In almost all cases the price of a (4×4) camper trip is almost the same as a holiday with a medium rental car and overnight stays in three star accommodation including breakfast. If you want or need a larger car or want to stay in more luxurious accommodations, the car trip will of course become more expensive.
4×4 camper or motorhome & camp sites:
The prices of a motorhome or 4×4 camper depend on the number of days, the season, the exchange rate and the collection / return location. Camper rental is calculated per calendar day.
The costs for campsites in South Africa are around € 10- € 15 per person per night.
In the neighbouring countries (and in the national parks) the costs are often higher.
Rental car & accommodations:
Een categorie C huurauto (middelmaat) komt op ongeveer € 30 per dag (ook weer afhankelijk van het seizoen, het aantal dagen en de geldende koers). Autohuur wordt per 24 uur berekend.
Een drie sterren accommodatie komt op ca. € 25 tot € 35 per persoon per nacht. Dit is uiteraard afhankelijk van de geldende koers.Voor 4 sterren accommodaties kunt u rekenen op ca. €50 – 80 gemiddeld per persoon per nacht inclusief ontbijt. 5 Sterren accommodaties beginnen bij € 75 per persoon per nacht gemiddeld. Safari lodges (inclusief maaltijden en safari’s) boeken we tussen €150 en €600 per per persoon per nacht.
A category C rental car (medium, middle class) will cost you about € 30 per day (again depending on the season, the number of days and the current exchange rate). Car rental is calculated per 24 hours.
A three star accommodation costs € 25 to € 35 per person per night. This of course depends on the exchange rate. For 4 star accommodations you can count on approximately € 50 – 80 on average per person per night including breakfast. 5 star accommodations start at € 75 per person per night on average. We book safari lodges (including meals and safaris) between € 150 and € 600 per person per night.
For South Africa you officially need an international drivers licence. In reality, the licence from EU countries driving license is often accepted as well (provided that at least ‘Driving license’ is mentioned in English), but the police may ask you for an international driving licence. Our Dutch drivers licence was always sufficient during police road blocks. If you want to be 100% it is advisable to puchase an international drivers licence before you travel.
An international drivers licence is mandatory for camper rental.
Recently a client informed us that he travelled without an international drivers licence. He received a R2500 fine when he couldn’t show the police his international licence. This is the first time we heard about this in more than 10 years.
You need to rent a GPS separately. You can rent a GPS and / or satellite telephone through us in combination with your car or motorhome rental.
In some cases, a GPS is already built into the vehicle. If this is the case then this is indicated on our website under the specifications of the car.
Via the car rental company a GPS costs around R 100 per day. Via camper suppliers a GPS costs around R 50 per day.
If you already have a GPS, you can also download (at a cost) maps of South Africa via the website of your GPS supplier. This is often a cheaper option than renting a GPS, especially for longer journeys.
In most cases it is sufficient if only the first driver (the name of the person on which the car is booked and also credit car holder for the deposit) is present when collecting the vehicle. This person must be in possession of a copy of the (international) driver’s license of the second (or possibly several) driver(s).
If you are unable to be present as an additional driver when picking up the vehicle, we advise you to contact us first. We can then check the options for you.
If you are planning not to cover too much distance or to make use of excursions then it can be attractive to make use of transfers instead of a rental car. You will then be collected by a chauffeur and taken to the next destination.
Please ask us for this option if you are not sure about the difference in costs or if you prefer not to drive yourself.
If you stay at one location for multiple nights and do not need a car at this location, then it might even be cheaper to use transfers than to have a car. Of course you will always have more freedom to plan your own route when you have a rental car.
Uw auto is via de meeste leveranciers verzekerd op een all inclusive plus verzekering (inclusief glas-en bandenschade, onbeperkte kilometers, lage borg en geen eigen risico).
Wij zitten met ons kantoor in Zuid-Afrika en hebben direct contact met de leveranciers. Een tussenpersoon (broker) werkt niet direct met de leverancier. Wij hebben dagelijks goed contact met de lokale leveranciers hier ter plaatse in Zuid-Afrika. Hierdoor hebben wij ook zeer gunstige tarieven bedongen.
Wanneer u besluit een auto te boeken via een tussenpersoon heeft u geen verzekering direct via de leverancier, maar via de broker zelf en heeft u een zeer hoge borg, welke geblokkeerd wordt op uw creditcard (in sommige gevallen tot wel € 5000). In geval van schade zult u dit dus altijd lokaal – soms grote bedragen – moeten voldoen en bij thuiskomst terug moeten vorderen. Daarnaast is deze verzekering ook niet in alle gevallen volledig dekkend.
Wanneer u direct via ons boekt is dit niet geval. Wanneer u schade oploopt tijdens uw vakantie wordt dit verholpen en betaald door de leverancier en hoeft u zich hier tijdens en na uw vakantie niet druk meer over te maken.
Most cars on our website have an all-inclusive plus insurance included (including glass and tyre damage, unlimited mileage, low deposit and no excess).
Our office is in South Africa and we have direct contact with suppliers. An intermediary (broker) does not work directly with the supplier. We have good daily contact with the local suppliers here in South Africa. As a result, we have also negotiated very favourable rates.
When you decide to book a car through an intermediary, your insurance goes through the broker and not directly with the South African supplier. You will have a very high deposit which will be blocked on your credit card (in some cases up to € 5000). In the event of damage, you will therefore always have to pay this locally – sometimes large amounts – and reclaim from the broker’s insurance it when you return home. In addition, this insurance is not in all cases fully comprehensive.
If you book through us this is not the case. If you incur damage during your vacation, this will be remedied and paid for by the supplier and you will no longer have to worry about it during and after your vacation.
South Africa is a four-wheel drive (4×4) country. The South Africans like to drive in it themselves, but a 4×4 will also add be great fun for yourself. With a 4×4 rental car you have no problems driving throughe through the beautiful game reserves, you can make trips on dirt roads, you drive along beautiful mountain passes and are carefree driving through the busy city traffic. A 4×4 can therefore offer a lot of driving pleasure and extra comfort.
A 4×4 car is also ideal if you also want to visit other countries in southern Africa.
There are also cars that look like a 4×4. These cars have a higher ground clearance, but are two wheel drive. These cars are not suitable for muddy, slippery and steep roads. These cars are cheaper than the 4×4 and you will find them under our normal car rental, category larges. This is a good option if you want a little more comfort than a regular Sedan but don’t plan on driving on the really bad roads.
A 4×4 is not required for most routes and roads in South Africa. A normal car is the cheapest option and suitable for many roads. On the bad roads, however, make sure to drive slow and careful. There is always a small chance that you will get stuck.
Please send us your route and travel plan and we are happy to advise you on the type of car that best suits your journey.
We drive on the left side of the road in South Africa. This is not a problem for most people,. It’s our experience that you get used to it very quickly. However, if you find this a bit scary or are not too sure about driving on the left, then we can recommend that you consider an automatic car. This will help you focus on the road by eliminating extra distractions like changing gears (with your other hand).
Note: the pedals and the gears work identically to left hand drive cars. The clutch is on the left, the brake in the middle and the accelerator on the right. 1st gear is in the front left, 2nd in the back on the left, etc. The latter means a different movement: you shift with your left hand and instead of pulling the gear lever towards you and forward, push it away from you and forward to put the car in first gear.