msm2000uk

Apologies in advance if this question, however obvious it may be, has been posed and answered before.

I have a 10 night trip to CPT coming up in March. The trip allows for 9 full and whole days.

I have decided upon spending time in Cape Town, Franschhoek, Stellenbosch, and Knysna (and possibly Plettenberg Bay due to proximity).

The plan at the moment, is to fly into CPT, spend 6 hours waiting for the flight to Plettenberg Bay, and then pick up a car from Avis - returning it to CPT and driving along the garden route.

Hotel wise, I like the look of the Dock House in Cape Town, La Residence in Franschhoek, and haven't decided yet in terms of Stellenbosch and Kynsna. The hotels I have decided upon, seem popular with other FTers, so I'm happy with that.

As a newbie to this Forum, would anyone mind helping me out, in terms of how many days/nights I should spend in the cities/places mentioned?

Thanks in advance!

M

T8191

Only you can judge, msm2000uk, because it's YOUR taste/requirements that matter. But I'm sure you've already read my TR ... possibly

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...tern-cape.html

Our next visit minimises CPT, adds at least one more day in Stellenbosch, probably similar time in Franschhoek and possibly a day or 2 somewhere else. Work in progress

og

A few months ago I did an 8 day Avis rental from Cape Town (down town office). Garden route to PE then north to Addo, NW to Ganora Farm then back to Cape Town via Karoo National Park. Easy and very scenic.

If you are relying on credit card rental car insurance, I'd recommend the $2 / day for glass and tyre (tire) damage. Very good investment given the chance of theft from cars.

Roger

Very similar timing to our next trip, except we are concentrating on Stellenbosch and CT this time. IMO March is ideal. It's after the summer peak and should still be warm, even hot if you go inland.

Quite right. Frankly, with your suggested itinerary, you can't go wrong.

I'd add a couple of tips about CT. They may be familiar but are worth repeating.

Try to plan what you want to see, including outreaches like Cape Point and the penguins at Boulders Beach. If you plan to use the Table Mountain cable car and/or visit Robben Island, try to visit/book as soon as you can. Both can be affected by weather (mainly strong winds) and may or not be available every day on a relatively short visit. The penguins will be happy to see you any time.

msm2000uk

Thanks Uncle T!

msm2000uk

Many thanks for the helpful tips Roger - and apologies I missed your comment when I responded earlier!

I've planned out most of the days, albeit loosely as it will depend on traffic etc.

Restaurant choices are the next order of business, but many in Franschhoek and Stellenbosch have been booked out for private functions during my dates...very annoying!

M

jsnydcsa

A lot of rental contracts provide for all sorts of super-cover or other LDW, CDW type coverage. I know the credit card companies provide all sorts of coverage (in addition to personal coverage for hire cars), but these can often provide great "walk away from a problem/accident/issue" coverage that, in a TIA way, can provide you with peace of mind and easy rental return without issue.

Beano HK

You will have a great time.
We hired a car from Avis and I have had one hell of a ding dong with them this time about this branch - charging for filling up (I filled up around the corner on return prior and could prove it), faulty sat nav (check before you leave car park) etc. Niggling but all sorted eventually. Join Avis Prefered prior as the queues can get long at peak times - you can then skip over to the Preferred desk.

I can't comment much on hotels as we stayed this time in the Table Bay in CT on the V&A (was a splurge) and did the rest on points. (We did do a 1 nighter in the Dock House many moons ago but I have totally forgotten what it was like!) Personally I find the V&A too commercialised these days but YMMV. For one of the best steaks in CT, try Nelsons Eye on Hof Street, (Uber it) old style pub, open kitchen, great staff (once you get to know them), great steaks and Chocolate Block on the wine list for less than R500 or so.
The Marriott in Franschoek is a great little Marriott, pool etc and was just what we wanted. Its nothing like a normal chain Marriott. You do though pay for breakfast even with status.
If you can get into La Petite Ferme - do it. Great views and even better food. We loved it. Franschoek restaurants do though get fully booked out at this time of year, sometimes weeks in advance.
Book the wine tram. You can do this online prior, there are several trips you can do - we did the one that finished at Rickety Bridge - we could have just stayed there to be honest. if you want any more info on this, I kept the booklet and can scan and send to you. Book in advance though especially as the restaurants seem to be busy. After each winery, you hand your purchases to the driver and pick them all up at the end of the day. A very sociable day!
You can buy padded boxes from a couple of outlets on the main street, 6's or 12's and ship them back as checked luggage.

T8191

That Marriott is quite tempting, with a good location, but their smoke-free policy will drive us back to the Franschhoek Country Hotel where they are slightly more relaxed

Breakfast included, a bit on the fringes but with a free shuttle into the village.

kmd0506

We did a slightly shorter trip and just stayed in Franschhoeck (4 nights) and Cape Town (3 nights). Based on the recommendation of our tour guide, aka designated driver for wine tasting, we did a slight different trip on our way back down to Cape Town.

We got an early start and drove a little east out of Franschhoeck went to see the penguins at Stony Point (instead of Boulders Beach). The drive towards Cape Town was along the coast and absolutely beautiful. We still had time that day to do a nice seaside lunch, the Cape of Good Hope (both the lighthouse and beach level) and drop our rental car off back at the airport and Uber into our hotel in Cape Town in time for dinner. It was a long day, but really happy we went to the "alternate" penguin site as there were very few people there.

If you're interested in wine tasting, I would recommend the Franschhoeck Wine Tram, it is "touristy" but we had a great time doing it.