Hire a car in Mossel Bay without a credit card. Collect it in town, with full cover included and the deposit on your debit card.
What a week costs in Mossel Bay
| Car | Mossel Bay (city) |
|---|---|
| Small car | from €168 |
| Midsize car | from €253 |
| Large car or SUV | from €648 |
From prices per week for a seven-day rental, all-inclusive, with the deposit on your debit card. Your price depends on your dates and how early you book. Updated 14 November 2026. About this price
Why hire a car in Mossel Bay?
Mossel Bay lies on the N2, about 375 kilometres from Cape Town International Airport. The town has its own history, from Bartolomeu Dias's arrival in 1488 to some of the oldest traces of modern human behaviour, and with a car you can combine it with the rest of the Garden Route and the Klein Karoo. Collect your car at the branch in town; George Airport is about 45 kilometres to the east. For more destinations, see car hire in South Africa.
Exploring Mossel Bay by car
In town
The Dias Museum Complex brings together the Post Office Tree, a life-size replica of Bartolomeu Dias's caravel, a shell museum with an aquarium and an ethno-botanical garden. It is open every day except Christmas Day and Good Friday.
Below the lighthouse, the St Blaize Trail starts at the cave and follows the cliffs west to Dana Bay; there is parking at both ends. Watch out for puff adders on the path and for golf balls where the trail crosses the Pinnacle Point golf course. Boat trips to Seal Island leave from the harbour all year.
Pinnacle Point and the surroundings
The Pinnacle Point caves became part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2024, for the traces of early modern human behaviour found there. Tours of about an hour and a half are led by an archaeologist and must be booked ahead. Botlierskop Private Game Reserve, about 25 kilometres north-east of town, towards George, offers guided three-hour game drives to day visitors; book in advance. Further along the Garden Route, Wilderness is about 60 kilometres away and Oudtshoorn, over the mountains, about 105.
Driving around Mossel Bay
South Africa drives on the left. Your own licence is valid if it is in English and has your photo and signature; if not, bring an International Driving Permit. There is no toll plaza on the N2 around Mossel Bay; the nearest one is at Tsitsikamma, east of Plettenberg Bay.
Best time to hire a car in Mossel Bay
From June to November you can see whales from the grounds of the Dias Museum.
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. Those are the weeks to book your car well ahead.
Frequently asked questions
How much does car hire in Mossel Bay cost without a credit card?
A week of all-inclusive car hire in Mossel Bay: a small car from €168, a midsize car from €253 and a large car or SUV from €648. That is the total for seven days, with the deposit on a debit card. Updated 14 November 2026.
How much is the deposit in Mossel Bay?
About €164 (R3,000), held on your debit card when you collect the car. Updated 14 November 2026.
Can I hire a car in Mossel Bay without a credit card?
Yes. Choose Mossel Bay in the search above. We show you the cars that let you leave the deposit on a debit card.
Is there an airport near Mossel Bay?
George Airport is about 45 kilometres east of Mossel Bay and has its own pick-up point.
Do I pay toll on the N2 near Mossel Bay?
No. The only toll plaza on the N2 in this part of the Western Cape is at Tsitsikamma, east of Plettenberg Bay.
