Car Rental Warrnambool Downtown

Warrnambool is located on the southwestern coast of Victoria, around 260 kilometres from Melbourne or 3.5-hours away in your rental car. Warrnambool is the perfect location for a car; located on the Great Ocean Road, you are connected to other stunning coastal towns and national parks. Warrnambool has everything you need during tour travels, with art galleries, museums, restaurants, boutique shopping, parks and heritage-listed buildings.

Popular drives from Warrnambool include Port Fairy, just a 30-minute drive along the coast. Port Fairy has many of its own attractions, with quaint art galleries, stunning fishing spots, antique stores, festivals, world-class restaurants serving the catch of the day, and unique coastal wineries. All along the coast during the winter months, you have the opportunity to whale-watch from the shore, with the Southern right whale passing by the coastline (the best months for whale spotting being June-July). Drive east, and you will arrive at Port Campbell, home to the mighty Twelve Apostles and Port Campbell National Park. This seaside village is home to a variety of restaurants and cafes, with a few notable bakeries as well. Explore the shops, restaurants and buildings before heading to the beach and its stunning limestone cliffs. 

With stunning drives on offer both east and west of Warrnambool, you’ll get great use out of your Thrifty hire car.

See A Great National Park with Your Rental Car

If you keep driving east through Port Campbell, you will arrive at one of the most striking locations in all of Victoria, the Great Otway National Park. Under a two-hour trip from Warrnambool along a pleasant coastal drive, the park is famous for its diverse landscape and unique attractions. See stunning waterfalls, mountain forests, iconic walks and native wildlife. See giant beech trees, some of which date back to 100 years before colonization. 

Great Otway sees many visitors staying longer than they expected, which is just fine, with dedicated camping sites located within the park. With beaches, mountains, waterfalls, rivers, gorges and set walking paths to enjoy the diverse landscape, it is a must-see when in the area.

One of the most famous attractions is the night glow worms of Melba Gully. These glow worms live in the forest undergrowth and come alive at night, creating a unique spectacle of light. Be sure to walk around quietly as the glow worms ‘switch off’ when disturbed.  See wallabies, echidnas, koalas, kangaroos, seals, penguins, and if you’re lucky, a migrating whale while safely “getting lost” in nature.

See the Best of Warrnambool in a Hire Car

You don’t have to drive out of Warrnambool to have a coastal holiday, with plenty of attractions inside the city to keep you busy for days.

Pay a visit to the Warrnambool Art Gallery (WAG) and see some of the 5,000 artworks displayed in a world-class gallery setting. From Colonial Australian paintings to European treasures, the gallery has been a beacon of culture on the coast since 1886. With local, national and international exhibitions, the gallery is always showing something unique, and with free entry, it fits into any travel budget.

Get a nature fix without leaving the city in the Warrnambool Botanic Gardens, one of the oldest botanic gardens in Victoria, beginning in the 1850s. Walk its wide paths around the lily pond, ancient coastal trees, rare plants and 40 coniferous species. The standout is a Lone Pine tree planted in 1934 that was grown from a seed harvested at Gallipoli.

With street markets, boutique shopping, golfing, beaches, antique stores, theatres and live shows all within the city limits, you can choose to drive near or far during your Victorian coastal travels.