because the terrain around there is mountainous and rugged and it's a pain in the ass to cover. I suspect you'll get the same issues up in the Blue Mountains, especially if you're more than about 5km away from the Great Western Highway. Bells Line of Road, the other route through the Blue Mountains, is one big coverage hole.

The Dandenongs could be touch-and-go if you go anywhere outside the towns; Phillip Island will be fine.

touchme said:
You're still within 200km of the coast or of any cities, unless you are more 1000 km inland in the outback, then it gets intermittent.

Oh dude, you could not be more wrong. You're not in Singapore any more. There are huge holes in the coverage in mountainous areas, even right near cities (Royal National Park, 30km from the Sydney CBD, is a coverage hole), and rural areas only tend to have coverage in the towns and within about 10km around (which, when there's 100km between towns, leaves some big holes in the coverage!).

Take a look at the coverage map I linked up there. Look at the area around, say, Canberra or Jerilderie or Mildura or Mount Isa. These are all pretty big cities, but they're surrounded by huge coverage gaps - especially if you switch off the "external antenna" option, which your average tourist renting a car is not going to have.
 

kevin301

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Just wondering if I'm eligible to rent a car in Aus? (Looking at GC/Brisbane area)

Am 19, going 20 and have been driving for months but have yet to complete my probation period of 1 year. There's a car rental company that I've found online but am still unsure if I'm qualified, especially the "Green P-Plate" part.

"People as young as 19yrs and over 80yrs old can drive our cars. People who are on their "Green Ps" may also drive our cars.There are some restrictions for drivers not yet 21yrs of age and those who are over 79yrs of age, and for drivers of all ages who are on provisional licences. The restrictions are both in vehicle selection and area of use (Greater Gold Coast area only). "

Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks! :D

I have heard that there are car rental companies catered to young drivers, but if you ask me, the rental rates (and insurance premiums) are quite high, to cover the associated risks. May not be worth it.
 

kevin301

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Good point, let me try it here first (navigation with data off).
As for mobile data coverage, I'm only going to the "normal" tourism places (Philllip Island, Dandenong, GOR, Blue Mountains) ; so I am assuming the mobile coverage will be fine :) Is this not the case?

Most roads in Australia (especially away from large cities) are quite simple to navigate without GPS. You just need a decent map and to spend some effort to plan the route beforehand. Should be all right.

I managed to navigate from Sydney to Apollo Bay (1000+ kms) without a smartphone or GPS :)
 

doody_

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From the city, yes...
Where will you be starting from?
Google Maps' directions are pretty good nowadays.

Starting from Sydney, that's where Hertz is :).

Did some quick research and it seems the main points of interest are Katoomba and perhaps Grovetts Lookout? Zig Zag railway looked like fun, but it got damaged by the fire in Oct last year and it's closed for now :(

Any other good places to go in Blue Mountains?
 
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