Hire a car or use your own?
Many of us choose to swap the plane for a much more familiar form of transport for a holiday abroad; the motorcar. However, if you want to experience the joy of the open road, with the summer breeze rushing through your hair, then you need to be sure your insurance is in order. By learning a few little known facts you could save yourself a lot of hassle and a lot of money. Here are some top insurance tips for driving abroad.
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Cape Town Car Hire - Aroundabout Cars
Lease Car Hire Cape Town
This article provides useful, detailed information about Lease Car Hire Cape Town.
Car hire in Cape Town, south africa is a matter of selecting the right rental agency. There are several car rental agencies in Cape Town that provide competitive services for customers. They rent out all kinds of cars ranging from family cars, luxury sports cars, and SUVs to beach buggies and limousines. Cars can be hired on a daily or weekly or even monthly basis. The minimum rental period is 24 hrs and maximum is 30 days, though it can be extended. The minimum permissible age of the driver is 21 years.
You can hire Audis, Fiats, Mercedes, Peugeots, Seats, Volkswagens and many other models of cars. Some of the common categories are: mini, luxury, premium, standard, intermediate, minivans/MPVs, SUVs, and compacts. The prices, policies and conditions vary greatly according to the kind of car. Professional chauffeurs are also available with some cars. Prices range from R 195.00 per day (between 3-6 days), R 170.00 per day (7-13 days) and R 145.00 per day (more than 14 days) for a Toyota Tazz 1300 (non-A/C) to R 220.00 per day (between 3-6 days), R 200.00 per day (7-13 days) and R 190.00 per day (more than 14 days) for a Toyota Corolla 1600 with A/C and R 380.00 per day (between 3-6 days), R 350.00 per day (7-13 days) and R 290.00 per day (more than 14 days) for a Audi A4 2.0 with A/C. They may be as high as R 720.00 per day (between 3-6 days), R 620.00 per day (7-13 days) and R 590.00 per day (more than 14 days) for a Toyota Condor with A/C. These prices may include unlimited mileage, and third party liability insurance.
There are several terms and conditions to be considered while hiring cars. These include: terms of payment, terms of hire, driver\'s license, personal services, gas prices, over the border rentals, additional drivers, one-way rentals, personal accident insurance and other coverage, emergency medical assistance, damage and theft waivers, and so on. Several kinds of fees may also be charged for car hiring apart from the basic rental, such as: delivery and collection charges, value added tax, rental contract fee, accident administration fee, traffic fine administration fee, congestion charge, late charges/overtime, premium location fee, service fee, and others.
There are also international car hire agencies in Cape Town that enable online reservations. They have websites that make booking easier by just filling in an online form that contains basic information like: the kind of car preferred, date of rental, the collection and delivery locations, and credit card information.
There are many car rental agencies in Cape Town. Information can be obtained from yellow pages, classifieds or from advertisements. The internet is also a very good source for locating a good car hire agency and even applying for the hire online.
Car Hire Cape Town
It's not just the unique location and beautiful year-round weather, that make Cape Town a wonderful place to explore by rental car.
The city is also home to a range of fantastic attractions. Hiring a car
in Cape Town allows you to explore the many and varied landscapes of
this beautiful city as well as the vast array of cultural draws at a
pace that is completely up to you. From traditional Townships to
natural attractions such as Table Mountain, you'll be spoilt for choice
for things to see and do in Cape Town. All you need is a map and a
healthy sense of adventure. The following is a guide to how best to
spend your time in Cape Town with a rental car.
Cape Town Airport Mini Guide:
Cape Town International Airport is the second largest airport
in South Africa and serves as a base for a number of international and
regional carriers including Qatar Airways, KLM Dutch Airlines, South
African Airways and Lufthansa.
Things To See/Do in Cape Town:
Cape Town is a modern, cosmopolitan city set in a beautiful landscape that offers excellent scope for both car hire
touring and recreational pursuits. Cape Town is a thrill seekers
paradise, offering all the raw materials for exciting outdoor
activities such as surfing, hiking and kayaking. If you're feeling
adventurous, it's even possible to take a cable car to the summit of
Table Mountain.
In order to get an insight into the city's fascinating cultural
heritage, it's a good idea to explore some of the city's museums and
galleries. Must-sees include the vibrant South Africa National Gallery,
District Six Museum and South Africa Maritime Museum. Meanwhile, the
poignant Robben Island serves as a chilling reminder of the city's turbulent Apartheid era.
Eating Out in Cape Town:
Dining out in Cape Town is a treat for all-whatever your budget or
craving. The city offers excellent variety in terms of eateries. Given
its coastal location, seafood is always a good choice choice in Cape
Town. Local catch worth sampling includes yellowtail, cape salmon,
kingklip and kabeljou. A drive to the Cape Winelands allows you to
sample both first class wine and top-notch fare. Generally speaking,
food in Cape Town is high quality, portions are generous and prices are
reasonable.
Day Trips/Events in Cape Town:
Let Cape Town act as a base from which to explore the wonderfully
diverse cultures and landscapes of the surrounding area. For the
ultimate Cape Town car hire experience, be sure to make an excursion to
Cape Peninsula, the home of the stunning Boulders Beach, famous for its
penguin colony. Meanwhile, Chapman's Peak boasts dramatic views over
Hout Bay. For an extra special drive, be sure to follow the Garden
Route, which begins at Mossel Bay and continues to the Tsitsikamma
National Park on the south coast.
Cape Town is a lively, vibrant city and is the venue for a number of
colourful festivals and events throughout the year. Calendar highlights
include March's International Jazz Festival, January's Cape to Rio
Yacht Race and October's Stellenbosch Food and Wine Festival.
Cape Town Car Hire - Aroundabout Cars
In researching this Probe, Rolling Inspiration contacted 39 car rental companies to find out what is available for disabled drivers. Only six large national companies can assist disabled drivers, but smaller firms, unanimously, report that they never get requests for adapted vehicles. A few have had requests for the seats to be removed from a Kombi or Vito so that a person in a wheelchair can fit inside the vehicle. Not a single car rental company has any vehicles with ramps, hoists, lifts or tie downs for hire.
In discussing the car hire issue with disabled drivers, the most common complaint was that there are no adapted hire cars in the cheaper categories. This makes it more expensive for disabled drivers to hire cars. Although there are a number of low-end automatic cars available for sale in the local market, the rental companies don’t buy these for their fleets!
The cheapest adapted hire cars we found were in Group C – Nissan Almera from National Alamo and Budget, and in Group D – Toyota Corolla or VW Polo from Imperial and Avis.
Advanced booking
Most
of the big six rental companies need some ‘lead time’ (advanced
booking) for an adapted car, because they do not have vehicles with
permanently fitted hand controls. When a request comes in, they send
the vehicle to the workshop where the hand control is fitted per
request. Only Avis has vehicles with permanently fitted hand controls.
But even with ten vehicles around the country, they still need advance
notice to ensure that a vehicle is always available.
If a non-driving disabled person wants to hire a vehicle in their own name but with a third party as driver, they are usually required to pay an additional driver fee. This is usually about R110 per driver. However, some rental companies are willing to waiver the additional drivers’ fee on the merits or each individual case. So if you are in this situation, then ask!
Personalised services
Two
new services have recently been launched by the big rental companies.
The point-to-point service picks up and drops off passengers at their
request. The chauffer-driven service is more personalized, with the
passenger driven to a destination by chauffeur, who waits as
necessary. These services may even work out cheaper than hiring a car
for a day if just a short trip is required.
The companies listed below can provide a vehicle with hand controls. A price comparison has been done on a one-day rental with standard theft and damage waivers, but remember that all rental prices depend on the number of days, distance travelled, seasonal demand, age of driver, amount of insurance cover requested, etc.
Article SourceGetting around Cape Town
Most hotels and backpacker lodges in Cape Town will have a shuttle service to collect you from the airport, so if you have booked in advance you will probably be given a free airport transfer.
There's also Cape Town's wonderful Backpacker Bus, which ferries passengers between more than 40 lodges in and around the city, as well as to many of the great attractions in the surrounding areas. Also on offer is a night bus service, perfect for those visitors who want to avoid drinking and driving.
Backpacking along the Garden Route is an adventure everyone should experience. Baz Bus offers a hop-on-hop-off service from Cape Town all the way along the Garden Route, as well as further a field to Durban and Johannesburg. This is great, as it lets you explore the amazing scenery at your leisure, getting back on the bus when you're keen to move on.
Public transport isn't great in Cape Town, so it's best to hire a car to get around the city. The road network is good, well-maintained and fairly easy to navigate - the mountain makes a great landmark for finding your bearings. Most areas of interest are well sign-posted, and information brochures generally include maps highlighting attractions.
Many hotels offer car hire your accommodation, and while there are conventional hire cars available from companies like Hertz and Europcar, more interesting vehicles are also easy to come by. Everything is available, from reliable around-town runabouts to 4x4's, motorbikes and scooters. Visit Motostars in the CBD for a look at some really special classic vehicles, while those looking for purely luxury vehicles should visit Motor Classic for the ultimate ride. If a motor home is more your style, then look into some options for Camper Hire.
It is always advisable to hire from a company with a solid reputation, who offer you new or good quality cars and assistance during your rental. They should also offer service in the event of a problem.
If you book via a tour operator there is a strong possibility you will receive lower rental rates and vehicles are provided with unlimited mileage. Rates are usually slightly higher and work on a pay-per-kilometre basis when vehicles are booked directly through car hire providers. The major car hire companies have branches for collection and drop-off at airports and in all major cities.
Petrol stations can be found regularly, and many in urban areas stay open 24/7. But 24-hour stations are hard to find outside the cities, so keep the tank filled up to avoid running out of petrol late at night somewhere remote.
All over Cape Town car attendants will help you with parking and operating parking meters, and who will offer to watch over your car for you. This is an integral part of the Cape Town culture, and the guards provide a valuable service. At night in the city these are mostly West African, whose witty French banter livens up the night and adds to the cosmopolitan atmosphere.
When leaving your car, lock valuables in the boot - don't leave them where they are clearly visible. Car break-in is a common crime in Cape Town, and is mostly opportunistic - so if they see it, they'll go for it.
It is customary to give the attendant a tip on return to your vehicle. But don't feel obliged to pay more than a few rands, and attendants should not badger you for money.
Article SourceAroundAboutCars
Restaurants in Cape Town
One of the most beautiful cities in the world, Cape Town is home to people from diverse cultures and ethnic groups, each contributing to the array of tastes and smells a visitor can expect to enjoy when dining in one of Cape Town’s many restaurants.
Typically a good Cape Town restaurant will be reasonably priced and serve well prepared dishes that will linger in your memories long after you have left the city. This article will highlight some of the great flavours, places and influences which give Cape Town restaurants their unique character. To truly experience Cape Town you should try to include dishes from various Cape Town restaurants influenced by different cultures.
Cape Malay
Probably the biggest cultural influence on Cape Town’s traditional food comes from Cape Malay cooking traditions. Truly South African dishes like Bobotie, Breyani, Samoosas and Koeksisters are all brought to us by the Cape Malay culture.
Bobotie is made from minced meat and raisins, with a creamy crust for a covering made from egg. The dish has a sweet taste and is a South African favourite. Breyani is a dish made from rice and lentils, with fish, chicken or other meat. This is a tasty, yet spicy meal which is popular in Cape Town. The samoosa is a very popular snack in Cape Town and South Africa, made by wrapping mince meat or vegetables in pastry and then deep frying it. For the sweet tooth there is the legendary koeksister, a sweet pastry often enjoyed with a cup of tea. The Cape Malay version has a more cake-like consistency, while the Afrikaner adaption comes in the form of a twisted pastry glazed in syrup, making for a very sweet treat.
African Flavours
Visitors to Cape Town can chose from a variety of African fusion restaurants which will give you an unforgettable taste experience as traditional African ingredients are combined in adventurous dishes that will tantalise your taste buds. The menus typically offer a tremendous range, catering to diverse tastes and satisfying your palate, no matter how particular it may be.
Cape Town Restaurant Settings
The Cape Town Waterfront is a development which has grown around a working harbour, where you can shop till you drop, then visit museums and galleries, see weird and wonderful sea life in the famous Two Oceans Aquarium, book a stay in a luxury hotel and dine in one of the fabulous restaurants looking out over the harbour. This is one of Cape Town’s big tourist draw cards, and after visiting you will know exactly why the Waterfront is such a popular spot.
Camps Bay beach is a popular spot for the young and trendy. Enjoy the beautiful white sand and warm sunshine, but remember to protect yourself with a good sun block. The water is known to be a bit on the chilly side, but it does serve to provide refreshing relief from the midsummer heat. Here you can expect to find Cape Town restaurants offering top calibre seaside dining.
Taking a walk around the Castle or browsing the stalls on Greenmarket Square can work up an appetite which one of the Cape Town City Centre restaurants will satisfy with style. There are a variety of good restaurants to be found on Shortmarket Street, New Church Street, Castle Street, Loop Street and the likes.
False Bay offers some stunning seaside restaurants, notably those in Kalk Bay, where you can enjoy the best of Cape Town’s more casual dining locations, with the cry of gulls over breaking waves lending a charming character to the setting.
Green Point has a lively nightlife with old style disco clubs and music for the liberal tourist to enjoy a night out. There are a variety of restaurants where you can enjoy anything from sophisticated cocktails to imported Belgian beers with your meal.
Sea Point’s Beach Road has a couple of good restaurants offering a view of the promenade where rollerblading, jogging and dog walking are popular activities under the summer sun. Enjoy a hearty meal here and sip on a drink as the sun sets and Cape Town’s night life awakens.
Southern Suburbs restaurants range from sports pubs to the finest French cuisine restaurants on beautiful Constantia wine estates. Newlands hosts Cape Town’s cricket and rugby stadiums, where international events are common place, resulting in a frenzy of patriotism and a great atmosphere for visitors to the city to enjoy.
The Winelands are just a short drive outside of the city, where wine tasting is the order of the day. Enjoy a wide variety of restaurants on the various wine farms offering wine tasting and great dishes for the hungry tourist. The beauty of Stellenbosch and Franschoek make for a breathtaking escape from city life where you can enjoy the best food, wine and hospitality.
Quality Car Hire in Cape Town and South Africa from AroundAbout Cars Car Hire: When Public Transport Just Doesn't Suffice Sunday, 2 December 2007 - Shaun Parker Hiring a car is a useful way to gain transport when travelling on the public transport network is just not an option. The unreliability of the rail network and coaches can be a major reason to hire a car, for those who live their lives to a tight schedule it is a must to be punctual and arrive on time. Tardiness, in many industries is a fate worse than death and setting the wrong impression can often be a deal breaker. This is where car hire companies serve a valued service to their customers. For those who do not wish to use their own car and add to their mileage, plus those who wish to travel in relative comfort and with the freedom that only driving can bring, car hire is an ever present option. Car hire companies fall into two main categories; there are those who own their fleet of vehicles and those who effectively act as brokers using other companies fleets. Some companies will impose an age limit upon those allowed to hire a car; this is usually twenty five, although some companies will allow younger drivers to hire cars. In this case however, access to the full range of vehicles is usually limited. When hiring a car usual practice is to require payment by credit card, this is mainly a security feature for the car hire company enabling them to trace the customer in the event that the car is not returned by the specified date and time. When using a reputable and large car hire company, the task of gaining a hired car is made even easier. Many now possess an online booking system allowing you to just pick up the keys, sign a few forms and get on your way as soon as possible. With depots based around most major cities and airports, access is made simple and enables one way journeys to the majority of the country. An added bonus to car hire is that unlike public transport you are not entering a destination to destination contract; this can be useful especially when orchestrating a meeting with the need to pick up members of the party from a variety of locations. When you are heading out to a family get together, you can often find yourself with hundreds of miles to travel and five fully grown adults looking for a way to get there. Unfortunately not all families possess a car, and many since the rise in popularity of smaller, 'super minis' only own a car suitable for short journeys with just enough space for four adults. This is where car hire can be a useful alternative to traipsing across the country with bags in tow on the dilapidated rail network or enduring hours on a cramped coach that seems to take the scenic route, and then some. For a fee that in many cases can cost less than rail tickets for the entire party a car can be hired and picked up from a convenient point allowing you to travel in comfort and at your own pace. Car hire is not purely a national service either, for many holidaymakers hiring a car is a preferable option to travelling on a foreign public transportation network. Rather than rushing you across the country at high speed hiring a car enables you to travel at leisure, taking in all the culture and scenic beauty a country has to offer. The possibility of stopping for a roadside lunch at a local eatery is always there and very often provides a welcome distraction, as well as adding to the enjoyment of the journey. Just remember to drive on the right side of the road.
Start your driving tour of South Africa with Cape Town Car Hire from Aroundaboutcars
Exploring the Wine Routes Near Cape Town
Source: http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Exploring+the+Wine+Routes+Near+Cape+Town-a01073892162Cape Town has long been associated with an impressive culture of viticulture and wine tasting Here, you will find numerous wine farms, wine routes and vineyards
Cape Town has long been associated with an impressive culture of viticulture and wine tasting. Here, you will find numerous wine farms, wine routes and vineyards. Even if you are not a wine lover, you will certainly find yourself enjoying the beautiful wine estates and routes that wind around the countryside. From Cape Town, many of these wine routes are perfect day trip; allowing plenty of time to drive as well as visit numerous wine establishments within the local area.In fact, one of your most difficult decisions may be deciding exactly which wine routes you want to explore because there are just simply so many in the local area. Stellenbosch is home to four main wine routes. They include Devon Valley, Bottlary Hills, Simonsberg and Helderberg routes. This is one of the most popular wine routes in the area and is frequently explored by car. Certainly, the scenery is absolutely spectacular but it also ranks as a favorite due to the fact that the wine farms in the area are relatively close to one another; allowing ample opportunity to squeeze in several within a single day.
On a typical day trip you could easily start out from Cape Town and travel to Durbanville. Durbanville is home to the Dubanville Wine Valley and several vineyards. If you wish, you could even stay in one of the many fine accommodations that are situated throughout the area, including several bed and breakfast inns. There are several wine farms in this district which you can explore as well as enjoy wine samplings. When lunch time rolls around, you can also enjoy a lovely lunch at one of the delectable restaurants that are scattered throughout the surrounding wine farms. In the evenings, there are plenty of activities to enjoy as well, including shopping and even theatre.
Wellington is also another excellent choice. This quaint mountainside town is located near the Kromme River in the Boland area of the region. From Cape Town, it is approximately a one hour drive to Wellington. There are well over a dozen wine farms in this area to explore as well as a brandy route. Of course, the local scenery alone would be enough reason to enjoy this route.
You might also consider exploring Worcester in the Breede River Valley. This picturesque town is home to numerous historic buildings as well as a variety of flora and fauna. There are a number of wine farms situated in Worcester as well, each offering shops, restaurants and wine tasting opportunities. If you are looking for something a bit more adventurous you can also go white water rafting.
Top off your trip with a drive through the Somerset West region. There are numerous choices in terms of accommodation here, including bed and breakfast inns and guest houses. Somerset is situated in the Helderberg Wine Route region and offers the opportunity to explore more than 30 wine farms and estate. There is also a shopping mall, nature reserve and golf course as well.
We are your source for Cape Town Accommodation, Cape Town Hotels, Knysna Accommodation, and more for your next vacation to the Western Cape.
A Roundabout Experience - Cape Town Car Rental
In my personal opinion the best way to travel is by car. So when my friend, Greg, and I decided to go on a trip down to Cape Town we decided that car rental would be the first on our ”must-do” list. We opted for a small hatchback to zip around on our trip from Cape Town to Hermanus and back to the Cape winelands.
On the road…
We wanted to go to Hermanus for two reasons. First and foremost to go visit my old and dear friend Michelle, and secondly for the Whale festival. The drive from Cape Town to Hermanus is beautiful. Scenic views as you drive Sir Lowry’s mountain pass filled with flowers, then small farmhouses and the occasional shop where you can buy some of the fresh farm produce that you would never be able to get in the city. So we stopped at Aunt Millie’s Farm Stall. Known for her fresh home cooked pies we of course couldn’t resist stopping for a bite first. While sitting in the car savouring one of Aunt Millie’s notorious pies, we were surrounded by the most breath-taking view around us.
Back on the road the excitement of seeing an old friend and the fact that I was on the open road again was exactly why I loved driving through the countryside. Being on the open road always gives me a sense of freedom which you don’t experience much when living in the city. There’s nothing rushing you to simply get from A to B, but taking your time to appreciate what most people just take for granted in their rush. Road tripping is not about the destination, but the journey.
A whale of a time…
When we eventually reached Hermanus we were greeted with what I despise most, traffic. Tourists like us coming to town for the Whale festival. Luckily it wasn’t too hectic, unlike rushour traffic in the big cities. After we had found parking we waited at the local pub for Michelle to come and join us. She soon joined us and we toasted to the good life. After catching up a bit we moved down to the beach front for some whale watching. Every year the whales migrate down to the Cape waters for their breeding season, giving us much entertainment as they do their bit of showing off. The whales get up close in the bay and each view of a tail or a fin causes much excitement for everyone watching them from the shore. How lucky one feels to be part of what must be such a little part of their lives.
After much time spent simply enjoying the view of the whales we moved on to the festivities that were happening in town. There were flea markets and beer gardens, children playing around with painted faces and balloons, and music playing on the speakers for everyone’s enjoyment. The atmosphere was infectious, everybody seemed happy.
Continuing our journey…
After spending two more days in Hermanus, catching up with Michelle, sharing jokes and more whale-watching, Greg and I were soon on the road again. We took the long road back towards the Cape winelands. I was quite the happy snapper when Greg was driving. I was taking a lot of photos, but being the amateur photographer I am, it almost felt like an injustice to the beauty of the winelands. You can’t really capture the essence of what you experience when looking at such breathtaking views. We stopped at what seemed like every little shop on the side of the road, taking our time to simply enjoy the splendour surrounding us. We took every dirt road and steered clear of any highways. We didn’t set schedules and didn’t book any accommodation beforehand, because this is not what a road trip should be about. It is about enjoying whatever comes your way and being spontaneous!
For the most affordable Cape Town car rentals contact AroundAboutCars for car rentals throughout South Africa.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lulie_Swanepoel
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