Looking for the best Magnetic Island Car Hire?
Magnetic Island is an absolutely stunning place to visit. If you are considering going to the island we would recommend it 110%. This island is also known as “Yunbenun” and if you are wondering how to reach it is is via Townsville, at only 8 kilometres offshore (it does take 30 + minutes to reach in on a ferry however!)
The island itself is a complete natural paradise and one of backpackers favourite places to visit in Queensland due to its abundant wildlife (including the cutest koalas everrrr), stunning palm lined beaches as well as hiking and snorkelling opportunities if you like to keep active while on vacation.
The island is mostly set up for tourism with some great hotels, hostels and even a few honeymoon resorts and is also home to a small community of 2,500 who absolutely love this island!
If you want to explore the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef (great snorkelling at Alma Bay) which is near Brisbane, then this is a good option.
If you are planning to visit this beautiful island, we would highly recommend getting your own set of wheels and going with a Magnetic Island Car Hire Company to fully explore it properly as you would imagine, there’s limited transport options on this tiny slice of paradise.
Magnetic Island Car Hire – Who to use
If you are interested in using the cheapest car hire possible on Magnetic Island you can see to compare all options during your dates.
Otherwise, we will run through the companies who offer car hire on Magnetic Island (or nearby which you can use) and the pros and cons of each operator so you can determine what is best for you and your group of friends or family visiting the area.
Firstly, you have two options in terms of renting a car, you can get it from Townsville, which is probably the cheaper option and take it on the ferry over or you can rent a car directly on the island. We will discuss both options below:
FAQ
Do you need a 4WD car for magnetic island? Yes, it is better to hire a 4WD as there are some off road areas and beaches etc where you can get bogged.
What’s with the barbie cars? Yes, they are a bit of a thing on the island, but hey they do take a good photo! In our guide, we have included both options where you can rent a topless barbie car or don’t – totally up to you!
Is it better to rent a car from Townsville or Magnetic Island? That all depends on what you want. If you want the topless barbie car then it is better on the island but expect to pay more for the pink good-ness! Also, the ferry for taking a car onto the island takes longer. Just things to keep in mind.
One of the best Magnetic island car hire companies is Sixt due to its consistent affordability and reliability of cars. You’ll get a good reliable car from this company and take it across on the ferry from Townsville.
Some things to consider with this car rental company:
Pros
- Reliable cars
- Great service
- Cheap prices
- Good fuel policy – pick it up full and empty it full.
- Unlimited free kilometres
Cons
- Car rental from Townsville, not on Magnetic island itself meaning you need to take the ferry over to the island. Not too bad as you end up saving money most likely.
Note: If the car’s bodywork gets damaged, the most you’ll pay towards repairs covered by the Collision Damage Waiver is the damage excess ($5,500.00).This cover is only valid if you stick to the terms of the rental agreement. It doesn’t cover other parts of the car (e.g. windows, wheels, interior or undercarriage), or charges (e.g. for towing or off-road time), or anything in the car (e.g. child seats, GPS devices or personal belongings).
Another great option for car rental for car hire in the area is Alamo, known for being a very cheap car hire company. You can often strike a pretty good car hire deal with these guys so they are always worth checking out for magnetic island car hire. Again, you will need to take this car over on the car ferry from Townsville.
Some things to consider with this car rental company:
Pros
- Reliable cars
- Great service
- Cheap prices
Cons
- If you drive more than 900 kilometres during your rental, you’ll pay $0.45 for each additional kilometre when you drop your car off.
- Car rental from Townsville, not on Magnetic island itself meaning you need to take the ferry over to the island. Not too bad as you end up saving money most likely.
Note: If the car’s bodywork gets damaged, the most you’ll pay towards repairs covered by the Collision Damage Waiver is the damage excess ($5,200.00).This cover is only valid if you stick to the terms of the rental agreement. It doesn’t cover other parts of the car (e.g. windows, wheels, interior or undercarriage), or charges (e.g. for towing or off-road time), or anything in the car (e.g. child seats, GPS devices or personal belongings).
Another option for car hire from a reliable company is Enterprise Rentals in Townsville.
Some things to consider with this car rental company:
Pros
- Reliable cars
- Great service
- Cheap prices
Cons
- If you drive more than 900 kilometres during your rental, you’ll pay $0.45 for each additional kilometre when you drop your car off.
- Car rental from Townsville, not on Magnetic island itself meaning you need to take the ferry over to the island.
Note: If the car’s bodywork gets damaged, the most you’ll pay towards repairs covered by the Collision Damage Waiver is the damage excess ($3,350.00).This cover is only valid if you stick to the terms of the rental agreement. It doesn’t cover other parts of the car (e.g. windows, wheels, interior or undercarriage), or charges (e.g. for towing or off-road time), or anything in the car (e.g. child seats, GPS devices or personal belongings).
A well known brand of car hire both in Australia but also in overseas markets. If you are not an Australian local, you may prefer this brand.
Some things to consider with this car rental company:
Pros
- Reliable cars
- Great service
- Cheap prices
- Good fuel policy – pick it up full and empty it full.
Cons
- Car rental from Townsville, not on Magnetic island itself meaning you need to take the ferry over to the island.
Note: If the car’s bodywork gets damaged, the most you’ll pay towards repairs covered by the Collision Damage Waiver is the damage excess ($5,500.00).This cover is only valid if you stick to the terms of the rental agreement. It doesn’t cover other parts of the car (e.g. windows, wheels, interior or undercarriage), or charges (e.g. for towing or off-road time), or anything in the car (e.g. child seats, GPS devices or personal belongings).
MI Rentals (From Magnetic Island)
MI Rentals offers Jeep and SUV Hire directly from the island. Car Hire at this company starts at $79 per day and goes up to $199 a day.
Address: 36 Mandalay Ave Nelly Bay. QLD, 4819.
Some things to consider with this car rental company:
Pros
- Very cool cars including Jeeps etc that are colourful will look great in photos
- Cheap prices
- Car Rental from directly on island.
Cons
- From an independent car rental company with less trust factor than the big players.
Magnetic Island Topless Car Company
As the name suggests, if you are looking to get cruising with the roof down, this is the best car rental in Magnetic Island. If you want a Magnetic island barbie car then this is a good place to check out.
This car rental companies cars look so fun and the perfect way to cruise around the island.
Some things to consider with this car rental company:
Pros
- Very cool cars with roof off are colourful will look great in photos
- Island map to use
- 40km of fuel is included in the price
- Car Rental from directly on island
- Located just near the ferry terminal in Nelly Bay.
- Flexible terms – rent for as little or as long as you like.
Cons
- Poor reviews on google
- From an independent car rental company with less trust factor than the big players.
Isle Hire
No doubt one of the most popular car rental companies in Magnetic Island. If you want a more standard less funky car they have these as well as the cool colourful cars you see cruising around the island.
Some things to consider with this car rental company:
Pros
- Cars to suit every need
- Budget friendly – cars to suit every budget
- Includes 80 klms of fuel.
- Car Rental from directly on island
- Flexible terms – rent for as little or as long as you like.
Cons
- From an independent car rental company with less trust factor than the big players.
Magnetic 4×4 Rentals
Lastly, you might want to consider Magnetic 4×4 Rentals. If you like the convenience of a pick up/drop off service, this might be a good car rental company for you.
Some things to consider with this car rental company:
Pros
- Great google reviews
- Cars can be conveniently picked up and dropped off to you.
- Car Rental from directly on island
Cons
- No website so you need to call to book – 0455 106 510
- From an independent car rental company with less trust factor than the big players.
How many days do you need on Magnetic Island?
Obviously how many days you will need on Magnetic Island will impact how long you will need car hire for.
We would recommend at least 2 nights on magnetic island. Therefore, you will need 2-3 days of car hire to make the most of the island.
For such a small island, there’s quite a lot to see and do on the island including walking tracks, swimming and snorkeling opportunities. Plus, if you get a car it is really nice just to have a cruise around!
Where should I stay on the island?
If you want a recommendation as to where to stay on the island, here is where we would suggest:
How to get the Ferry to Magnetic Island?
You will want to start your journey in Townsville. From Townsville, you have two options: you can take the faster passenger ferry which takes around 30 minutes or if you are journeying with a vehicle, you can take the longer car ferry which takes around 45 minutes.
It costs around $250 in high season taking your car with you both ways on the ferry. Rates do vary according to the season. You can see more information on the ferries here.
If you are a restless traveller or if you are travelling with a young family, you may prefer to rent a car from the island and take a quicker ferry. Alternatively, if you want a cheaper price and don’t mind an extra 15 minute journey, the car ferry is easy and a good way to go.
Note: If you choose to rent a car from Townsville you probably are not going with the colourful Barbie magnetic island car style so it depends if you care about getting instagram shots or not.
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