Hi
Just looking into car/camper rental to do Perth-Broome and have been shocked by additional one-way rental charges - anyone know a way round it? I've tried Broome to Perth thinking most people might drive Perth to Broome but it makes no difference. By the time we've paid the one-way charge and a one-way flight we're well on the way to paying as much as the flight from Europe! As it stands we're better off exploring Perth area first then flying to Broome to rent a second vehicle, although we'd have loved to do the trip by road. Also any suggestions for cheap car/camper rental welcome.

I've wondered the same thing tockoloshe. I've heard about rental companies that look for people to retrieve and return rental cars from one way drop off sites, but I can't find any information about them.

Take a look at this site though, they might be able to help:

http://www.onewayrentals.com.au/

Try http://www.standbycars.com.au/

Thanks for suggestions, I hadn't seen 'onewayrentals' but on investigation they say 'One-way fee waiver applies to pick-up and drop-off in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Cairns only'! It seems Broome and Darwin have the high one-way fees. And thanks also Bokhara2, but 'standbycars' are what they say, it seems you have to book on a standby/last minute basis and I'm not sure we want to take the risk and not get anything on the dates we need, though the prices are very tempting, it's ideal for anyone doing a longer and less specific itinerary. Back to the drawing board! Melnq8, if I find anything interesting I'll report back!

I knew someone who did relocations from Darwin, Britz was one of the companies. Mostly campervans I think. I guess with any of the relocation deals, you'd just have to be on the spot and flexible with your timing. Still, with the rates on offer it really must be tempting.

Good Luck and please let us know what you do, it's an often asked question.

I would get into the Website standbycars.com.au They have a lot of one way trips because they have vehicles that have to be moved from one place to another. Can get a van for as little as $A1 per day, sometimes with a petrol allowance, but you have a limited time to get from point A to B. And you need to be flexible about travel times. Have you sussed out Wicked vans, old and tatty but look great fun

Thanks again for advice, I think I will keep an eye on the relocation prices nearer to departure. I did check out Wicked, their prices are good but the one-way fee was high for Broome again (rental around AUD$800, drop off fee AUD$500) but that still makes it competitive with other rentals. Only thing is ... will we look like the oldest swingers in town at aged 50+ driving around in one of those vans?!!!

Hmmm - maybe rethink Wicked Campers after doing some research ....

Jan 10 2020: "Almost the entire fleet from the biggest and most high-profile company, Wicked Campers, has been ordered off the road. Random checks will be carried out on other companies as a matter of urgency."

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...36-952,00.html

Interesting article.

Here's Wicked's response:

reply:http://www.smh.com.au/travel/travel-...0111-m2gx.html

We've seen the flamboyant Wicked campers all over the SI of NZ. It looks like a fun way to travel....if I were younger and less fond of my creature comforts that is!

Thanks Melnq8, only fair to let Wicked give an answer. As you say they do look fun but even in tip top condition I'm not sure a couple of over 50s would fit the image they are looking for!
Meanwhile the research continues, and I'm getting fed up with trying to interpret all the 'terms & conditions'! I found this site which seems very straightforward:
www.drivenow.com.au/
... which compares rates for the major rental companies. But only one company has published rates for August (and it included the usual hefty one-way fee). I put in dates for an earlier period just to see what came up and interestingly only Budget had no one-way fee, but I was put off when I looked at their website directly and read their terms and conditions:
'In Australia, GST, Administration Fee, Airport Concession Recovery Fees or Premium Location Surcharges apply to optional coverage's, one way fees and any other miscellaneous charges (e.g. re-fuelling charges or late return fees). Any additional miscellaneous charges will incur these additional fees and taxes.'
Now, "Is it just me" as they say? Can anyone understand that? How I can agree to those terms and conditions without knowing what they will or will not charge? Ah well, back to the research, will have to contact them directly for clarification. I'll report back if I find a realistic solution to this problem (if anyone's interested)

I'm interested. Please let us know what you find out.

I'm interested also.

Be extra careful when renting any of these types of vans. When you pick it up, and they walk you around to look at existing damage, make certain to INSIST that they enable you to also examine the roof, even if you need them to get a ladder and a mirror! We took a Britz van from Darwin to Brisbane and in Brisbane they drove the van underneath a mirror and found damage which was already there and wanted us to sign paperwork admitting that we damaged the roof when we didn't. In Darwin, they never even looked at or showed us the roof. We told this to the people in the drop off office in Brisbane, but they actually said to us: "That was Darwin, but this is Brisbane". Luckily, we had also purchased full excess cover or they would have taken us for a ride. We refused to sign their paperwork and walked out.

I advise everyone, when renting any of these vans, to buy full excess cover and inspect the entire vehicle.

Back to the one-way fee topic, not sure if it's the same with all companies but when I booked a van with Travellers Autobarn, I did it through STA and there wasn't any one-way fee!! Not sure they go to Broome though...

Still planning here ... dates keep changing due to work committments! Has anyone used and can recommend 'M200 Car rental'? (they have lower drop off charges, but I don't generally like to use firms which take a bond and don't repay it for 10 days)

I've used M2000 a few a times. They'll drop off the car at some hotels (in/around their Belmont location). The only oddity with M2000 is that they expect you to return the car in the exact condition it was received, which means you'll need to wash and vacuum the car or face a cleaning charge. I've not run into this policy with any other car rental company (anywhere!).

They have a low excess and allow you to drop off the car at airports, which is why I chose them in the first place.

They're a good option IMO and seem to be a bit more flexible and accommodating than some other Perth car rental companies I've used (except for that cleaning bit).