Posted on January 27, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

Given the fact that public transport in Canberra is pretty poor (limited to buses that  pack up at 10pm), you’ll have to consider Canberra car hire to be a necessity rather than a luxury.

On a positive note, roads are excellent, traffic is practically non-existent and there are plenty of parking spaces allocated around the city, as well as at popular tourist sites.

Moving onto the essentials…

As with anywhere in Australia, to rent a car in Canberra, you must be at least 21 years of age and hold a valid driver’s licence.
When picking up your Canberra car hire you will be required to present the following:

· Drivers Licence (depending on your home country, you may also need to present an international driver’s licence).

· Credit Card

· Passport

Canberra Airport is the most convenient place to rent a car.  The airport is located 8km to the east of Canberra and hosts a number of international car rental agencies in its central terminal.

Once you’ve picked up your rental car and settled into your accommodation, you’ll be free to explore a range of attractive day-trip options.

Popular excursions in Canberra include the Australian National Botanic Gardens.  The Gardens are situated in the foothills of the Black Mountain and are home to some of the world’s best living example of Native Australian plants. The varied eco-systems in the Gardens encourage an unusual collection of birds and butterflies.  Other popular draws in the park include the Tasmanian Garden, the Rainforest Gully, a Rock Garden, the Mallee and the Aboriginal Track.