While airports have experienced mayhem in the lead up to the Easter long weekend, travellers looking to hire a car are also experiencing difficulties in most capital cities.
In tourist spots like Brisbane, Byron, Goxjmtzywld Coast, Cairns, Sunshine Coast and Adelaide, cars have been unavailable to rent, according to comparison site Vroomvroomvroom.
It was also found in cities like Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart where cars were available to hire, prices skyrocketed.
In Melbourne prices started at $369 a day or up 223 per cent compared to usual, while Sydney was at $247 – up 160 per cent – and at $633 a day in Hobart, which is up 345 per cent.
Archana Menon, from Melbourne, said she first looked at hiring a car back in February and saw the “crazy high” prices of more than $400 per day.
She has planned to go to regional eastern Victoria with her five-year-old daughter and husband for the holiday.
“We had initially cancelled our plans because everything was so expensive,” Mrs Menon, 38, said.
“It seems like this year everything has become expensive, including car rentals.”
Sydney resident Victoria Martin, 31, managed to book a vehicle about two weeks ago but said she was surprised to find car rentals were so expensive.
She said she assumed there were be lots of cars available and didn’t expect the price to be so high.
“I just wanted to make sure I could go and see my family (for Easter) but it wasn’t looking too good,” Ms Martin said.
“I thought it was going to be affordable, around the $200-$250 mark for four days but I was completely wrong.
“It’s a bit ridiculous that coming out of Covid we’re expected to pay premium prices but it’s just how the world is at the moment and we’ll have to get used to the new normal and new prices.”
General Manager of car hire company KINTO Mark Ramsay advised travellers to shop around for the cheapest option, to rent the right car that suited the conditions a person was driving to and look for flexibility with their booking.
The company has seen a surge in bookings through its app after it offered a new rental pricing model where an upfront flat fee charge was calculated and included insurance, roadside assistance and fuel.
“We’re seeing a lot of interest in our larger vehicles around the holiday period. Our most popular models this time of the year are Toyota RAV4s and Klugers – they’re popular with families and also family groups,” Mr Ramsey said.
“I think a busy Easter period like this one shows us Australians are still wanting to holiday at home. And there’s a real need for an alternate car hire provider in the market like KINTO.”
Car Next Door has also seen bookings for the Easter period up 179 per cent compared to holiday period in 2021.
Company chief Will Davies said car-sharing numbers were at an “all-time high” across Australia, with Easter being the second busiest time of year after Christmas.
To keep up with demand, car listings across the nation also increased by 33 per cent on the platform over the past year.
“Aussies use the long weekend as a time to visit family and friends as well as go and take a break,” Mr Davies said.
“We are already starting to see the numbers swell in holiday hot spots like Cairns and the Gold Coast, in our newer markets such as Adelaide, and also in Perth as borders open and families and friends can return home to finally visit loved ones.”
