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| Home > City Guide - Cape Town - Getting There By Road | ||
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Getting There By Road Cape Town’s road network is excellent, with both good highways and scenic routes. This, combined with the fact that there is limited public transport, means that driving is often the preferred mode of transport for many tourists. However, visitors should note that South Africa has a very high accident rate, although most major accidents happen on the national highways outside the cities. Roads are designated by an ‘M’ for motorway, ‘N’ for national roads and highways (major routes that crisscross the country) and ‘R’ for the smaller yet still key routes. Local roads, including gravel or dirt tracks, are commonly designated by a ‘C’ or ‘D’, if they are listed at all. The legal driving age is 18 years. Driving is on the left and the wearing of seatbelts is mandatory. The speed limit on highways is 120kph (75mph) and 60kph (37mph) in urban areas. Foreign licences are valid if they are printed in English and have a photograph of the holder, otherwise an International Driving Permit is essential. Licences must be carried at all times. Mandatory Personal Accident Insurance is included in the price of the petrol, however, drivers should not rely on this and extra insurance is recommended. A recent crackdown on drink-driving has made penalties stringent; so visitors should note that the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is lower than many countries at 0.04%. Foreign drivers need to be aware that car hijacking is rampant in South Africa. Doors should be locked at all times and hitchhikers should be completely avoided. Unfortunately, it is also essential for drivers to carry cash, as petrol stations do not accept credit cards. The Automobile Association of South Africa – AA (tel: (021) 462 4426) provides general information on road travel in South Africa. Emergency breakdown service: AA (0800) 010 101 (toll free) Yellow SOS telephones are available along major routes. Routes to the city: Main routes to Cape Town are the N1 from the Winelands (Paarl, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek) and northern destinations, such as Johannesburg, the N2 from Somerset West and the Overberg via the Garden Route, and the N7 from the West Coast and Namibia. Approximate driving times to Cape Town: From Somerset West – 30 minutes; Stellenbosch – 40 minutes; Paarl – 45 minutes; Franschhoek – 1 hour; Johannesburg – 17 hours. Coach services: Cape Town is linked by air-conditioned, deluxe and standard bus services to all major destinations in South Africa, including Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth. Cape Town Station, Adderley Street, is the departure point for all bus services. Service providers include Intercape Mainliner (tel: (021) 386 4400, information or 4444, reservations; fax: (021) 386 4453 or 2488, reservations; e-mail: info@intercape.co.za; website: www.intercape.co.za), Greyhound (tel: (021) 505 6363; website: www.greyhound.co.za) and Translux (tel: (021) 449 3333; fax: (021) 449 2545; website: www.translux.co.za). |
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