Africa > South Africa > Cape Town
Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Cape Town car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Cape Town is in car rental price band: 4/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Cape Town?
Sometimes. Car rental is slightly cheaper than global averages.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Cape Town between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 9/10
Non car score:6/10
Balance: 4
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
Why? Visiting Cape Town using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Cape Town ?
Why not? Visiting Cape Town without a car
Why don't you need a car in Cape Town ?
Ratings: How does Cape Town compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Cape Town? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Cape Town, and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Cape Town? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Cape Town (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Cape Town? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Cape Town airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Cape Town car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 7
2019 - 6
2021 - 4
Average score - 5
Notes:
Some visitors might prefer to get around using some sort of organised bus tour. A hire car is always going to be a natural choice if it’s compared with using public transport. On the other hand, South Africa does also have an expansive rail network. Taking the train towards Johannesburg certainly can open up some breathtaking landscapes, many of which are either inaccessible, or very difficult to access by road.
For these reasons, we give Cape Town a high score for both car and non car based touring.
Should you hire a car in Cape Town? On balance, Cape Town is simply somewhere where a hire car is more likely to be useful than it isn’t.
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in Cape Town ?
Durban
Africa > South Africa > Durban
Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Durban car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Durban is in car rental price band: 2/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Durban?
Yes. Very cheap car rental by global standards.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Durban between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 8/10
Non car score:3/10
Balance: 8
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
Our general advice is that in Durban a hire car is extremely useful, both in terms of access to coastal scenery, and also for national parks heading inland.
Why? Visiting Durban using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Durban ?
Why should you hire a car in Durban?
Why not? Visiting Durban without a car
Why don't you need a car in Durban ?
Ratings: How does Durban compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Durban? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Durban, and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Durban? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Durban (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Durban? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Durban airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Durban car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 7
2019 - 7
2021 - 8
Average score - 8
Notes:
Should you rent a car in Durban?
Whereas a city like Cape Town offers a wide range of tourist infrastructure which can make it easy to get around using trains and buses, this really doesn’t apply so much in Durban.
There’s a much greater range of places to see which are well outside the city, and which aren’t served by reliable public transport service.
This means that almost by default, our recommendation here would be to hire a car.
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in Durban ?
Johannesburg
Africa > South Africa > Johannesburg
Please note that Carornocar.com is currently being revised and updated in preparation for the Summer 2021 (northern hemisphere) tourist season. It is expected that some social distancing rules will still apply. For additional Johannesburg car hire advice, please use the comments form below. |
Quick Ratings
Price band:
Johannesburg is in car rental price band: 2/10 (1 = cheapest car rental location)
General comment - based on price alone, is it worth renting a car in Johannesburg?
Yes. Very cheap car rental by global standards.
Volatility:
Can you expect big swings in car rental prices in Johannesburg between the peak and the off peak season?
5/10 (0 = stable prices)
Driving score: 4/10
Non car score:2/10
Balance: 7
(0 = car hire not advised / 10 = rental car essential)
General comment -
Despite efforts to improve matters, car crime is still a legitimate concern, and as with any destination, we can only provide a few brief pointers. For visiting the city of Johannesburg itself, and including the wider metropolitan area stretching as far as the (political) capital Pretoria, there is no huge need to drive, because the major centres in this corridor have been connected by the newly built Gautrain network.
Why? Visiting Johannesburg using a hire car
Why do you need a car in Johannesburg ?
Why not? Visiting Johannesburg without a car
Why don't you need a car in Johannesburg ?
Ratings: How does Johannesburg compare?
Is it worth hiring a car in Johannesburg? TBC
This is based on a rough consideration of the costs of renting a car in Johannesburg, and how this compares with the costs of using public transport. The answer to this varies hugely from one destination to the next, based on a wide range of factors. It's based on renting a car at the airport (TBC), and driving for an average of 2-3 hours on open roads on most days.
How does this compare if:
You are travelling:
Solo / As couple / small family / larger family / senior couple etc
Does car rental make sense on different budgets?
Do you need to hire a car in Johannesburg? TBC
This is based strictly on whether or no we think it's possible to visit Johannesburg (and the surrounding area) without using a car. Of the three key questions, this one is the most likely to be a "no".
Should you rent a car in Johannesburg? TBC
This is a balance of all factors. Remember this is an answer to the question for people who are already asking it. That's why the answer might still be a "yes", even when public transport is good.
See global comparisons
Hiring | Driving | Parking
Trains | Buses | Local travel
Car hire basics:
Public transportation basics:
Regular bus services: YES
Coach (inter-city): YES
Tram: NO
Metro: NO
Commuter Rail:
High Speed Rail:
Rail type (end stub / through / junction / hub):
As you start ....
Does Johannesburg airport have a direct rail link?
(Yes - within terminal / adjacent / short walk) (Yes - bus transfer / other) No
Changelog
Has our advice for Johannesburg car rental changed over time, or has it been pretty constant?
2017 - 6
2019 - 6
2021 - 7
Average score - 7
Notes:
Summary
Do you or don't you need a car in Johannesburg ?