Seemingly special deals for the standard Kakadu/Litchfield run (eg $200 for three days with 1000km free) are commonly offered, but note that this trip will easily clock up 1200km and clued-in operators price accordingly. It's an open secret in the trade that all cars booked though the DRTA come with unlimited kilometres, no matter what the actual rental company may be charging itself. It's a good offer that most operators stick to and which could work only in a small town such as Darwin.

It's important to understand the limitations of your insurance and where you can drive conventional cars. Basically, with one or two clearly defined exceptions, you cannot take your $25-a-day sedan on unsealed roads, and any underbody, roof, windscreen and water damage is down to you. Your insurance obligations are something that not all companies spell out, but be assured that if you damage their car you end up paying. An additional premium of a few dollars a day can reduce this liability to a few hundred dollars. Local operators know too well that European drivers are unused to the vagaries of driving on cambered dirt roads and that sliding off into the bushes or hitting a tree are common accidents. If you get tempted to take to the dirt, remember that even with the windows shut and air-con on recycle, fine dust will leave a clear message of where you've been. Bear in mind, though, that whatever you drive and whatever you pay in surcharges, most rental vehicles - even 4WDs - are uninsured off the bitumen. If you have an accident here, you pay dearly. It's a way of ensuring that people take it easy on the dirt roads or don't leave the highway at all.

Wherever you go from Darwin distances are long. The Territory has Australia's highest death rate on the roads: a combination of drunkenness, fatigue and the dangers of wandering stock and wild animals. New laws and speed traps are desperately trying to reduce this, but avoid trying to pack in a Katherine and Kakadu run in a couple of days, take it easy if driving top-heavy 4WDs on dirt roads and avoid driving at night in rural areas.

Self-contained campervan rentals have boomed across Australia over the last few years and in Darwin they are available from $90 a day with unlimited kilometres, although most companies specify a few days minimum rental. The smallest models can get crowded with more than two people, but the savings in accommodation and the independence offered make them a great way to see the parks or even the whole country. Like ordinary cars, campervans must stick to sealed roads unless you opt for the 4WD models.

Many visitors assume a 4WD will allow them to really see Kakadu but it's not essential. Built to take a beating, a Toyota Land Cruiser will cost around $150 a day and use twice as much fuel as an ordinary car, although the only road in Kakadu where you need a 4WD is the Jim Jim/Twin Falls track, which involves crossing Jim Jim Creek. Several vehicles have been lost here over the years and even in a "four-wheeler" some companies may still exclude this track so make sure you ask.

If you're prepared to leave Twin Falls off your itinerary, it's a bit cheaper (if less fun) to rent a so-called off-road vehicle , such as the chunky 2WD twin-cab utes supplied by Territory Thrifty Rental Cars. Nifty Car Rental, on Mitchell Street, are sympathetic to the demands of Rough Guide readers if you explain exactly where you want to go.

If you're looking to buy a vehicle , hostel notice boards are an excellent starting-point, or check to see if the semi-squatted lot on Mitchell Street behind the Night Markets has any prospective sellers parked up.