Car Rental in Lombok (2026) - Driving Guide & Best Rates
Rent a car in Lombok for the ultimate freedom to explore impressive beaches, hidden waterfalls, and scenic routes at your own pace.
Driving Requirements
Indonesian law lets tourists drive on a foreign license for up to six months from the date of entry. If your license is not in Latin script, an International Driving Permit (IDP) is required. Even if it is, rental desks often insist on seeing an IDP as well.
The legal minimum driving age in Indonesia is 17. Rental companies set their own higher thresholds, some allow drivers from 18, others 21 or even 25, and surcharges often apply under 23.
Third-party liability insurance is compulsory under Indonesian law. Rental companies usually include basic coverage in the rate and offer optional upgrades (collision damage waiver, theft protection) that reduce your excess.
Almost all rental desks require a credit card in the main driver's name for a pre-authorised security deposit. Debit cards or cash deposits are rarely accepted. The hold amount varies by company and vehicle class.
Traffic keeps to the left. Motorbikes are numerous and often overtake on either side. At roundabouts, vehicles inside have priority unless signed otherwise. Seat belts are mandatory for front-seat occupants, and mobile-phone use while driving is prohibited.
Helpful Tips
Pick up at LOP airport if you're heading straight to Kuta or Sekotong; city-center depots in Mataram or Senggigi save the 55 km back-track if you'll start north or west.
Walk-around with the agent and photograph every panel, alloy wheel, and the odometer. Most Lombok desks still use paper diagrams and will mark stone-chip damage you didn't see.
Google Maps works well on the main coastal roads but drops signal around Tetebatu and Senaru, download offline maps or use the free Maps.me Lombok pack before you leave the depot.
All rentals are petrol. Fill up at full-to-full and note that Pertamina stations close at 20:00 in smaller villages, top up in Mataram or Praya before evening drives.
Beachside spots like Selong Belanak have informal attendants charging IDR 5-10k; overnight in Senggigi or Kuta use guarded hotel bays or the 24-hour lot behind Epicentrum Mall.
Driving Warnings
At the Senggigi-Mataram intersection and along Jalan Raya Senggigi, motorcycles routinely overtake on both sides and weave between lanes, expect no blind-spot checks and keep a constant mirror scan.
Police set up mobile speed traps on the downhill stretch of the main coastal highway between Senggigi and Ampenan where the limit drops abruptly from 70 km/h to 50 km/h; fines are paid on the spot in cash.
During the December, March rainy season, flash floods and loose gravel make the inland route from Tetebatu to Kuta via Jalan Raya Praya-Kuta nearly impassable for small cars after 3 p.m. downpours.
In Mataram's Cakranegara district market area, traffic is one-way only after 7 a.m.; entering the wrong direction incurs an immediate IDR 500,000 ticket and a mandatory U-turn at the next police post.
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