Pinnacle Road begins at the end of Pillinger Drive in Fern Tree and climbs through The Springs to the 1,271 m summit. It is sealed and suitable for conventional vehicles but narrow and winding, and snow or ice can restrict access at any time of year, particularly from April to September.
Car hire in Hobart city
Five companies have depots in central Hobart: Sixt and Redspot on Argyle Street, Hertz and Budget on Harrington Street, and Avis at Market Place. Weekend hours are short, with Sixt open only 8am to 12pm and Redspot closing at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday, so match your pick-up time to the depot before you book. The airport is 17 km out and SkyBus runs into the city daily, which makes collecting in town a workable choice if your first days are in Hobart.
Updated
Hobart city at a glance
- SIXT city depot
- 290 Argyle St
- Redspot city depot
- 67 Argyle St
- Hertz city depot
- 96 Harrington St
- Budget city depot
- 122 Harrington St
- Airport bus
- SkyBus connects Hobart Airport to the city daily, seven days a week
- Airport to city
- 17 km, about a 15-minute drive
- Cruise terminal
- Macquarie Wharf No. 2 is within 800 m of the CBD
- Multi-storey car parks
- More than 2500 council bays, and the multi-storey car parks include free parking for the first 60 minutes
Compare cars at Hobart city
Prices are shown in Australian dollars. Before you book, open the offer and check where that company's desk or depot is, the bond, and what the agreement says about the roads you plan to drive.
Preparing live car hire search
Picking up in Hobart city
These city-centre depots have the usual weekday and weekend hours shown below; check holiday hours before booking.
| Company | Where | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sixt | Local depot290 Argyle St, Hobart 7000. Open 8am to 12pm every day, bank holidays included. | 290 Argyle St, Hobart 7000. Open 8am to 12pm every day, bank holidays included. |
| Redspot | Local depot67 Argyle St, Hobart 7000. Mon to Fri 8am to 4:30pm, Sat and Sun 8am to 2pm. No after-hours drop-off at this depot. | 67 Argyle St, Hobart 7000. Mon to Fri 8am to 4:30pm, Sat and Sun 8am to 2pm. No after-hours drop-off at this depot. |
| Hertz | Local depot96 Harrington St, Hobart 7000. Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, Sat and Sun 8am to 1pm. | 96 Harrington St, Hobart 7000. Mon to Fri 8am to 5pm, Sat and Sun 8am to 1pm. |
| Budget | Local depot122 Harrington St, Hobart 7001. Mon to Fri 7:30am to 5pm, Sat and Sun 8am to 2pm. | 122 Harrington St, Hobart 7001. Mon to Fri 7:30am to 5pm, Sat and Sun 8am to 2pm. |
| Avis | Local depot2-4 Market Place, Hobart 7000. Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm, Sat and Sun 8am to 12pm. | 2-4 Market Place, Hobart 7000. Mon to Fri 8am to 6pm, Sat and Sun 8am to 12pm. |
Collecting the car
- 1
Look up your depot's street address in your confirmation. Sixt and Redspot are both on Argyle Street, Hertz and Budget share Harrington Street, and Avis is at Market Place, so a wrong turn costs a few blocks rather than a suburb.
- 2
Compare the depot's opening time with your arrival. On a Saturday or Sunday, Sixt and Avis close at noon, Hertz at 1pm, and Redspot and Budget at 2pm.
- 3
Arriving by air and heading straight to a city depot? SkyBus runs between the airport and Hobart city daily, and taxis and Uber operate from the airport.
- 4
Arriving on a cruise ship at Macquarie Wharf No. 2? The terminal is within 800 m of the CBD, and a taxi rank sits immediately outside the terminal forecourt.
Returning in the city
- 1
Aim to be back inside the depot's hours. Redspot's city depot takes no after-hours drop-offs and asks you to return the next business day or to its Hobart Airport branch.
- 2
Budget's city depot is open until 5pm on weekdays and 2pm on weekends, so a late-afternoon return on a Sunday needs a different plan.
- 3
If you are flying out, the airport is 17 km and about 15 minutes from the city, so leave the city depot with a comfortable margin on a weekend when its hours are short.
Drives from Hobart city
Distances are approximate and measured along the road.
Kettering (Channel Highway)
32 km to Kettering · about 35 minutes
The Channel Highway runs south from the city to Kettering, which is also the road to take for Bruny Island.
Huon Valley (Geeveston)
60 km · about 55 minutes
The route runs down the Huon Highway to Geeveston.
Port Arthur
92 km · about 1 hour 30 minutes
Port Arthur is 92 km from the city, so allow most of a day for the drive and the historic site.
Coles Bay (Freycinet)
193 km · about 2 hours 35 minutes
Coles Bay is the base for Freycinet National Park, on the east coast.
Driving around Hobart city
City parking stations
The council's multi-storey car parks provide more than 2500 bays and include free parking for the first 60 minutes. Use Park My Ride to check live availability.
Argyle Street car park
At 38 Argyle St, this is the largest multi-storey car park in the CBD. It is open 6:30am to 10pm every day and has a 2 m height limit, so check the height of your vehicle and any roof rack before you enter.
Hobart Central car park
At 60 Melville St, opening hours are 7:30am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:30pm Saturday and 7:45am to 4:30pm Sunday, and it is closed on public holidays. The height limit is 2.2 m.
Airport transfers without a car
Taxis meet arrivals at the airport rank and Uber picks up in the designated area of the pick-up lane. SkyBus runs 7 days a week to the city, so you can reach a city depot without a hire car.
Speed limits
Unless signed otherwise, the default limit is 50 km/h in urban areas, 100 km/h on rural roads and 80 km/h on gravel roads. Plan no more than 300 km a day in Tasmania.
Hobart city car hire questions
Rental terms differ by company. Where an answer depends on your agreement, we say so.
Where can I hire a car in Hobart CBD?
Sixt (290 Argyle St), Redspot (67 Argyle St), Hertz (96 Harrington St), Budget (122 Harrington St) and Avis (2-4 Market Place) all have depots in the city centre.
Are Hobart city car hire depots open on weekends?
Yes, but for shorter hours. On Saturday and Sunday Sixt and Avis are open 8am to 12pm, Hertz 8am to 1pm, and Redspot and Budget 8am to 2pm. Redspot's city depot takes no after-hours returns.
Should I pick up my hire car at Hobart Airport or in the city?
The airport is 17 km from the city, about 15 minutes by car, and Hertz's airport counter opens 7am to midnight on most days against 8am to 5pm at its Harrington Street depot on weekdays. SkyBus runs daily between the airport and the city, so you can also collect in town on a later day. For the airport side, see the Hobart Airport page.
Where do I hire a car near the Hobart cruise terminal?
The Macquarie Wharf No. 2 cruise terminal is within 800 m of the CBD, where the Argyle Street, Harrington Street and Market Place depots are. A taxi rank is immediately outside the terminal forecourt.
Where can I park a hire car in central Hobart?
Council car parks in the CBD include Argyle Street (38 Argyle St), Hobart Central (60 Melville St), Centrepoint (35 Victoria St), Dunn Place (3 Davey St) and Melville Street Midtown (49 Melville St). The multi-storey car parks include the first 60 minutes free, and Argyle Street is open 6:30am to 10pm with a 2 m height limit.
Which is the best car hire in Hobart?
It depends on what you need. The five depots differ mainly in street location and opening hours: Budget opens at 7:30am on weekdays, Avis stays open to 6pm, and Sixt and Avis close at noon on weekends. Compare the options for your dates in the search box and pick the one whose hours fit your arrival.
Nearby and often combined
Hobart AirportSouthern Tasmania, Bruny and the east coastTasmania car hireAll Tasmania pickupsLaunceston AirportNorthern Tasmania starts at arrivalsDevonport (airport and Spirit of Tasmania terminal)Spirit of Tasmania arrivals and DPOCar hire in AustraliaLicences, tolls and where to fly in, state by state
Compare Hobart city car hire
Search live prices in Australian dollars, then check the pickup point and conditions on the offer.