Driving licence requirements in Australia
If you plan to hire a car, this website provides very useful information. Note that you may need an International Driving Permit (IDP) if your driving licence is not in English.
Tip for those with a Portuguese driving licence
Before our trip, we arranged for an International Driving Permit (IDP) through ACP (Automóvel Club de Portugal) while in Portugal. As well as having to take a passport-style photo (I thought these were outdated!), we ended up paying over €50 in total.
However, on the day of our trip, at the airport, we realised that we could have just presented the Certificate of Authenticity for the Driving Licence in English instead! The reason we discovered this? We had left the IDP at home!
Luckily, my friend Ana, who was also travelling to Perth, had confirmed with the car hire company that this certificate was sufficient for Portuguese licences. That saved us! Had we known this beforehand, we would have saved both time and money!
How to Obtain the Certificate of Authenticity for a Portuguese Driving Licence
Follow these steps to get the document online:
Simply print it out and present it at the car rental desk when picking up your vehicle!
Hiring a car in Australia
I booked our car with Europar in Fremantle in advance to take advantage of the early booking discount. As we made some changes to our travel plans, we also had to change our rental dates. Luckily, everything went smoothly, and we weren’t charged for the days we originally booked but didn’t use.
While driving around, we noticed that rent-a-car No Birds was very popular. I recommend checking their prices, as they may offer better deals!
Tip for driving in Australia during the Summer
If you’re planning your visit during the summer, check this website for updates on active bushfires in WA. Fires are common at this time of year, and from what I’ve seen, the authorities respond quickly by closing roads when there is a risk. However, it’s always best to check the latest conditions before you set off. Unfortunately, bushfires are a part of Australia’s reality and occur every year.
Although I didn’t drive myself (that was Hélio’s job), I found everything fairly straightforward, at least on the routes we took. Aussie drivers seem calm and patient, and we didn’t see anyone honking or getting frustrated on the road. Speed limits are well respected, and a great bonus, is that there are no tolls on the highways in WA!
Don’t miss these posts:
And the ones on Fremantle and Margaret River region (coming out soon!).
