Do I need a car in Port Lincoln? Eyre Peninsula car rental prices

You can hire a car in Port Lincoln, South Australia, and you’re probably best off doing so. Hiring a rental car at Port Lincoln airport will spare you the seven hour drive from Adelaide. Car hire in Port Lincoln is available through Hertz, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Enterprise and Europcar.

Port Lincoln on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula is an up-and-coming tourism destination. This is largely because it’s the only place in Australia where you can do a shark cage dive, but there’s also great koala spotting and oyster-tasting nearby.

Alas, getting to the South Australian town of Port Lincoln is an absolute pig of a task. The drive from South Australian state capital Adelaide to Port Lincoln takes about seven hours. That’s a long journey even if you do take in some sights en route. There are some wine regions on the way. You while you can also stop for a steelworks tour in Whyalla. The silo art in Cowell (departure point for the Wallaroo ferry) and Tumby Bay on the Whyalla to Port Lincoln drive is impressive, too.

Fly or drive to Port Lincoln?

But, realistically, this isn’t enough to make the drive to Port Lincoln worth it. Hence most people opt to just fly from Adelaide instead. Flights with Qantas or Rex take around 50 minutes.

Once at Port Lincoln Airport, however, you’re probably going to need a car to explore the Eyre Peninsula properly. This is not exactly a public transport utopia you’ve landed in. There are a few tours available from Port Lincoln, but if you want any degree of freedom to explore, you’ll need to look at car hire in Port Lincoln.

Port Lincoln airport car rentals

Luckily, the car hire companies realise this, and several are represented in the arrivals area at Port Lincoln Airport. If you’ve got a favourite international brand, for some reason, most of the big players are represented. Hertz, Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Enterprise and Europcar all offer car rentals in Port Lincoln, with on-airport sites. For those who aren’t fussy, a comparison site should steer you towards the best Port Lincoln car hire deals.

As with car hire everywhere else, prices fluctuate with demand and the size of car you want. But checking for random dates a few months ahead, an economy small car such as a Kia Picanto cost around $36 a day from Enterprise.

Port Lincoln car hire prices

It’s likely you’ll want something bigger, however. This is not little nip-to-the-shops car country. Using the same search, an intermediate car such as a Toyota Corolla Hatch cost $59 a day with Avis. Similarly, a compact SUV such as a Nissan Qashqai cost $64 a day with Enterprise.

Good spots to visit close to Port Lincoln include the Glen-Forest Tourist Park, koala-spotting hotspot Mikkira Station and the Coffin Bay oyster sheds.