What you should know before hiring a car in Cape Town
| Cape Town city centre | ||
| Cape Town International Airport (CPT): 8 mi from city centre | ||
Car hires in Cape Town: practical information
Where to rent a car in Cape Town
Cape Town offers the perfect escape on the seaside, with enough big-city glamour to keep city slickers occupied. With Table Mountain off in the distance and natural reserves just on the horizon, it's not a bad idea to book a long term car hire or even a one way car hire if you want to explore South Africa on your next holiday in Cape Town. Hiring a car in Cape Town is not as expensive as it is back home in Europe, great news if you plan to rent a car!
At the airport you can book cheap car rentals with Avis, Budget, Thrifty, Europcar, First, Hertz, National and Sixt, both in the domestic and international arrivals terminal. You can also find a wide selection of companies within the city, mostly located in the city centre. Check along Buitengrackt St and Strand Straat.
Driving in Cape Town: parking and other tips
There are around a dozen public car parks in the city centre. There is one at the V & A Waterfront, one at the Ritz Hotel, at the Westin Grand and the Table Bay Hotel. You can park here even if you are not staying at the hotel.
Hijacking cars is not uncommon, even in Cape Town. It's best, if you plan to park in the central area of the city to ask a member of staff at your hotel where they suggest you park. Locals will know where it's safe and where it's not. Tip: Everyone driving a car in Cape Town and especially elsewhere in South Africa should be away of hijackers, both at night and while stopped at traffic lights. Always lock your car doors and you will be safe.
Road trips from Cape Town: what to do, what to see
Cape Peninsula
The Cape Peninsula can take you days to explore since there's so much to do and see. First stop is Boulder's Beach, where you can watch small penguins run around in their natural habitat. At the Cape of Good Hope you have very good chances of seeing some baboons and ostriches. From Simon's Town you can catch great views of False Bay. Hout Bay is also nice, small fishing town.
Bontebok National Park
If you head further along the south coast, there's plenty to explore. Just a two hour drive from Cape Town, you'll run into Bontebok National Park as well as the De Hoop Nature Reserve where you can spot bontebok and whales if it's the right time of the year. Remember to bring your binoculars!
Garden Route
Pack your day-bags, let's hit the Garden Route! Head through Mossel Bay towards George and onwards to Knysna. If you've got our wits about you, bungee jump from one of the world's highest bridges (Bloukrans Bridge)! You can continue on to Port Elizabeth as well.
