Nelson Bay and Port Stephens
About 25 minutes from the airport
Nelson Bay is a 25 minute drive from the airport. Port Stephens Coaches buses serve the Nelson Bay area.
This is Newcastle Airport at Williamtown, NSW (NTL), not Newcastle in the UK. Airport car hire options include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz/Thrifty, Redspot and Sixt, with the car rental office outside at the arrivals end of the terminal. Demand is currently high and availability limited. Stockton Beach's dunes need a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a Worimi Conservation Lands beach vehicle permit.
Updated

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
The car rental office is outside, at the arrivals end of the terminal.
Leave the terminal at the arrivals end. The car rental office is outside, at that end of the terminal.
The airport groups Hertz and Thrifty in one operator listing; use the rental office outside at the arrivals end.
Bring your licence and booking confirmation. Office hours vary by supplier, so check with yours if your flight is late.
If you plan to drive on Stockton Beach, note the dunes need a four-wheel-drive vehicle and a beach permit, and check your rental agreement.
Your rental paperwork shows the return spot.
The airport is about 25 minutes by road from Newcastle city centre, so allow time for the drive.
Ask your supplier at pick-up about fuel and after-hours return.
Distances are approximate and measured along the road.
About 25 minutes from the airport
Nelson Bay is a 25 minute drive from the airport. Port Stephens Coaches buses serve the Nelson Bay area.
Gan Gan Road, Anna Bay
Gan Gan Road at Anna Bay is one of three entry points to the Worimi Conservation Lands. The others are Lavis Lane at Williamtown and Fern Bay Seaside Village.
About 50 minutes from the airport
The Hunter Valley is around 60 km west of Newcastle, about an hour by road, or a 50 minute drive from Newcastle Airport.
More than 19 km of beach
The Worimi Conservation Lands offer four-wheel drive access to more than 19 km of Stockton beach front and over 350 hectares of dunes in the Recreational Vehicle Area.
About 2.5 hours to Port Stephens
Port Stephens is a 2.5 hour drive north of Sydney on the M1. A one-way drop in Sydney is only possible if the supplier offers it.
A western NSW itinerary may be easier from a Dubbo Airport pickup than a long inland drive after collecting at Newcastle.
All vehicles entering the Worimi Conservation Lands must be registered and display a valid Worimi Conservation Lands beach vehicle permit, and you need a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Permits are sold at service stations in Anna Bay, Salt Ash and Williamtown.
Port Stephens Coaches runs a public bus service from Newcastle Airport to the Newcastle Interchange up to 11 times a day, as well as a service to the Nelson Bay area.
The airport has an agreement with the RAAF for landing and take-off rights, services and use of airport infrastructure, and sits south of RAAF Base Williamtown.
Rental terms differ by company. Where an answer depends on your agreement, we say so.
Airport car hire options include Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz/Thrifty, Redspot and Sixt. The car rental office is outside at the arrivals end of the terminal.
This page is for Newcastle Airport at Williamtown, New South Wales, IATA code NTL.
Nelson Bay is a 25 minute drive from the airport. The Hunter Valley is about 50 minutes away, and Newcastle city centre about 25 minutes.
Only a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a valid Worimi Conservation Lands beach vehicle permit can enter the dunes. Check your rental agreement before booking.
Only if the search offers that return branch. Port Stephens is a 2.5 hour drive north of Sydney on the M1.
Search live prices in Australian dollars, then check the pickup point and conditions on the offer.