Car rental Cairns airport

Search, compare and book your rental car

Pickup location
 Different return office?
   Driver age: 25-70
   I live in: United States
Search Now
Popular destinations: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Cairns, Gold Coast, Adelaide, Hobart
We compare rates from 800+ different supplier sites in more than 30.000 locations worldwide
Customers love us

Over 1 million customers trusted us to book the best car rental deal for them

Amend or cancel for free

Up to 48 hours before pickup

No extra fees

We don't calculate extra fees like credit card charges or reservation costs

Car rental Cairns airport

Car hire Cairns airport

Car rental in Cairns will help you discovering the beautiful nature surrounding Cairns. In case you have planned a trip to this amazing piece of land anytime soon, take a look at the assortment of HolidayCars to find the perfect rental car! With no less than eleven car hire suppliers at Cairns airport, you are bound to find the vehicle that is right for your type of vacation. Whether you are looking for a Mitsubishi Outlander to go off road with or rather a small Toyota Yaris to save gas money, HolidayCars at Cairns airport offers it all. Even a twelve person minivan is available, so there is a rental car for every occasion. If you decide to rent a car at Cairns airport you will enjoy the freedom of having a car on your vacation. No more waiting for public transit or paying loads of bucks for taxis. Just you, your company and you rental car, discovering North Eastern Australia on your own pace.

Cairns airport

Cairns airport is the third busiest airport of Queensland, located on the so called Far North Queensland. Only Brisbane airport and Gold Coast airport handle more passengers on a yearly basis.
Cairns airport handles a little under five million passengers each year, making it a small to medium airport. There are only two terminals, both located on the eastern side of the airport. Because of the relatively small size of the airport it is quite easy to get around and passengers say you will be through security quite fast.

Cairns airport car hire facilities

Despite the airport being relatively small, you will find everything you need. At the Cairns airport you will find nothing less than shops, Wi-Fi, lounges, showers, restaurants & bars, resting zones and even hotels. Furthermore you will, of course, find car hire facilities. If you have passed the passport control you will instantly stumble upon the car rental desks. You will find the following car rental suppliers at Cairns airport:

Car rental tips

For some people, car rental can be a bit stressful. The following three tips, however, are meant to reduce the feeling of stress:

Car hire Cairns

So why would you consider to rent a car in Cairns?
Australia is considered to be one of the most extraordinary countries of the world. Not only is there amazing wildlife, beautiful nature and perfect beaches, but the people are great as well. There are some things you should absolutely consider doing when you rent a car in Cairns:
Go diving at the Great Barrier Reef:when going to Cairns it might be hard not to go to the Great Barrier Reef as it lies right in front of the coast. Your rental car will not have to take you a long way, but you must have seen the largest coral reef of the world. The reef is the dream of every scuba diver, snorkeler or swimmer.
Take a ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway: hire a car and then take the train..? Yes! Your rental car will get you everywhere in a comfortable manner, but the Kuranda Scenic Railway is an attraction on its own. The train will pick you up at Cairns and will go to Kuranda, driving past some of the most beautiful scenery you will ever see in your entire life.
Visit beautiful seaside villages like Port Douglas: Port Douglas is one of the many beautiful seaside villages near Cairns. The atmosphere is a different kind of amazing at every single village. You will see less tourists, but the same beautiful beaches.

Airports near Cairns airport

Adelaide airport
Brisbane airport
Canberra airport
Darwin airport
Gold Coast airport
Hobart airport
Melbourne airport
Perth airport
Sydney Airport
Tips and experiences for Cairns airport

Our customers rated Cairns airport with an average of 9.1 based on 30 ratings, and these are the most recent tips, experiences and highlights.

10-01-2019

says:
Beautiful countryside especially the drive to Palm cove. Don't forget to pop into Hartleys crocodile farm. A great day out..
08-01-2019

says:
The staff were fast and efficient, as all you want to do on arrival and drop off is get on with your travel plans. Tip would be to always go through all existing marks and damages of the car with a staff member, prior to leaving the car lot.
03-01-2019

says:
No signage of information where to catch the shuttle bus to the car yard which was located in town. Had to ask around at the airport and got directed to the shuttle bus pick up area.
02-01-2019

says:
Harding’s crocodile park, a rememberable experience, great educational venue, Must do the Daintree what a fabulous place, even though it was raining we enjoyed the rainforest discovery centre, lovely walk with our audio headphones, exceptional place do not miss this experience. The beautiful Mossman gorge, easy walking lovely rain forest walk, amazing river, small safe pools to cool off, again a great place to visit. Walk through Cairns city, a much larger city than I expected, must do the esplanade with the great baths, and amazing restaurants, fabulous shopping.
30-12-2018

says:
Using a hire car gives you much more freedom and flexibility. You will see and do more. Consider hiring a bigger vehicle to fit the whole extended family. Having everyone together added to the holiday fun. Our Kia Carnival was extremely comfortable. The deep boot space fitted all our luggage. I’d definitely recommend this to anyone.
13-12-2018

says:
Take it easy and get used to to roads and conditions. Watch out for bullying truck drivers driving right up to your rear bumper. Take plenty of breaks.
15-11-2018

says:
Lots to do in Cairns and a car is essential to get to some of the highlights. Mossman Gorge and Port Douglas are within 45 mins away. Cape tribulation and Daintree River 65 mins. Atherton Tablelands well worth a visit stop at the Coffee Works in Mareeba. Finally visit Kuranda and buy at the markets or visit the animal sanctuary, Lots to do with the help of a car and much cheaper than organised trips although being able to drive to the pick up points of an organised trip saves you money. Don't forget to visit the Northern Beaches just outside Cairns either.
19-10-2018

says:
Hire a car, get out and see the amazing landscape.
15-10-2018

says:
always plan a day ahead of travelling. Make sure you don't drive too long. always take a break & enjoy the scenery. Take snacks & water.
15-10-2018

says:
There are so many things to do on Cairns. There is a big light salty swimming pool in the city centre for everyone to use for free. I recommend going to the Tjapukai centre to get to know the local Aboriginal community and their traditions. Do not miss the tour on "The Croc" - a hybrid bus and boat which will take you around the city before jumping right into the water to look for crocs and mangroves. The beaches to the north of Cairns are easy to access. They look great and you can enjoy a nice drink before taking a walk on the sunset. Drive to Kuranda or hop on the train or Skyrail to visit the mountains rain village. There are many walks around Kuranda, a historical train station, Barron Gorge falls and much more to see. We love Cairns.
10-10-2018

says:
Going to Palm Cove a car was a necessity for us, it gave us the freedom to explore where we wanted to go, but maily when we wanted to go ! You have to go to the barrier reef , seeing it is believing it. Go on a recommended tour, which we did. Cairns International airport was small, and only two flights were leaving on our day, and I was impressed when we got there all the shops etc were closed, but dont despair ..... we had not been there 10 mins when they opened everything up ! last minute shopping ! Dont always rely on getting presents on your way home if you have other stopovers. We had an hour in Singapore and had no time to shop which we knew, and thought we could rely on the 2 hours we had in Paris , Charles De Gaule airport. Anone who has a connecting flight, and has been there will know your time is eaten up massivley , catching buses ! we had a transfer to Birmingham and while in transit we had to catch 3 buses before we got on our flight ( only just made it), so buy in Cairns !
07-10-2018

says:
The drive from Cairns to Port Douglas is beautiful. Hartley's Crocodile Farm was a great day out for the whole family. The drive to the Daintree is worth it, including a stop at the Daintree Icecream Company. Make sure you book ahead to go on the Sky Rail. We didn't and drove 40 mins from Port Douglas only to be turned away because they were booked out. We drove up to Kuranda instead - didn't rate it, not worth the trip. The markets were touristy, lacklustre and disappointing on the whole.
30-12-2017

says:
Great barrier reef and daintree rainforest
05-03-2017

says:
Cairns is amazing! And to really experience it and see the beauty especially around cairns you definitely need a car. Go south and inland to explore the waterfalls and tablelands, north to the Daintree and not to forget the beaches and the Great Barrier Reef. Just don't jump into the ocean for a swim unless you want to face a croc or shark... Don't just hang in Cairns but travel outside the city for the real Far North Queensland, which is absolutely mesmerising!
10-01-2017

says:
We stayed at Palm Cove for the first week which was wonderful with the beautiful esplanade and great dining. Each day we made trips to as far north as Mossman, around the Atherton tablelands and down through Innisfail to Cardwell. The second week we stayed with friends and family and a few nights at Mission Beach. Paranella Park was a highlight.
03-01-2017

says:
I cannot report on Cairns as we stayed in Port Douglas. Obviously, the great attraction of Port Douglas is the proximity of the Reef but there are many varied trips such as the Daintree with the chance to see the unique wildlife of the region and the spectacular ride up to Kuranda. We enjoyed great hospitality from everyone while we were there and would be pleased to return with the same arrangements.
19-12-2016

says:
Definitely do the Skyrail. Port Douglas is awesome.
15-12-2016

says:
Better spend more time in palm cove or port douglas
30-08-2016

says:
Kuranda Railway & Skyrail is a must do unique experience !
16-08-2016

says:
Travelled to Port Douglas. Would recommend hiring a car rather than getting an airport pick up as the road to Port Douglas is very scenic and in my opinion rivals the Great Ocean Road for beauty. If you are self driving you can stop at various local scenic look outs and take in the wonderful views.It was cheaper for my colleague and I to hire a car rather than paying for 2 individual airport pick ups both ways.
15-08-2016

says:
Mossman and Port Douglas. The coastal drive to these locations is stunning.
09-08-2016

says:
Having a car made a big difference in terms of being able to visit different places although for us, mainly it was short journeys rather than long ones.
04-08-2016

says:
do as much as you can, there is so much to see and do, driving is imperative though
02-08-2016

says:
Definitely suggest hiring a car to explore the lesser known sites of natural beauty in Cairns at your own pace. Most are within an hour and a half drive from Cairns city and are a must see! Especially Millaa Millaa Falls, you won't regret it!
27-07-2016

says:
If you're going to Mossman Gorge, plan to get into the water--there are so many people there, it's not going to be a peaceful hiking location. Play to its strengths instead. Snorkeling out of Port Douglas was AMAZING, I'd have done it the next day too if I weren't flying home! If you're going to Cape Tribulation, take cash so you can enjoy the tasting experience at Daintree Ice Cream...and go kayaking off the coast to enjoy the scenery, the local wildlife, and a guide's commentary on the area!
19-07-2016

says:
Snorkelling and bush walking
15-07-2016

says:
Park in the excellent shopping centres or council run car parks to avoid the heating up of cars. Visit the foreshore and enjoy the water. Do the round trip from Cairns to Mareeba ,Atherton , and return via the gillies highway via Gordonvale.
05-07-2016

says:
I would recommend picking a hotel on the outskirts of the CBD. The CBD itself is a little dated and run down in parts. Just make sure you are close to the Esplanade and the boardwalk. It is a great place to walk in the mornings and watch the sunrise.
04-07-2016

says:
The reef is fantastic but an utter ripoff on any cruise Mossman gorge is beautiful Croc spotting river boats are by contrast cheap and fun - recommended.
19-05-2016

says:
just take it easy. its an easy city to get around