Useful insights to help you book the perfect car hire in Cairns Airport
Prices
Companies
Other Information
When is the best time to hire a car at Cairns Airport?
The best time to book a hire car is more than 90 days ahead of your planned arrival at Cairns Airport. When reserving your car hire more than 90 days in advance, you can expect prices to be around $49/day. The day of the week can also impact hire car prices. For example, at Cairns Airport, the average weekend prices are $79/day and weekday prices average $55/day. If you haven’t yet booked your trip, the best time of year to hire a car at Cairns Airport is in November, when prices are $39/day on average.
What is the best car hire company at Cairns Airport?
Alamo is the best car hire company at Cairns Airport based on our user data. Alamo has an average rating of 8.7 from 30 reviewers. In the past year, 31% of our users chose Alamo for their car hire needs. Other reputable hire car companies at Cairns Airport include Sixt, with an average rating of 8.7 from 15 reviewers, and Apex, with a 8.7 average rating from 16 reviews.
What car do most people hire at Cairns Airport?
Hiring the MG 3 at Cairns Airport is the most popular car hire among momondo users, followed by hiring the Kia Stonic. Our users have seen MG 3 deals at Cairns Airport for $76 per day on average, and as cheap as $28 per day. It’s an average of $63 per day to hire the Kia Stonic at Cairns Airport, though you may find prices as low as $32 per day.
What is the most popular car to hire at Cairns Airport?
The most popular types of car to hire at Cairns Airport are Compact cars. 33% of our users searched for Compact hire cars at Cairns Airport in the past year. The Toyota Corolla and the Nissan Qashqai are the two most popular Compact car models to hire. Ace Rental Cars is the most popular hire company offering Compact vehicles at Cairns Airport. $64 per day is the cheapest price to hire Compact cars from Ace Rental Cars.
Cairns Airport car hire deals found on momondo
Find the car hire at Cairns Airport that's right for you
Small cars
$42 - $82
All Car Types
$60 - $106
The average price of a small car hire in Cairns Airport is $57. The cheapest time to hire a small car in Cairns Airport is in March. The price is 27% lower than the rest of the year at just $42 per day. A small car rental is typically 27% less expensive than the average rental car in Cairns Airport. The average price of a vehicle hire in Cairns Airport can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Cairns Airport small car hire found on momondo in the past week.
The average price of a medium car hire in Cairns Airport is $87. The cheapest time to hire a medium car in Cairns Airport is in July. The price is 42% lower than the rest of the year at just $51 per day. A medium car rental is typically 11% more expensive than the average rental car in Cairns Airport. The average price of a vehicle hire in Cairns Airport can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Cairns Airport medium car hire found on momondo in the past week.
The average price of a large car hire in Cairns Airport is $110. The cheapest time to hire a large car in Cairns Airport is in June. The price is 24% lower than the rest of the year at just $85 per day. A large car rental is typically 30% more expensive than the average rental car in Cairns Airport. The average price of a vehicle hire in Cairns Airport can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire.
The average price of a SUV hire in Cairns Airport is $81. The cheapest time to hire a SUV in Cairns Airport is in June. The price is 19% lower than the rest of the year at just $67 per day. A SUV rental is typically 5% more expensive than the average rental car in Cairns Airport. The average price of a vehicle hire in Cairns Airport can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Cairns Airport SUV hire found on momondo in the past week.
The average price of a van hire in Cairns Airport is $101. The cheapest time to hire a van in Cairns Airport is in June. The price is 5% lower than the rest of the year at just $97 per day. A van rental is typically 24% more expensive than the average rental car in Cairns Airport. The average price of a vehicle hire in Cairns Airport can vary based on a number of factors including supply, popularity of the vehicle, and how far out you book your car hire. Below are the best prices for Cairns Airport van hire found on momondo in the past week.
Drip off in Cairns for Entreprise not straightforward
8.0
Very Good|July 2023
The pickup experience was a bit inefficient and slow. The Kayak booking acceptance email directed us to Cairns airport terminal 1, but the actual pickup office for Alamo was in terminal 2. The office couldn’t be contacted by phone. When we eventually found the office., after asking around, the pickup process was slow. But once we got the car it was a good vehicle and our overall experience was good. Drop off was easy.
10.0
Wonderful|Apr 2023
Easy pickup and drop off, friendly staff.
10.0
Wonderful|Feb 2023
Easy process with very helpful staff.
10.0
Wonderful|Jan 2023
Easy pick up and drop off. Craig on the desk was extremely helpful and professional certainly will be recommending!
8.0
Very Good|Nov 2022
Cannot fault the customer service. Was given an upgrade which was great, unfortunately the inside of the car was not cleaned very thoroughly. Windscreen was very dirty from inside. Was told that fuel gauge was full but was not. I filled up slightly higher than it was when I picked it up.
Staff were friendly and helpful especially as I arrived several hours before the scheduled pick and they could get me a car. The car was clean and faultless.
10.0
Wonderful|Jan 2022
So easy to book, extremely competitive pricing, quick pick up and drop off. Extremely pleased to arrive to collect the car, and to be told that we would be receiving a free upgrade.
4.0
Mediocre|Jan 2022
Everything was good except for not getting my $400 holding fee back within a day,which I was told I would. After making a phone call I was informed it would take 1 to 2 months before my money will be credited back into my account.
10.0
Wonderful|Dec 2021
Car was great value. Car was easy to find. I suggest adding a free Uber or taxi from hotel to airport to pick up the car and vice versa when dropping car back at the airport would be a great idea
10.0
Wonderful|Nov 2021
Friendly staff
7.9
Good|Oct 2021
The hire was actually through the sub-company, East Coast Car Rentals. The only bad thing was the base package which we initially signed up for had a mandatory $4,000 excess for ANY damage, even if at fault or not, plus a $1,000 hold. So we opted to upgrade for an extra $50-60 per day for the $0 excess and no hold.
Do not book through qeeq, not aware of hidden costs which made the hire exorbitant
10.0
Wonderful|July 2022
Easy shuttle to and from the pickup/drop off. Friendly service, great little car. Would definitely recommend Apex and will use them again.
8.0
Very Good|July 2022
No
10.0
Wonderful|July 2022
It wasn't cheap, but i think it's the 'Cairns thing'. Service was excellent, ready pick up and drop off, nice and friendly staff. I would use them again if in Cairns. Highly recommended.
10.0
Wonderful|June 2022
Smooth picking up the car. Got exactly what I booked. Staff very friendly… will use APEX car rental again.
I could not rate the car as Avis cancelled my booking with out even notifying me on arrival to Cairns airport the staff just said it had been cancelled but could not give a reason for cancellation or lack of notification he did give a very insincere sorry with out any attempt to help slove the lack of a car over all Avis wrecked my 7 day stay in Cairns as it is hard relying on public transport to navigate around all the tourist attractions the area has to offer with out a car with all that said avoid Avis at all cost
Learn everything there is to know about hiring a car at Cairns Airport so you can be properly prepared for your next trip
When did momondo last update prices for cars in Cairns Airport?
Prices for cars in Cairns Airport refresh daily.
How many operators does momondo search for cars in Cairns Airport?
As of September 2025, there are 41 operators available to choose from for cars in Cairns Airport.
How old do you have to be to hire a car in Cairns Airport?
The minimum age for drivers varies by country, including Cairns Airport. In numerous EU countries, drivers must be 18 years old. To hire a car overseas, you'll generally need to be at least 21, and if you're under 25, a young driver surcharge may be applied. We advise that you read the policy of your chosen hire company before making a reservation.
What documentation or ID do you need to hire a car in Cairns Airport?
When hiring a car in Cairns Airport, all drivers must present a full valid driving license. An International Driving Permit is required if the driving license is written in a language different to that of the country of rental and may be necessary to avoid the risk of potential fines. If you are hiring abroad, you may also need to provide proof of return travel and accommodation information during your stay. We always recommend checking with the individual hire company you are booking with.
Why use momondo?
Why should I use momondo to book a car hire in Cairns Airport?
You should use momondo to book a car hire in Cairns Airport because it could save you time and money. momondo fetches and allows you to compare car hire prices and policies from thousands of car hire websites.
How does momondo help me find the best car hire deal in Cairns Airport?
Once you have performed a search for a car hire in Cairns Airport, momondo will show the results and enable you to find the best deal by using our filters; here you can narrow your search down by vehicle type, price, agencies and a multitude of policies that can apply.
Does momondo show car hire deals in Cairns Airport with free cancellation?
Yes momondo does have a filter to only highlight car hire deals which offer free cancellation. This filter is available for all car hire searches on momondo including those for cars in Cairns Airport.
Can I hire a car with a fair fuel policy in Cairns Airport on momondo?
Yes, simply select the fair fuel policy filter after performing a search for hire cars in Cairns Airport on momondo.
Can I find a car hire in Cairns Airport which offers enhanced cleaning on momondo?
You can specifically filter for enhanced cleaning on car hire in Cairns Airport on momondo.
Can I search for car hire in Cairns Airport with unlimited mileage on momondo?
momondo offers a filter specifically for unlimited mileage on car hire in Cairns Airport.
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