Car hire in Port Douglas, QLD

To rent a car on Turo in Australia, you must create a Turo account, have a valid driver’s license, get approved to drive on Turo, and be 21 years old or older.

When you’re booking your first trip, you’ll go through a quick approval process by entering your driver’s license and some other information. In most cases, you’ll get approved immediately, and you’ll be set for all future road trips, day trips, and business trips!

Cairns Airport: Many visitors arriving in Tropical North Queensland choose a pickup location near Cairns Airport before making the drive north to Port Douglas. The route follows the Captain Cook Highway, one of Australia's most scenic coastal roads, linking Cairns with Port Douglas and the wider region. Choosing a pickup location near the airport can be a convenient way to begin exploring soon after you arrive.

Macrossan Street: If you’d prefer to settle into holiday mode before collecting your keys, arranging pickup near Macrossan Street keeps things central and convenient. This part of town is packed with restaurants, boutiques, cafés, and accommodation options, making it an easy location for travellers wanting to wander first and drive later. It’s also ideal for visitors who plan to spend most of their time in Port Douglas itself, with quick access to beaches, parks, and the marina.

Palm Cove: Located between Cairns and Port Douglas, Palm Cove is a handy pickup location for travellers planning to split their stay across multiple destinations in North Queensland. It’s quieter than Cairns, beautifully scenic, and close to several resorts and beachfront accommodation options. Picking up your rental vehicle here also gives you a gentle introduction to the pace of Tropical North Queensland — slower mornings and longer lunches.

- A tropical holiday: Port Douglas is one of Tropical North Queensland's most popular holiday destinations, with easy access to the Great Barrier Reef, Four Mile Beach, Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree Rainforest. Having a car makes it easy to explore the region at your own pace, whether you're planning beach days, rainforest adventures, or scenic drives along the coast.

- A long-term stay: Whether you're working remotely, escaping the cooler southern months, or planning an extended stay in Tropical North Queensland, having a vehicle can make everyday travel much easier. A long-term rental provides the flexibility to explore beyond Port Douglas while handling day-to-day errands, commuting, and weekend trips around the region.

- A road trip through Far North Queensland: Port Douglas is an excellent base for exploring Far North Queensland by road. From the ancient landscapes of the Daintree Rainforest to the waterfalls of the Atherton Tablelands and the coastal scenery between Port Douglas and Cairns, having a car makes it easy to discover some of the region's most memorable destinations on your own schedule.

You must have a valid, full, active, permanent licence to book a car in Australia. A valid licence is one that’s not expired, suspended, or revoked. 

If you have a licence issued by a country outside of Australia, Turo requires you to have a valid permanent licence issued by your home country. If your home country's licence is not written in English, you must also have an International Driving Permit or an official English translation of your home country's licence.

License requirements for booking in Australia

The minimum age to rent a vehicle on Turo in Australia is 21 years of age, with all drivers under 25 years old being subjected to an extra cost of $15/day (a.k.a the Young Driver Surcharge). Plus, if you're looking to hire certain vehicle classes, you must be 25 or older to book a Deluxe Class vehicle, and 30 or older to book a Super Deluxe Class vehicle.

You don’t need personal insurance coverage to rent a car on Turo. When renting a car in Australia, you’ll choose between the Premier (if available), Standard, and Minimum protection plans. Each plan includes varying limits on financial responsibility for damage to a host’s vehicle. All trips include up to $20,000,000 (per event) in legal liability protection. Legal liability protection protects against damage to other people’s property and death or bodily injury (where the legal liability is not covered or capable of being covered by any statutory or compulsory scheme) as a result of an accident involving the vehicle. All protection is provided by Turo Travels Mutual.*

You can get discounts and low cost car rental on Turo. On your Account page, make sure you’ve checked the box to receive email notifications, and enable push notifications from the Turo app in your phone settings — we’ll send you occasional promo codes, discounts, and deals.

Yes there is — whether you want to rent a car for three days, three months, or even longer, you can on Turo. You’ll find discounted prices on bookings lasting 3+, 7+, or 30+ days, so you can get the best deals and lowest rates possible by booking longer trips.

Some hosts offer unlimited distance for a trip; others set a daily distance limit — you’ll need to check on each rental car individually to see if this service is provided. On the vehicle pages, you’ll see the total miles or kilometres you’re allowed to drive under the heading “Distance included.” You can find cars offering unlimited mileage with every trip by using the “Unlimited distance” filter.

Yes, multiple guests can drive the car you rent on Turo, as long as they are all approved to drive. The primary driver (whoever rented the car) can add additional drivers with no fees or additional charges. Only the primary driver can request to add drivers; Turo hosts cannot do it for you. We encourage you to request to add additional drivers before your trip starts, though guests can request to add a driver while a trip is in progress.

To speed up the process, have your additional driver create a Turo account and get approved to drive before you request to add them. All drivers must have a valid driver’s license and meet the age requirements for the car you’ve booked. You can request to add drivers via the “Trips” tab in the Turo app without additional driver charges or extra costs.

On Turo, you can't rent a car on your Ps in Australia. To hire a car on Turo, you must have a valid full license - no provisional or conditional licenses are accepted.

The cost of car rental in Port Douglas can vary depending on car type, booking length, extras, and delivery. For cheap car rental in Port Douglas, look out for discounts on longer-duration bookings and early bookings.