Car / Taxi, Cape Town

For those planning to travel to South Africa in the next couple of weeks, please be advised that there is major strike action in progress at the time of writing (15 July 2011). The strike action that has most potential to affect tourists is that being undertaken by chemical workers, which has restricted/halted production at oil refineries, and severely constrained fuel transport by both pipeline and tanker, resulting in country-wide fuel shortages.

Currently many service stations have run dry of both petrol (gas) and/or diesel, which clearly has implications for anyone planning a trip which involves self drive and/or has a road based component.

Sadly, I have little advice on how to deal with this. One would hope that tour operators have made contingency plans (although how effective these might be should the strike be prolonged is debatable). The only advice that I can offer is that if you can avoid travelling whilst the strike is on, then you should try to do so.

I will provide updates on the situation as soon as information becomes available.

Update (26 July 2011): The strike has not yet been resolved, but the fuel supply situation seems to have stabilised - and reportedly did not affect Cape Town as severely as it did Johannesburg. My advice for the mean time would be to fill up your tank every couple of hundred kilometres if you're planning a long journey, so that you've got a substantial buffer should you find yourself in an area where fuel supplies have run dry.

Update: 28 July 2011: Happily the strike was resolved today, and fuel supplies are pretty well normalised already.

In Cape Town there is no public transport, whatever they say. The mini bus taxis are dangerous and overcrowded. The traffic is usally crazy, not like Europe at all-
Take a look at this website if you're looking for reliable car with driver/tour guide.
www.travel-cape-town.com

Public transport in South Africa is not very reliable and has limited coverage of the city. Standard taxis can be dangerous and private taxis can work out very expensive. (About R10 per km)
The most affordable and reliable form of transport is to hire a car to get around Cape Town.
You can try www.adelphi.co.za as they are reliable and been around for over 50 years.

I've been to Cape Town twice and had the very good fortune to meet Keith Berg, an official authorised tour guide. Each time Keith has taken us on fabulous tours around the city, table mountain and Cape Point.

We can not thank Keith enough for recommendations of restaurants and accomodation. Airport transportation, just getting around Cape Town or touring the area have all been a pleasure with Keith. Knowing all the local B&Bs as well, he can organise that for anyone as need. He also arrange a self catering flat or rental cars if you prefer.

Needless to say we thoroughly enjoyed the personal care and historic information which Keith is so keen to share with you along the way.

Keiths mobile is +27 83 449 1205 and email is bergkeith@gmail.com

D.Grisoni
Fribourg
Switzerland

Renting a car in Cape Town is probably the best option in terms of viability, allowing you the freedom to explore at your leisure, and access areas that trains and buses cannot. While other methods of transport are relatively less expensive, hiring a car is certainly the most convenient.

While hi-jacking is not as prevalent a concern as in Gauteng, be aware! Don’t take unnecessary risks, and make sure you know your route. Also make sure you don’t leave bags or C.D’s lying in the car while parked.

Most of the car hire companies will drop of or pick up at your hotel, and you can hire at the airport itself. Some of the better car hire company options include Around About Cars (0860 422 4022) and Tempest Car Hire (021 935 8650). For a really luxuriant, tailored to your needs service, spoil yourself with Status Luxury Vehicles (0861 100 108)

We were warned by several different people about unscrupulous taxi drivers. While we walked as much as possible, and used a guide for a city area tour, we got a card from our guesthouse of a reliable taxi company. The other advice we were given is not to get in a taxi that does not have a meter.

Driving through the Western Cape is a joy, long open roads with very little traffic. The little traffic there is pulls over to let you pass on the single carriage roads. Driving around Cape Town is also fine, but there is a lot of traffic during rush hours. I think a hire car is a must to get to all the main tourist attractions (even if you are staying at the V&A Waterfront - e.g. there is no longer a shuttle to table mountain).

When hiring a car avoid EasyCar. They sent me to a non-existing hotel to pick-up my car and it took me over 2hours to find out where the Hire Depot was. On complaining to EasyCar they said "we deal with more than 50 suppliers at more than 2,200 locations worldwide and it is up to these suppliers to advise us of any changes" (i.e. we are big and can't be bothered to ensure our booking information is correct). The supplier (which was Europcar) told me that the hotel changed it's name over a year ago and it is only EasyCar that send customers to the wrong hotel. The hire car from Europcar was fine so I suggest booking with them direct.

Being a newbie or visitor, can be hard on ones logical sense of placement, dont know about others, but the city is hard to understand. After a few years living here i still get lost often. But then i see it as some interesting version of "adventure".
If you travel to Cape Town for a visit, its best to find yourself a cheap car hire service. I did that at first. And i always recommend my friends and family to do the same, if not for anything else, "the adventure" of getting lost. I have become very loyal to www.cars4less.co.za