Before the global giants took over, there was DriveNow. This Australian-based comparison site has been quietly helping us find cheap campervans and rental cars since 2003. They aren't flashy, but they know the local market better than anyone.
What Is DriveNow?
A comparison engine specifically for car and campervan rentals in Australia, NZ, and beyond. They aggregate the big guys (Hertz, Avis) but also the local campervan specialists (Apollo, Britz, Jucy).
How Does It Work?
Enter dates. Compare prices. Book. The key difference is their Campervan search. It is far superior to generic car sites, allowing you to filter by berth, shower/toilet, and age of vehicle.
Pricing
They guarantee the lowest price. If you find a cheaper price on the supplier's website, they match it. No booking fees.
What We Love / What Could Be Better
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Verdict β Is DriveNow Worth It?
For Campervans: YES. Don't look anywhere else for campervans in Aus/NZ. For standard cars, they are solid, but check Discover Cars too.
Search Campervans on DriveNow βDriveNow Australia: What It Is and How It Works
DriveNow is a free-floating car share service operating in Australian cities, allowing members to pick up and drop off BMW and MINI vehicles at any permitted location within the service zone -- no fixed stations or scheduled return required. The model differentiates DriveNow from Flexicar and GoGet (which use fixed parking bays) and from traditional rental cars (which require same-location return). The free-floating format suits urban one-way trips: pick up a BMW 1 Series near your home, drive to a meeting or the airport, leave the car at a permitted street location at the destination. Pricing: AUD $0.29-0.35 per minute or AUD $15-22 per hour depending on vehicle type, with no fuel cost (fuel is included) and no parking cost within the service zone.
DriveNow vs GoGet vs Flexicar for Australian Travellers
The Australian car share market comparison: DriveNow suits spontaneous short-to-medium urban trips where a one-way journey is needed and the free-floating drop-off is convenient. GoGet and Flexicar suit planned trips where a vehicle is needed for several hours or a day and station-based return is acceptable -- their pricing for 4+ hour bookings is typically lower than DriveNow's per-minute rate. For travel-adjacent use cases (airport runs, interstate visitor transport, exploring a city without public transport coverage), DriveNow's free-floating convenience is the primary value. Membership: DriveNow requires a one-time registration including licence verification (AUD $0 join fee in promotional periods, otherwise AUD $29). The BMW and MINI fleet provides a quality vehicle experience above most car share competitors' mainstream fleets.
Car Share vs Rideshare vs Rental Car for Australian City Travel
The transport decision framework for Australians visiting Australian cities: rideshare (Uber, Ola, DiDi) is the right choice for single-journey trips where you don't need to park -- airport transfers, late-night returns, point-to-point trips where traffic and parking would be challenging. Car share (DriveNow, GoGet, Flexicar) is right for multi-stop journeys within a city where having a vehicle for 2-6 hours is more convenient than multiple rideshares, but where overnight or multi-day possession isn't needed. Rental car (Hertz, Avis, Budget) is right for trips requiring more than 8 hours of vehicle access, airport pickup for multi-day road trips, and journeys to destinations outside car share zones. The cost comparison: Uber from Sydney CBD to Sydney Airport costs AUD $35-55; a DriveNow one-way trip (AUD $0.32/minute, approximately 25-30 minutes including parking time) costs AUD $8-10 plus the parking fee at the airport if drop-off is in the permitted zone; Hertz rental at Sydney Airport for a day trip costs AUD $60-90. For the specific case of a day trip from Sydney CBD to a suburban destination requiring a vehicle for 5-6 hours, car share at AUD $15-22/hour beats rental car economics by AUD $20-40 when parking costs are factored in.
Car share services are growing in availability across Australian cities and the usage model is increasingly understood by Australian urban residents. The primary obstacle to first-time car share use is the registration requirement -- the upfront licence verification and card loading process takes 10-15 minutes online but is done once rather than repeatedly. Once registered, the DriveNow app makes vehicle location, booking, and unlock a 2-minute process from any location within the service zone. For Australian travel bloggers serving an urban Australian audience, car share content provides a locally relevant affiliate opportunity alongside the international car hire affiliates -- DriveNow and GoGet both have referral programmes for urban Australian content. Car share services represent the urban transport gap that neither rideshare nor rental car fills for Australian city travellers. The hourly format, the free-floating pickup and drop-off, and the premium fleet quality of DriveNow create a transport option specifically suited to the multi-stop urban day trip that requires a vehicle but not all-day exclusive possession. Understanding when car share, rideshare, and rental car each produce the best value is one of the practical travel skills that saves Australian travellers time and money on every city visit. DriveNow and the car share category fill the transport gap that Australians travelling in their own cities frequently encounter -- the half-day trip that requires a vehicle but not a full-day rental, and a one-way journey that taxis make expensive. Understanding when car share produces better value than rideshare or rental is a practical urban transport skill. Car share represents the urban transport evolution that Australian cities are embracing -- on-demand, keyless, flexible vehicle access without the ownership or rental commitment. For Australian travel content creators, the growing adoption of car share by urban Australians makes it a relevant and monetisable category alongside international car hire. Car share is growing as the urban transport option for short-to-medium Australian city trips where rideshare is too expensive and full-day rental is excessive.DriveNow Practical Tips for Australian Users
The DriveNow usage tips that make the first-time experience smooth for Australian urban drivers: park only in permitted DriveNow zones (green areas on the app map -- parking in a non-zone area ends the rental and creates a relocation fee of AUD $20-40); check the fuel level before starting the trip (DriveNow vehicles must be returned with at least the same fuel level as at pickup, or a refuelling fee applies -- the fuel card in the glovebox covers refuelling at partner stations at no additional charge); and end the trip with a photo of the parked vehicle showing the street sign (the DriveNow app prompts this, and the photo protects against disputed parking fines). The DriveNow service zone in Sydney covers the CBD, Surry Hills, Newtown, and Glebe -- the inner-city areas where the free-floating model adds the most value over fixed-station alternatives. Melbourne's zone covers the CBD and inner suburbs including Fitzroy, Collingwood, and Richmond. Brisbane's zone is currently more limited. Check the current service zone map in the DriveNow app before planning a trip that depends on a specific drop-off location.