Car hire in Cape Town without a credit card

Why hire a car in Cape Town?

Cape Town sits between Table Mountain and the Atlantic. Table Mountain National Park runs from the mountain itself down the peninsula to Cape Point, and is part of the Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site. The penguin colony at Boulders Beach, the Winelands around Stellenbosch and the whale coast at Hermanus are all within a day's drive. A car lets you combine them on your own schedule.

Collect your car at Cape Town International Airport, about 20 kilometres from the city centre, or at a branch in the city. For more destinations, see car hire in South Africa.

Exploring Cape Town and the Western Cape by car

Day trips and routes from Cape Town

On the Cape Peninsula, Chapman's Peak Drive on the Atlantic side is a toll road where you can pay by card or in cash. Cape Point, about 65 kilometres from the city centre, and Boulders Beach near Simon's Town are both in the national park; their gates take card payments only, and Cape Point charges per vehicle.

Inland, Stellenbosch is about 35 kilometres from the airport, Paarl about 55 and Franschhoek about 70. Hermanus, about 100 kilometres east, is known for whale watching from the Cliff Path from June to November. To the north, the West Coast National Park near Langebaan is about 140 kilometres away; its Postberg section opens only during the flower season in August and September.

For a longer trip, the N2 runs east to the Garden Route: Mossel Bay is about 375 kilometres from the airport, George about 415 and Plettenberg Bay about 505.

Driving in Cape Town

South Africans drive on the left. A driving licence from your own country is valid if it is in English and shows your photo and signature; if not, get an International Driving Permit before you leave home. Traffic lights are called robots here, which you will hear in directions.

Petrol stations are served by attendants, who fill the tank and can check the tyres, oil and water or clean the windows. A small tip is customary. Know whether your car takes petrol or diesel before they start.

Best time to hire a car in Cape Town

Cape Town has a Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. At the airport the average high is about 27°C in January and February and 18°C in July and August. Almost two thirds of the year's rain falls from May to August, and June is the wettest month. In January the sun shines for about 11 hours a day; in June for about six.

Spring and summer bring the south-easter, the strong wind that also explains the two seas. West of Cape Point the Atlantic is typically 10 to 15°C, while in summer False Bay, on the side of Muizenberg and Boulders, usually stays between 16 and 22°C.

The cooler months have their own reasons to drive out of town. Southern right whales are seen from June to November at Hermanus, Gansbaai and Simon's Town. The Postberg section of the West Coast National Park opens only during the wildflower season in August and September, and the flowers are best on sunny days between late morning and mid-afternoon.

The longest South African school holiday runs from mid-December to mid-January, with shorter breaks around Easter, from late June to mid-July and in late September. Book early for those weeks.