Taxi's can be an expensive way to get around if you are visiting a city where you have never been before, for starters the driver may take advantage of the fact you do not know the shortest route to the destination.
We don't like to think about it but it does happen.
If you are thinking of a private driver service that will cost you more and often they charge by the number of guests as well so if you are travelling with the family it could be very pricey.
So what do you do? A rental car can be the best option and if you plan ahead it can be very reasonable.
The location of the hire will dictate the price you will have to pay, if you are collecting a vehicle from a major airport there will be an airport surcharge.
These charges are passed on to the customer from the car rental agent who is charged by the airport corporations to use the airport as a place of business and this varies from city to city.
If you can collect the car from a city branch and not the airport you may save some money but be careful, sometimes the cost of a transfer to your accommodation will bring the price up to about the same so it would not make sense to fiddle around with a transfer.
You may as well have the convenience of a car on arrival.
If you are travelling with children or an elderly person it is always better to collect from the airport.
At the end of a long flight the last thing you want is to gather your bags then drag everyone down to the taxi rank, then repeat the whole process the next day to make your way to collect the car.
Collecting the vehicle from the airport will also make the return a little easier rather than returning the car to a city branch then finding your way to the airport - do-able but time consuming.
Hire Cars are normally rented out with a full tank of fuel and should be returned the same way.
If you return the car and it is not full you will be charged at a price higher than you can purchase it for as the car hire company will have to send a staff member to fill the car.
At most Australian and New Zealand airports you will find a service station nearby.
With this in mind, hire a car and have a good time on your next business trip or holiday without paying a fortune, save money by visiting a website that gives you all the available vehicles on the one site listed from cheapest to most expensive and be able to get an instant confirmation and no cancellation fees.
Remember that most Australian cities have tolls so be sure to check out the e-toll website to arrange payment.