Cheap Car Hire Launceston Airport
Big savings on car Rental at Launceston Airport
Compare the best Launceston Airport car rental deals from over 15 rental brands. Avis, Hertz, Budget, Thrifty, Europcar, Enterprise, East Coast, Bargain, Apex and more.
* Some rental car suppliers may charge a credit card fee for amounts payable on arrival.
Very easy to make a booking using your website
No problem finding and booking a car.
Simple and quick. Lowest price I could find.
Car Hire Options at Launceston Airport
Taking a taxi from Launceston Airport into the city centre takes about 20 minutes and costs between $35-$38 one-way. If you’re travelling further, then the cost will be even higher. So why not book a rental vehicle instead? Hiring a car gives you the flexibility and freedom to travel at your own pace and can save you money.
There are over 17 rental car brands Launceston Airport competing for your business. If you want to find the best deal that’s a lot of websites to check out...
To make things easy, our car rental comparison search engine hunts down the very best offers available from all car rental suppliers and lists them side-by-side for you. This lets you instantly compare and find the best deals.
Avis, Budget, Alamo, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, Europcar, Keddy, National, SIXT and Thrifty Car Rentals all have desks located in the arrivals level near the baggage claim on the ground floor and their vehicles are parked close to the front entrance, next to the drop off zone.
Other rental operators, such as Apex, Ace, East Coast, and Bargain Car Rentals, are located close to the airport and will transfer you between the terminal and their depot. Although this isn’t as convenient, it is often the cheaper way to rent a car from the airport.
Before you go to the desk to pick up your vehicle, make sure you have your booking confirmation eVoucher, a valid driver’s licence for each of the drivers, a credit card or cash for the bond and suitable ID.
On-Airport Rental Brands
“On-airport” means these rental companies have check-in desks within the airport terminal.
The big advantage of this for you is convenience and speed. Once you’ve checked in you can jump in your car and get going. No waiting around for transfer vans.
But it does come at a cost. The fees are higher than off-airport rental companies to offset the costs of being at the airport.
You’ll find car rental counters in the arrivals area near baggage claim.
Use our price comparison search tool to find the best prices for these on-airport car hire brands at Launceston Airport:
Off-Airport Rental Brands
“Off-airport” companies don’t have check-in desks within the airport. This means you’ll need to make your way to their car hire depot to check in and collect your car.
Most provide free shuttle services and will collect you from the terminals. This gets arranged when you make your booking and you’ll need to let them know when you’ve arrived.
Some depots are within the airport grounds and so only a few minutes drive. Others are off the airport grounds and so take longer to get to.
Off-airport car hire companies aren’t as fast or convenient as using on-airport car rentals. But the big advantage is they are usually much cheaper.
Use our price comparison search tool to find the best prices for these off-airport car hire brands at Launceston Airport:
Maximum Choice. Best Deals.
Launceston Airport Car Hire Tips
Ways to save money on Launceston Airport car hire
Compare prices of on-airport and off-airport brands. If you’re not in a big rush, hiring a vehicle from off-airport car hire depots can result in big savings.
But you will have to take extra time with the shuttle transfer. Transfers are usually free, but limited to opening hours, so check when you book.
Don’t hire a bigger rental car than you require and consider if you really need all the extras you’ll be offered, such as a GPS. Google Maps on your phone will normally do the trick, provided phone data charges aren’t an issue.
With lengthy distances and long travel times between major cities, petrol stops are likely to be frequent. Fuel prices can vary widely from place to the next, so if you want to spend less at the pump use a mobile app like MotorMouth to find the best prices.
Driving in Launceston
There are a number of narrow one-way streets in Launceston, so be careful when turning into unfamiliar streets.
Outside Launceston, roads are often steep, narrow (a single lane in each direction) and winding, with sharp corners. For this reason, travel times can be longer than you might expect. You will also want to stop for the views along the way, so allow plenty of time for driving. Plan to travel no more than 300km in a day, and allow time for frequent breaks.
In Australia, you’ll need to drive on the left-hand side — if you’re not already used to it, you might find it difficult to adjust. Unless otherwise signposted, the speed limit in urban and suburban areas is 50km/h — 100km/h when you are driving on a highway. When driving your hire car, all occupants must wear seatbelts or an approved child restraint (a child safety seat or booster seat depending on the child’s size).
Return with a full tank
To save money, return your rental car with a full tank of petrol. This avoids paying the high price that is charged by rental companies to top up fuel tanks. There are petrol stations close to Launceston Airport, with the closest being the United Breadalbane (Pie Face) station on the corner of Evandale Rd and Translink Avenue, Breadalbane. Click here to find petrol stations close to Launceston Airport.
Great price and easy to book. Thanks.
Easy to use and we got a pretty good deal on a hire car for our Brisbane trip. Will recommend to others.
Quick and easy to find what we wanted. Will recommend you to our friends.
Launceston Attractions
Historic Launceston city centre
Launceston’s stunning landscapes and wilderness, friendly locals, award-winning wines and gourmet produce will inspire you to explore. You are close to the Tamar Valley Wine Trail, but before you head out to explore northern Tasmania, you can’t miss the city’s main attraction. That’s the Cataract Gorge. It’s easy enough to get an amazing view of this scenic delight — simply hop on the Gorge Scenic Chairlift.
Narawntapu National Park
A baby Tasmanian pademelon in Narawntapu National Park
Narawntapu National Park is renowned as one of the best places in Tasmania to see wombats in their natural habitat, but there is so much more to this beautiful slice of paradise than that.
The park lies on the north coast and is known as ‘Tasmania’s Serengeti’, thanks to the abundance of Australian wildlife that can be found in the Springlawn area of the park.
Narawntapu is home to a huge variety of marsupials including eastern grey kangaroos, Bennett's wallabies, Tasmanian pademelons, Tasmanian devils, eastern and spotted-tail quolls, platypuses, echidnas, Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles, swift parrots and much more.
The area has been inhabited by Aboriginal people for centuries and you will see many shell middens and artefacts from the walking tracks across the park. Whether you choose to stay at the visitor’s area of Springlawn, with picnic facilities and toilets, or you decide to go on the 26-kilometre horse riding trail, there is a lot to see and do in this special part of Australia.
As Narawntapu is a 90-minute drive from Launceston, you might like to book accommodation in advance, particularly over the summer region. Alternatively, you can camp at Springlawn, the Horse Yards, Bakers Point and Koybaa. If you choose to camp overnight, you will need to book in advance and make sure that you have camping equipment and enough food and drink to last you for as long as you wish to stay.
Tamar Valley
A winery in Tasmania’s Tamar Valley
Whether or not you love wine, Tamar Valley is a stunning place to visit. A Tamar Valley wine tour is a great way to see the beautiful views as well as enjoying the delicious wine, such as pinot noir and chardonnay, which comes from this cooler region of Australia.
Running north-west from the city of Launceston to the coast along the Tama River, the Tamar Valley is almost 50 kilometres (30 miles) long. There are more than 30 vineyards throughout the valley and a great array of restaurants and breweries, for those who are not as partial to the varietals.
Tamar Valley is also home to Tamar Island wetlands reserve, which is just a 10-minute drive from Launceston and a good place to start on your Tamar Valley trip. The wetlands reserve includes an interpretation centre and boardwalk where you can travel to the island and learn more about the unique wetlands and the wildlife that lives in the area.
As you travel alongside the Tamar River, enjoy the hills, beaches and bush-life that makes this region so fertile and the source for Tasmania’s premium quality wine.
Freycinet National Park
The view from Cape Tourville Walk in Freycinet National Park
While you are visiting this part of Australia, you would be crazy not to visit Freycinet National Park’s pink granite peaks, golden beaches and amazing wildlife.
Camp overnight at the campgrounds of Coles Bay, then take a short walk to one of the top-ten beaches in the world, Wineglass Bay. It’s an almost perfect curve of white sands with azure water lapping at the shore, and one of Tasmania’s most photographed spots.
For a longer but easy walk, take the Freycinet Peninsula Circuit which takes three days. You will get the chance to really enjoy Cooks Beach and Bryans Beach, which are almost as stunning as Wineglass Bay.
While you are in the area, enjoy snorkelling, kayaking or swimming the clear blue sea and checking out the amazing marine life. Alternatively, take in the Australian and migratory birdlife at the Moulting Lagoon wetland sanctuary, home to black swans, waterfowl and more.
Just a two and a half hour trip from Launceston, along the A3 Tasman Highway, Freycinet National Park is a great place to stay the night, or enjoy a week’s holiday at one of the luxury retreats. You might also like to pitch a tent at one of the campsites. Make sure you book ahead of time because accommodation can be hard to find over the summer months.
If you can’t find anywhere to stay in or near the park, check out the nearby towns such as Swanick, Swansea and Bicheno. Make sure you keep your car topped up with petrol on the way and bring wet-weather and warm-weather gear as the temperature can be changeable, depending on the time of year that you visit.
Hollybank Forest Reserve
Autumn leaves, Hollybank Forest Reserve
Hollybank Forest Reserve is an awe-inspiring place to visit, surrounded by the chatter of Australian birdlife and the peace and quiet of an ancient forest glade.
As one of the earliest plantations in the region, Hollybank Forest Reserve has both native and exotic trees, including some European trees originally planted in order to make tennis racquets.
The combination of the European trees and the native trees make the forest grove a stunning place to visit over Autumn. But whatever time you visit, you will be inspired by the beauty and tranquillity of the reserve.
If walking through the forest is not your thing, you might want to give ziplining a go. Hollybank Treetops Adventure gives you a bird’s-eye view of the forest beneath you and lasts three hours. During the experience, you will learn about the different flora and fauna throughout the forest and enjoy a fun and exciting trip across the forest canopy.
Located 20 minutes drive from Launceston, follow the East Tamar highway and travel towards Georgetown, look for the signs and turn right towards Lilydale then you will be directed to the forest by road signage. This is a perfect day-trip for the whole family. Make sure you bring sun protection and wet-weather gear as well as good walking shoes. Most importantly, bring a camera because there will be a lot of photographic opportunities throughout your trip.
