Roger

Very wise.

I do the same even when coming from the UK (drive on the left, wheel on the right) and allow at least a day to acclimatise, though I've taken to driving an automatic rental car these days. More expensive, sure, but more comfortable.

CFFrost

I'll rent an auto, too - though I don't totally trust that the rental counter won't try to give me a manual.

DaveInLA

Yeah, the safe thing to do would be to get an auto transmission. Unfamiliar city, unfamiliar car, unfamiliar shifting direction, less familiar side of road... but one thing that draws me to the manual transmission is that it seems so cool to drive a stick shift with a RHD car! The ones that the agencies are renting are apparently Mini Coopers.

CFFrost

Totally agree, but that "cool" factor will dissipate quickly if anything goes wrong! I probably won't get a manual though because my fiancé doesn't drive stick and I want to at least have the option for her to drive if needed.

I drive a Mini at home so that could be a lot of fun - plus I might be more comfortable with it than other options. Not sure I want that small of a car though - we're on a pretty long trip (just over 3 weeks) so I'm expecting to have a lot of luggage and want it all to fit securely in the trunk.

What rental agency are you using? I was going to use the Thrifty at the Hilton but if you have researched best options I'd be curious to hear what you've learned.

Shareholder

Suppose it depends upon the size of the animal...or the object being measured.

CFFrost

Can anyone recommend specific rental companies that are most reliable/trustworthy in South Africa? I read nothing but horror stories about Cape Town locations in all of the individual car rental forums here. Had a preference for Thrifty's city location since it is as our hotel - but would be willing to go elsewhere for the sake of avoiding what appear to be routine scams (falsely alleging damage, charging for gas when the tank was returned full, etc) from car rental companies.

ft101

I used Avis in the city centre with no complaints.

I was sceptical when I picked the car up, as they claimed to have a fuel pump on site charging the same rate as those locally, and that could be used to top up at the end of the hire.

At drop off you pull up next to the fuel pump so can see it in action and it certainly looked as described. Cost wise was what I expected too, and no claims of damage even though I'd taken the car on a few dodgy roads.

Only one experience but that's how it went.

lovetravellingoz

Does anyone know if one-way drop off fees are charged if you hire Cape Town to Port Elizabeth or vice versa?

Being an Aussie...stick shifts (or manuals as we call them here) are fine for me as the gear shift it is where I usually have it

CFFrost

Thanks. I guess you would only read bad experiences. People will rarely report that they were very happy with their car rental experience. I'll just be careful, keep receipts, take pictures, and hope for the best. Not much else I can do.

I ultimately booked through Thrifty since they're located at the Hilton - and at least from them there is a R500 (~$50) charge for a "drop off fee" which I presumed was a one-way fee.

hearna

I just took a cab downtown, and took african eagle tour group for day tours around town and a safari out of town, and walked around downtown and to the water front (safe during the day)

CFFrost

Quick follow-up here.

I was very happy that I split my time in Cape Town and rented a car for ~half of our time there. There are many things for which you may be better doing a tour or hiring a private driver (winelands, for example), but there are also countless things for which a self-drive is ideal (Cape Point / Cape of Good Home / Simon's Town, etc). If you can plan well, you can do the tours on the days you don't have a car and do the self-drive items when you don't. Keep in mind cabs are very reasonably priced for things around town - but a private driver for the day or a driver to a further away place such as Cape Point can add up.

My only problem with the rental (Thrifty) was at pick-up, they required a copy of my driver's license and passport, two significant holds on the card (I forget exactly how much), AND a carbon copy of the card. I tried to reason with them that if they have a hold on the card and have the card info electronically stored there is NO reason for a carbon copy - but I knew I was getting nowhere. They insisted that their bank required the carbon copy. The rep wanted to refuse my CSP because her carbon copy machine was not getting a good imprint of the card. The ironic thing is that they picked up the last customers paperwork and showed it to me trying to tell me "this is what it is supposed to look like and NOBODY else sees this . . . " (implying that it is safe with them) I tried to tell them that they are demonstrating my exact objection - that the just showed me a former customers credit card number and that I now had enough information for an online shopping spree! In the end I knew my objections were in vein, and that my options were to cancel my reservation and look elsewhere, or take a risk knowing that my card has fraud protection - and I opted for the latter. No fraudulent charges yet, and no additional charges for "damage" or "fuel" despite returning the car ~95% full as I was tight on time.

Also, Cape Town is an easy city to drive in - don't hesitate even if you are not accustomed to driving on the left side of the road / right side of the car.

richardinmotion

Glad you had a good experience! I also ran into a problem renting my car in Jburg from Hertz. I wanted to decline all additional insurance - I have special coverage with my AMEX card - and they wanted to charge my card for approx $20,000 US. I ended up letting them charge me for the additional coverage , then I argued most of it off when I dropped off the car in Cape Town at the airport. I still ended up spending an extra $70 or so for the week rental, but I let it slide, since I enjoyed driving SA so much!

CFFrost

Yea, I'm pretty sure I read elsewhere that it is not possible to decline coverage in SA - it is somehow required by law. Even though I have coverage through my card, I was planning on buying the additional coverage out of an abundance of caution. When I was at the counter they were unable to adequately explain the differences between the coverage options. They claimed that there is no such thing as comprehensive coverage in SA, and that the only difference between the two available options is the deductible, and thus the hold they put on your card. The form they then wanted me to sign had me initial that I had declined comprehensive coverage options. Go figure.

ThudAndBlunder

SA is a little bit of a throwback when it comes to credit cards. They'll often ask for a signature in addition to chip-and-PIN etc. They love having photocopies / carbon copies of cards as well, which is not best practice, but it's at least widespread enough that one can be reassured that there's no sinister intent.

sk3x

Slightly OT, but figured this active thread might be a good place to post. Anyone have a recommendation for a driver for when we're in the Winelands for two days later this month? I think we'll rent for a day or two when exploring south of Cape Town, but would then like to enjoy ourselves at the wineries without the hassle of the vehicle.