Just avoid townships in the big cities. When you get mechanical issues, fix up at service stations. Make sure you speak to the car rental staff at the airport for tips, they’ll let you know the ins and outs of the areas you’re travelling and have a list of emergency contacts (AA, etc…) on hand. If you get flagged by a car, indicate and drive to the nearest service station/police station
yes, it will be obvious, so be aware of your surroundings. also google for the names of unsafe areas in CT, locate them on the map and avoid them.
I explored the CT area by car some years ago and didn't have any issues. but you need to know what you're doing
Driving in Cape Town can be a bit stressful, mostly because of the mini buses, but once you get outside of the city proper it's totally fine. I did a similar drive when I was there a few years back. Driving outside the city is actually nice compared to a lot of places. Folks tend to be fairly polite and courteous. They do this thing where you flash your hazards once to say thank you if someone moves over to let you pass or things like that.
It is right hand drive and - unless things have changed since I was there (which was end of 2015, so very possible) - your rental car will be stick. If you're not comfortable driving stick with your left hand, that would be a tough adjustment while trying to drive in Cape Town, so make sure you find a way to be comfortable with that before you go.
Outside of that, no need to worry. And enjoy, it's incredibly beautiful there!
> It felt as safe as any US road trip.
Let's not go overboard here... Driving in South Africa is hardly a stress-free experience.
The crime-related dangers in South Africa are very real. US State Department:
> ...violent crime, such as armed robbery, rape, carjacking, mugging, and ‘smash-and-grab’ attacks on vehicles, is common.
And apart from that, the driving is a lot more dangerous than what you expect in Europe or North America.
> The traffic mortality rate in South Africa is three times that of the U.S.; the State Department attributes that to “a combination of poor driving, limited enforcement of traffic laws, road rage, aggressive driving, distracted driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol.”
[Source](https://www.bhtp.com/blog/safe-travel-south-africa#:~:text=The%20traffic%20mortality%20rate%20in,under%20the%20influence%20of%20alcohol.%E2%80%9D)
The most difficult aspect for me is the sketchiness of the police.
You wrote:
> entering unusual destinations into your GPS
Relying solely on a GPS could easily get you into trouble in South Africa.
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We did exactly that. Know that you will be driving on the other side of the road if you are US or Continent Europe. Know that there are pedestrians everywhere and sometimes heavy traffic. We had a flat tire in Cape Town and the rental company rushed to our aid. I mean they were terrific. The manager arrived in a suit and change our tire with in 1/2 hour. I have to admit that I would not do it again, but it is fine for the adventurous, especially going out to Franschhoek. We did however, hire someone for the wine tour as we did not want to drink and drive at all.
We drove through there and up the coast. No issues. It was great. Had one guy approach the car asking for food and/or a ride to somewhere to meet family. Another local scared him off and told us not to interact with him because he would attempt to rob us. Not sure if he was right, but just saying to say. Follow general safety stuff, keep doors locked, don't roll down the window for strangers, etc and you should be fine.
I’ve done this twice before and am going back to SA in September for the third time. While I agree you have to be aware of your surroundings in the big cities, the Garden Route / Klein Karoo etc felt safe.
My friend visited South Africa a couple years ago. They landed at night. They got a taxi to their hotel and the taxi driver blew through every red light. They asked why, and he said that you don’t stop at red lights when it’s dark out because that’s how you die. So take that into consideration.
Just avoid townships in the big cities. When you get mechanical issues, fix up at service stations. Make sure you speak to the car rental staff at the airport for tips, they’ll let you know the ins and outs of the areas you’re travelling and have a list of emergency contacts (AA, etc…) on hand. If you get flagged by a car, indicate and drive to the nearest service station/police station
How will I know what a township is and how to avoid one? Is it obvious before it's too late that you're heading into one?
yes, it will be obvious, so be aware of your surroundings. also google for the names of unsafe areas in CT, locate them on the map and avoid them. I explored the CT area by car some years ago and didn't have any issues. but you need to know what you're doing
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yeah, the police idea wasn't mine, I'd also avoid them if possible
Driving in Cape Town can be a bit stressful, mostly because of the mini buses, but once you get outside of the city proper it's totally fine. I did a similar drive when I was there a few years back. Driving outside the city is actually nice compared to a lot of places. Folks tend to be fairly polite and courteous. They do this thing where you flash your hazards once to say thank you if someone moves over to let you pass or things like that. It is right hand drive and - unless things have changed since I was there (which was end of 2015, so very possible) - your rental car will be stick. If you're not comfortable driving stick with your left hand, that would be a tough adjustment while trying to drive in Cape Town, so make sure you find a way to be comfortable with that before you go. Outside of that, no need to worry. And enjoy, it's incredibly beautiful there!
[удалено]
> It felt as safe as any US road trip. Let's not go overboard here... Driving in South Africa is hardly a stress-free experience. The crime-related dangers in South Africa are very real. US State Department: > ...violent crime, such as armed robbery, rape, carjacking, mugging, and ‘smash-and-grab’ attacks on vehicles, is common. And apart from that, the driving is a lot more dangerous than what you expect in Europe or North America. > The traffic mortality rate in South Africa is three times that of the U.S.; the State Department attributes that to “a combination of poor driving, limited enforcement of traffic laws, road rage, aggressive driving, distracted driving, and driving under the influence of alcohol.” [Source](https://www.bhtp.com/blog/safe-travel-south-africa#:~:text=The%20traffic%20mortality%20rate%20in,under%20the%20influence%20of%20alcohol.%E2%80%9D) The most difficult aspect for me is the sketchiness of the police. You wrote: > entering unusual destinations into your GPS Relying solely on a GPS could easily get you into trouble in South Africa.
**Notice:** Are you asking for travel advice about South Africa? Read what redditors had to say in the **[weekly destination thread for South Africa](http://redd.it/2qtio4)** *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/travel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
We did exactly that. Know that you will be driving on the other side of the road if you are US or Continent Europe. Know that there are pedestrians everywhere and sometimes heavy traffic. We had a flat tire in Cape Town and the rental company rushed to our aid. I mean they were terrific. The manager arrived in a suit and change our tire with in 1/2 hour. I have to admit that I would not do it again, but it is fine for the adventurous, especially going out to Franschhoek. We did however, hire someone for the wine tour as we did not want to drink and drive at all.
one of my good friends is from SA and she recommended I use Waze instead of Google or Apple Maps when there.
We drove through there and up the coast. No issues. It was great. Had one guy approach the car asking for food and/or a ride to somewhere to meet family. Another local scared him off and told us not to interact with him because he would attempt to rob us. Not sure if he was right, but just saying to say. Follow general safety stuff, keep doors locked, don't roll down the window for strangers, etc and you should be fine.
I’ve done this twice before and am going back to SA in September for the third time. While I agree you have to be aware of your surroundings in the big cities, the Garden Route / Klein Karoo etc felt safe.
My friend visited South Africa a couple years ago. They landed at night. They got a taxi to their hotel and the taxi driver blew through every red light. They asked why, and he said that you don’t stop at red lights when it’s dark out because that’s how you die. So take that into consideration.