Proserpine car hire, Queensland: Do you need a car in Airlie Beach?

If you’re staying in Airlie Beach and exploring the Whitsundays, it’s possible to pick up a hire car in Proserpine at the Whitsunday Coast Airport. Avis, Hertz, Europcar and Budget offer Whitsundays car rentals for from around $60 a day.

Do you need a car in Airlie Beach?

For many, exploring the Whitsundays region of Queensland is about going on a sailing cruise around the islands. If that’s all you’re visiting the region for, then you probably don’t need a rental car in Airlie Beach. Get a taxi or transfer from Proserpine Airport. Cruise operators will pick you up from your accommodation in Airlie Beach. The same applies for Whitsundays kayak tours and Proserpine River crocodile cruises.

If you’re planning to enjoy the Whitsundays weather, do tours and cruises and swim in the Airlie Beach Lagoon, a rental car is a waste of money. If, however, you genuinely want to explore the Whitsundays region, hiring a car is the way forward.

Car rental at Whitsunday Coast Airport

Most people staying in Airlie Beach will fly into Proserpine Airport, which is often called Whitsunday Coast Airport. The airport is in Gunyarra, 14km south of Proserpine and 36km south-west of Airlie Beach. Whitsunday Coast Airport handles flights from Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

To pick up a hire car at the airport in Proserpine, you’re going to need to book with Hertz, Avis, Europcar or Budget. All have car rental desks at Whitsunday Coast Airport, although you might as well use a comparison site to find out which is cheapest.

Proserpine car hire costs

Using VroomVroomVroom, and booking for a week two months in advance, Australia Travel Questions found the cheapest car rental deal was for $60 a day. That’s for a compact car such as a Kia Rio, via Europcar. However, an intermediate car cost a few cents a day extra, so you may as well go for the bigger vehicle.

This is slightly more than a hire car costs in Australia’s big cities, but not totally outrageous. And having a rental car in the Whitsundays allows you to discover kangaroos on the beach in Cape Hillsborough or a platypus in the Eungella National Park.