Free shuttles link all PER terminals to rental car counters
At Perth Airport, the Car Rental Shuttle moves between T1, T2, T3, T4 and the on‑airport car hire lots so you can pick up a vehicle without paying for a taxi ride first. Several major rental brands sit just off the terminal forecourts, and the shuttle keeps you from dragging bags across the car parks in the summer heat.
The shuttle usually runs every 10–15 minutes during core flight banks, with services starting before the first departures around 04:00 and tapering off after late arrivals close to midnight. If you land at T1 international and your booking is tied to a counter near T3 or T4 on the domestic side, you ride the shuttle instead of walking the 15–20 minutes along the internal road system.
Most on‑airport car hire desks at PER match flight bank hours, often opening from around 05:00 and staying staffed until the last scheduled arrival, which can be after 23:00. Off‑airport outfits that serve Perth frequently time their pickup vans to specific reservations, so build in an extra 20 minutes from gate arrival to turning a key in the ignition.
Cost is straightforward: the Car Rental Shuttle itself is free, but daily rental rates in Perth often start around AUD 60–70 for a compact booked ahead, rising well over AUD 100 during school holidays and long weekends. Some off‑airport firms knock AUD 5–10 per day off the rate compared with terminal‑based desks, which offsets the few extra minutes in the shuttle.
Look for rental shuttle pickup points signed near the forecourt at T1 and T2 on the eastern side of the airfield, and again outside T3 and T4 on the western side. If you cannot spot your company logo on the curb, use the phone boards near the exits or call the number on your confirmation and ask which bay number their van uses.
One last tip: if you are connecting internationally through T1 with a tight layover under 2 hours, skip off‑airport pickups and lock in an on‑airport car hire instead; that way the shuttle ride between T1 and the car park adds about 10 minutes, not 30.