Car Hire at Cairns Airport

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Cairns Airport, Cairns, Australia
Unable to find any location
Driver's country of residence is United States of America (USA) and age is 30-65
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  • 30 - 65
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  • 80+
Trustpilot
700+ Trusted Suppliers:

Cheapest Car Hire Rates

Compact
Hyundai Accent or comparable
Hyundai Accent
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Bargain Car Rentals
A$33.28 per day
Full-size SUV
Mitsubishi Outlander or comparable
Mitsubishi Outlander
  • 7
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Simba Car Hire
A$39.91 per day
Economy
MG 3 or comparable
MG 3
  • 5
  • 1
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Alamo
A$41.51 per day
Intermediate
Toyota Corolla or comparable
Toyota Corolla
  • 5
  • 3
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Enterprise
A$44.75 per day

Most Popular Car Hire Deals

Standard SUV
Kia Sportage or comparable
Kia Sportage
  • 5
  • 3
  • 5
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Europcar
A$57.60 per day
Premium Van
Kia Carnival or comparable
Kia Carnival
  • 8
  • 2
  • 5
  • A/C
  • Auto.
EastCoast Car Rentals
A$57.86 per day
Intermediate Elite SUV
Tesla Model Y or comparable
Tesla Model Y
  • 5
  • 2
  • 5
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Budget
A$97.95 per day
Economy Elite SUV
Audi Q2 or comparable
Audi Q2
  • 5
  • 2
  • 4
  • A/C
  • Auto.
Hertz
A$122.80 per day
The above prices are only approximate and were last updated at 21:28 on 11/03/2025. Prices may vary based on the booking dates, length of rental, and car class.
Why book with us?
Special offers
As a market leader, we get special offers like contactless pick-ups, great prices, and free upgrades.
Award-winning
World's Leading Car Rental Booking Website in the World Travel Tech Awards (4 years in a row).
Highly-rated
A combined rating of 4.5 with 175k+ total reviews on platforms like Trustpilot, Google, and Review Center.
4M users
Have already booked on one of the fastest-growing car rental booking websites.

Travel information

Languages
English
Currency
AUD
Drive on
Left-hand side
Dialing code
+61
Average car hire price
A$62 per day
Average car hire length
7 days
Speed limit within city centre
50 km/h or 31 mph
Speed limit out of city centre
100 - 130 km/h or 62 - 81 mph
Acceptable limit of BAC
0.05%
Score
9.4 / 10
Average petrol price
A$1.73 per litre or A$6.55 per gallon
Lowest petrol price
A$1.63 per litre or A$6.17 per gallon
Highest petrol price
A$1.80 per litre or A$6.81 per gallon

Airport information

Score
7.1
  • Getting to the airport 7.8
  • Check-in and departures 8.1
  • Facilities and services 7.1
  • Wi-Fi 6.4
  • Dining and car hire services 6.7
  • Lounge 6.7

Cairns Airport (CNS)

  • IATA: CNS
  • ICAO: YBCS
  • Name: Cairns Airport (CNS)
  • Distance from the city centre: 3.1 miles / 5 km

Top 15 locations near Cairns Airport

  1. Alice Springs Airport starting at A$44.51 per day
    1,454.7 km / 903.9 miles
  2. Darwin Airport starting at A$33.37 per day
    1,675.3 km / 1,041 miles
  3. Sydney Penrith starting at A$54.86 per day
    1,939.3 km / 1,205 miles
  4. Sydney St Mary's starting at A$37.04 per day
    1,943.7 km / 1,207.8 miles
  5. Sydney Castle Hill starting at A$37.04 per day
    1,945.5 km / 1,208.9 miles
  6. Sydney Parramatta starting at A$37.04 per day
    1,955.7 km / 1,215.2 miles
  7. Sydney Artarmon starting at A$59.50 per day
    1,959.1 km / 1,217.3 miles
  8. Sydney Airport starting at A$34.31 per day
    1,972 km / 1,225.3 miles
  9. Canberra Airport starting at A$61.17 per day
    2,076.5 km / 1,290.3 miles
  10. Adelaide Airport starting at A$37.12 per day
    2,132.4 km / 1,325 miles
  11. Melbourne Airport starting at A$48.87 per day
    2,313.2 km / 1,437.4 miles
  12. City Centre starting at A$45.75 per day
    2,327.9 km / 1,446.5 miles
  13. Melbourne Hoppers Crossing starting at A$69.44 per day
    2,336 km / 1,451.5 miles
  14. Melbourne Clayton starting at A$54.92 per day
    2,339.1 km / 1,453.4 miles
  15. Perth Fremantle starting at A$63.41 per day
    3,455.1 km / 2,146.9 miles

Map of Car Hire Destinations

In which month is car hire at Cairns Airport the most affordable?

Prices for hiring a car at Cairns Airport fluctuate depending on the time of year. This table and graph can help you find the best bargain.
Average price for hiring a car per day at Cairns Airport
A$52.78
January
A$38.88
February
A$48.04
March
A$57.71
April
A$49.65
May
A$61.76
June
A$81.98
July
A$73.00
August
A$63.44
September
A$67.84
October
A$57.04
November
A$75.00
December
The best month to hire a car at Cairns Airport is February — when the average price for a hire is A$38.88 per day. This is 36% less than the yearly average and 53% less than hiring a car in July (when the average price is A$81.98 per day).

This information can help you determine the low season. But note that these prices are only averages. The cost of your hire is determined by the type of car you select, the length of time you hire it for and how much in advance you book. Simply type in your dates in the form at the top of the page in order to find out the exact prices.

For how long do most travellers hire cars for at Cairns Airport?

How long travellers keep their hire cars depends on the time of year: in July, the average hire length is 9 days, while in April, it is only 6 days.
Average number of hire days at Cairns Airport
7
January
7
February
7
March
6
April
7
May
7
June
9
July
7
August
9
September
9
October
8
November
7
December

What time of year sees the highest demand for car hire at Cairns Airport?

Given the number of users searching for a car at Cairns Airport, there is a higher probability of travellers hiring a car in December in comparison to hiring a car in in September.
Monthly searches at Cairns Airport by pick-up date relative to the average
127%
January
91%
February
110%
March
94%
April
90%
May
83%
June
78%
July
87%
August
76%
September
106%
October
125%
November
131%
December

Car hire information

Popular suppliers Bargain Car Rentals, Simba Car Hire, EastCoast Car Rentals, Jucy, SIXT
Popular car categories SUVs, Medium cars, Large cars, Small cars
Lowest price A$33 per day
Cheapest supplier Bargain Car Rentals

Most popular car models of suppliers

Hire Agency Model Doors Luggage Type
Bargain Car Rentals Hyundai Accent 4 2 Medium cars
Bargain Car Rentals MG HS 4 2 SUVs
Bargain Car Rentals Kia Stonic 4 2 SUVs
Jucy Hyundai Accent 5 2 Medium cars
Simba Car Hire Toyota Corolla 4 2 Medium cars
Bargain Car Rentals MG 5 5 2 Large cars
Simba Car Hire MG ZS 4 2 SUVs
Simba Car Hire MG 5 5 2 Large cars
Jucy Toyota Corolla 4 2 Large cars
Simba Car Hire MG 3 4 1 Medium cars

Our customers' reviews

Because we want to make sure each review listed here is left by a real customer, we don’t have the option to post a review here. Instead, we ask each and every customer to leave a review after they return their rental car. This way, you know that all reviews are authentic.

United Kingdom
Toyota Yaris Cross Aut.
20/04/2024
We travelled from Cairns to Portsea below Melbourne, Car ran well and was fuel efficient
United Kingdom
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid
17/04/2024
Just visiting old friends and re-visiting old haunts.
Australia
Hyundai Accent
04/04/2024
Very much enjoyed our trip into the Daintree and the adventure of taking the cable-pulled ferry across the river. It was great to see crocodiles in the wild. We took the Lady Douglas ride up the river from Port Douglas and thoroughly enjoyed a leisurely cruise with complimentary beverage and friendly crew. Robbo the skipper and Jade the decking/barmaid we had a great time with light commentary. Thoroughly recommend Paronella Park for a surprise.
Photo 1 by Miles A. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (04/04/2024) Photo 2 by Miles A. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (04/04/2024) Photo 3 by Miles A. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (04/04/2024) Photo 4 by Miles A. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (04/04/2024) Photo 5 by Miles A. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (04/04/2024) Photo 6 by Miles A. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (04/04/2024) Photo 7 by Miles A. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (04/04/2024)
United Kingdom
MG 3
23/03/2024
We took a road trip down to magnetic island and Airlie beach. We had an amazing experience snorkeling and completed a skydive.
United Kingdom
Hyundai Accent
21/02/2024
Port Douglas was lovely. Very relaxing. Swan with turtles in the low isles which was amazing. Visited the Daintree rain forest whuch was great
United Kingdom
Hyundai Kona
14/01/2024
We drove for 3 weeks from Cairns to Brisbane in the hire car and it was faultless and done almost all tourist destinations down the east coast
Australia
Hyundai Accent
23/05/2023
Relaxing time in the areas of Port Douglas, Daintree & Palm Cove.
Photo 1 by Neil B. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (23/05/2023) Photo 2 by Neil B. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (23/05/2023) Photo 3 by Neil B. about hiring a Hyundai Accent in Cairns (23/05/2023)
Australia
Hyundai Kona
11/09/2022
Night walk in the forest was a waste of time, it was raining. Barrier reef is bleached of its colour! :(

Car Hire Statistics

Highest-rated company
Simba Car Hire
9.3 / 10
)
Lowest-rated company
Routes Car Rental
7.3 / 10
)
Total number of reviews
222
Total rental companies
18
Average daily price
A$61.96
Lowest daily price
A$33.28
Total cars available
213

Top 18 suppliers at Cairns Airport in 2025

Simba Car Hire
Simba Car Hire
Exceptional 9.3 / 112 reviews
+61740212777 / +61280056696 / +61881263890
432 Sheridan St, Cairns North QLD 4870
A$40 - A$164
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 19:30
Tue:
07:00 - 19:30
Wed:
07:00 - 19:30
Thu:
07:00 - 19:30
Fri:
07:00 - 19:30
Sat:
08:00 - 17:30
Sun:
08:00 - 17:30
SIXT
SIXT
Exceptional 9.2 / 245 reviews
+61740339800
SIXT, Terminal building, Cairns Airport, QLD 4870
A$63 - A$137
Working hours
Mon:
07:30 - 23:59
Tue:
07:30 - 23:59
Wed:
07:30 - 23:59
Thu:
07:30 - 23:59
Fri:
07:30 - 23:59
Sat:
07:30 - 18:00
Sun:
07:30 - 18:00
Europcar
Europcar
Very good 8.9 / 71 reviews
+610740349088
Terminal Building Cairns Airport, Cairns City QLD 4870
A$48 - A$435
Working hours
Mon:
08:00 - 23:30
Tue:
08:00 - 23:30
Wed:
08:00 - 23:30
Thu:
08:00 - 23:30
Fri:
08:00 - 23:30
Sat:
08:00 - 23:30
Sun:
08:00 - 23:30
Ace Rent a car
Ace Rent a car
Very good 8.9 / 55 reviews
+61392222595 / 1800620408
147 Lake Street
A$50 - A$168
Working hours
Mon:
08:30 - 15:00
Tue:
08:30 - 15:00
Wed:
08:30 - 15:00
Thu:
08:30 - 15:00
Fri:
08:30 - 15:00
Sat:
09:00 - 13:00
Sun:
09:00 - 13:00
Budget
Budget
Very good 8.9 / 25 reviews
0740339777
Terminal Building
A$67 - A$98
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 23:59
Tue:
07:00 - 23:59
Wed:
07:00 - 23:59
Thu:
07:00 - 23:59
Fri:
07:00 - 23:59
Sat:
07:00 - 23:59
Sun:
07:00 - 23:59
National
National
Very good 8.8 / 9 reviews
+61740349045 / +61740349052
Beaufort St, Aeroglen QLD 4870
A$69 - A$327
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 23:00
Tue:
07:00 - 23:00
Wed:
07:00 - 23:00
Thu:
07:00 - 23:00
Fri:
07:00 - 23:00
Sat:
07:00 - 23:00
Sun:
07:00 - 23:00
Avis
Avis
Very good 8.7 / 9 reviews
0740339555
Terminal Building
A$79 - A$121
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 23:59
Tue:
07:00 - 23:59
Wed:
07:00 - 23:59
Thu:
07:00 - 23:59
Fri:
07:00 - 23:59
Sat:
07:00 - 23:59
Sun:
07:00 - 23:59
Alamo
Alamo
Very good 8.7 / 201 reviews
+61740349045
Beaufort Street, Aeroglen QLD 4870
A$42 - A$124
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 23:00
Tue:
07:00 - 23:00
Wed:
07:00 - 23:00
Thu:
07:00 - 23:00
Fri:
07:00 - 23:00
Sat:
07:00 - 23:00
Sun:
07:00 - 23:00
EastCoast Car Rentals
EastCoast Car Rentals
Very good 8.6 / 392 reviews
+611800474258 / +61755558908
411 Sheridan Street, Cairns, 4870
A$58 - A$335
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 20:00
Tue:
07:00 - 20:00
Wed:
07:00 - 20:00
Thu:
07:00 - 20:00
Fri:
07:00 - 20:00
Sat:
08:00 - 19:00
Sun:
08:00 - 19:00
Bargain Car Rentals
Bargain Car Rentals
Very good 8.6 / 1,121 reviews
+611300729230
410 Sheridan St, Cairns North QLD 4870
A$33 - A$117
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 18:45
Tue:
07:00 - 18:45
Wed:
07:00 - 18:45
Thu:
07:00 - 18:45
Fri:
07:00 - 18:45
Sat:
08:00 - 16:45
Sun:
08:00 - 16:45
Hertz
Hertz
Very good 8.6 / 8 reviews
+610740389990
Terminal Building Cairns Airport, Cairns City QLD 4870
A$87 - A$144
Working hours
Mon:
06:00 - 23:30
Tue:
06:00 - 23:30
Wed:
06:00 - 23:30
Thu:
06:00 - 23:30
Fri:
06:00 - 23:30
Sat:
06:00 - 23:30
Sun:
06:00 - 23:30
Dollar
Dollar
Very good 8.4 / 5 reviews
+611800501934
Terminal Building Cairns Airport, Cairns City QLD 4870
A$65 - A$139
Working hours
Mon:
06:00 - 23:30
Tue:
06:00 - 23:30
Wed:
06:00 - 23:30
Thu:
06:00 - 23:30
Fri:
06:00 - 23:30
Sat:
06:00 - 23:30
Sun:
06:00 - 23:30
Thrifty
Thrifty
Very good 8.2 / 198 reviews
+61136139
Terminal Building Cairns Airport, Cairns City QLD 4870
A$62 - A$154
Working hours
Mon:
06:00 - 23:30
Tue:
06:00 - 23:30
Wed:
06:00 - 23:30
Thu:
06:00 - 23:30
Fri:
06:00 - 23:30
Sat:
06:00 - 23:30
Sun:
06:00 - 23:30
Enterprise
Enterprise
Very good 8.1 / 4 reviews
+61740349045
Beaufort St, Aeroglen QLD 4870
A$42 - A$152
Working hours
Mon:
07:00 - 23:00
Tue:
07:00 - 23:00
Wed:
07:00 - 23:00
Thu:
07:00 - 23:00
Fri:
07:00 - 23:00
Sat:
07:00 - 23:00
Sun:
07:00 - 23:00
Keddy
Keddy
Average 7.9 / 5 reviews
+610740349088
Terminal Building Cairns Airport, Cairns City QLD 4870
A$42 - A$152
Working hours
Mon:
08:00 - 23:30
Tue:
08:00 - 23:30
Wed:
08:00 - 23:30
Thu:
08:00 - 23:30
Fri:
08:00 - 23:30
Sat:
08:00 - 23:30
Sun:
08:00 - 23:30
Firefly
Firefly
Average 7.7 / 0 reviews
0740389990
Airport Ave
A$42 - A$152
Working hours
Mon:
06:00 - 23:30
Tue:
06:00 - 23:30
Wed:
06:00 - 23:30
Thu:
06:00 - 23:30
Fri:
06:00 - 23:30
Sat:
06:00 - 23:30
Sun:
06:00 - 23:30
Jucy
Jucy
Average 7.6 / 332 reviews
+611800150850
55 Dutton Street Portsmith QLD 4870
A$42 - A$152
Working hours
Mon:
09:00 - 15:55
Tue:
09:00 - 15:55
Wed:
09:00 - 15:55
Thu:
09:00 - 15:55
Fri:
09:00 - 15:55
Sat:
09:00 - 13:55
Sun:
09:00 - 13:55
Routes Car Rental
Routes Car Rental
Average 7.3 / 1 review
+6140349088
CAIRNS AIRPORT, Terminal Building
A$49 - A$79
Working hours
Mon:
08:00 - 23:30
Tue:
08:00 - 23:30
Wed:
08:00 - 23:30
Thu:
08:00 - 23:30
Fri:
08:00 - 23:30
Sat:
08:00 - 23:30
Sun:
08:00 - 23:30

Our clients highly recommend us

13 Mar 2025
Nice & easy
It was simple and easy to book using this site. Let's see if the experience to pick up and drop off are smooth as this. I hope so!
Joao Gouveia
13 Mar 2025
easy
easy booking
john Smith
13 Mar 2025
Easy booking
Easy booking
MIchael Gallo
13 Mar 2025
easy booking
easy booking
Phil Elks
13 Mar 2025
easy to use for booking
easy to use for booking
Kristine
13 Mar 2025
A great site to compare rental options
Discover Cars is an excellent resource. You can view all of the options that suits your needs for your next car rental. I quickly found that Avis would be the best company for me to book through. The best thing about Discover Cars is how they rate the leasing process. You can see what the prices are to rent a car but you also see all of the incidentals. That’s very important. Renting a vehicle in another country can be tricky. If you don’t know all of the small details. Discover Cars lets you quickly compare those details and what is most important to you.
Michael D
13 Mar 2025
Great service
Quick service. Never been let down
Angela Lindop
13 Mar 2025
FAST AND EASY
FAST AND EASY
DAVID WILLIMS
13 Mar 2025
Lots of options and easy to do
Lots of options and easy to do
Mark Richardson
13 Mar 2025
Great price ease of booking
Great price ease of booking
Jacqueline Lavelle
13 Mar 2025
The service and staff are always good…
The service and staff are always very good indeed.
Nigel
13 Mar 2025
Great services, fast support
Great services, let you save a lot. Also, very good support if problems arise, my case was solved fast, thanks discovercars consultant Chi B.
Mazvydas Januskevicius
13 Mar 2025
So easy to use.
So easy to use.
G Horton
13 Mar 2025
Quick support and best feedback
I had to contact DiscoverCars customer service to know how to proceed with a refund. Kate provided a quick support and maintained be informed during the whole process. This is how things has to be, but it's not always like that. Good job team!
Nuria Margarit
13 Mar 2025
Fast efficient and always good prices
Fast efficient and always good prices
Pawel Rozwadowski
13 Mar 2025
Excellent service
Good clear info on picking up the car in Seville. Unfortunately, someone swiped our wing mirror in a car park and we had to make a claim. Approved by Discover Cars in less than 3 hours - remarkable service from Mandy S. Claims process generally easy to follow. Would not hesitate to use again.
Thomas Healy

Cairns Airport (CNS)

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Driver's country of residence is United States of America (USA) and age is 30-65
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