emckeeve

After 3 1/2 weeks of safaris and touring (escorted) in South Africa and Botswana, we want to go to George, stay at Fancourt and play golf in the area for 3 days. We will need a car once there. We have been cautioned not to drive for safety reasons. We are also used to driving on the "right" side of the road although my husband has driven on the left in England and Scotland with no difficulty. I would rather drive and not have to hassle with yet another trip to the airport and repacking and storing luggage. If we have a rental car delivered to the the hotel (Cape Grace), is it a relatively easy drive? We would return the car to the CPT airport for our trip home.

Celia

From Cape Town to George is just under 500 kilometers, on a 4-lane national road. It's an easy and scenic drive. In your place, I would certainly drive rather than fly.

If you've had some experience driving on the left, you'll find South Africa no different. You will find that trucks are longer than in the US, so you have to act accordingly when passing. At night, there's a very real possibility of hitting an animal (domestic, not wild), so you need to be extra alert. I have heard that there's a good number of people driving who don't have a license, so you perhaps need to be more alert for that as well. (I don't know if this is more prevalent than in other countries.)

My husband and I have driven all over South Africa on visits over the last 25 years or so, and have had flat tires and (once) a speeding ticket, but that's the extent of our troubles. The roads are good, and the scenery is lovely.

africanj

emckeeve,
Perhaps i should just mention that there are no 4 lane roads between here and george...just so you don't try driving in the fast lane and hit an on-comming car.
I have no idea what the story is with domestic animals.....and you ought to be more aware of those people who have a driving license and don't know how to drive.

I drive this route twice a month, at least, and the roads are good and you should have a safe journey

Celia

Oh, Africanj, I am guilty about the animal story -- I've heard it so often I just repeated it without questioning.

But I thought the N2 was 4-lane between Cape Town and George. I must have misread the legend in my Sunbird Touring Atlas. Am I right in thinking it's a toll road between Mossel Bay and George?

emckeeve

Thanks for the replies. We won't be driving at night so that worry is alleviated. But to clarify - N2 is a four lane road, right?

canadian_robin

We (Canadians) have done that drive (Cape Town to George and then north to Beaufort West) four times, twice in each direction, and had no problems - it is an easy and safe route (and very beautiful, if you continue north from George)!

While in George, you should take a drive north to Oudtshoorn, and then continue north on the R328 through the Swartberg Pass to Prince Albert. To return to George from Prince Albert, take the R407 through the Meringspoort Pass to Oudtshoorn and then continue south to George. A spectacular drive with some great picnic sites!
Robin