Easy self-drive tours in South Africa

So you’ve done our Self Drive Quiz on whether a South Africa self-drive is right for you, and you are somewhere in the middle. You like the idea of self-drive but don’t want to be too adventurous. Luckily South Africa, and specifically the Garden Route, Winelands & Whale Coast, offer plenty of great options for you.

Quick Recap on why a South Africa Self Drive is so easy:

• Roads are generally wide, in good condition and signage is good
• All of our rental cars can be booked with GPS
• We also provide comprehensive directions to each hotel or lodge
• All of this particularly applies to the Cape (Cape Town, Winelands, Hermanus, Garden Route and the Cederberg & West Coast.)

How to choose easy self-drive tours?

We have plenty of sample self-drives on this website. Most of them are perfect for a first time visitor to South Africa. Check out our full selection of Self Drive holidays here…

Here are just a few of our easier Cape & Garden Route self drive routes:

Mellow Cape Self Drive

This popular and leisurely self drive tour begins in Cape Town and meanders through the Winelands, the whale country around Hermanus, taking Route 62 to the Little Karoo and then the Garden Route to finish with Addo Elephant Park. It’s 11 nights but you can add on private safari if you want, making it a 13 night trip…

Faces of the Cape Self Drive

This luxurious self drive tour begins with Cape Town and then heads to three contrasting areas – the verdant Cape Winelands, the dramatic Cedarberg mountains and the Whale Coast. Its ideal for an easy-going honeymoon (and you can add nights any where you want) and it’s simple to add a romantic safari afterwards.

Relaxing Rascals (Family Self Drive)

This relaxing tour is an example of one of our Family Self Drives and is ideal for kids of all ages. It also includes Cape Town, the Little Karoo, Garden Route and a malaria-free family friendly safari at the end.

However generally we put together a tailor-made self-drive tour that suits one specific client taking their interests, time of year and budget into account.

South Africa Self-drive questions to ask yourself when planning a trip:

1. How far do you like to travel (in terms of driving hours) when going from one destination to the next?
2. Do you like to meander from one destination for 1-2 nights to another with relatively short travelling distance between* or would you prefer longer stays and a longer drive (eg 4-5 hours) to the next destination?
3. Would you like to break up the self-drive with some day excursions or transfers?
4. Would you like to reduce the driving with a short flight – if there is a suitable one. This is more expensive but can be more relaxing. Good examples of flights we usually include are the flights from Johannesburg to the Kruger area (saving 5-6 hours of driving), the flight from Johannesburg to Durban (saving 6 hours) and sometimes the flight from Cape Town to George on the Garden Route (saving 4-5 hours driving)

If you can think about your answers, it helps us to plan a self drive tour that suits you perfectly.

Notes
* Remember that South Africa is a large country and so a ‘short’ travelling time for us is less than 2 hours! A typically travelling time between destinations would be between 2-4 hours. We try to avoid longer trips but occasionally it’s unavoidable – depending on how much you want to see and the time you have available to see it.

Related Blogs on Self Drive in South Africa & Namibia

• Quiz – are you ready for a self drive tour
• Adventurous Self Drive – the inner Camel Man
• GPS or written directions – a no-brainer…
• How NOT to do a self drive holiday

OR check out our South Africa Self drive sample tours or complete our enquiry form (see box above)

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“Easy self-drive tours in South Africa” was written by safari specialists, Cedarberg Africa

Cedarberg Africa is a travel and safari company specializing in Southern and East African tailor-made itineraries. As we have special rates with all the hotels and game lodges, booking through us will cost no more than booking direct, and sometimes less. So our expertise and knowledge comes at no extra cost to you!

Feel free to contact us if you want us to plan a trip that will revitalise your body and mind for you!