airport info

I long of a drive is it from the capetown airport to downtown hotel
at 10 pm at night.
How much is the taxi ride?

Is a car hire really needed in Capetown.....thanks

[oliver]

At 10pm the roads are not very busy and you can get from Cape Town International to town in about 15 or 20 minutes. A taxi ride from the airport to town will not cost you more than R200. I know my sister paid R200 to be taken from town to the airport at 4am the other day - this would be more expensive for obvious reasons so I'm guessing you would be paying between R100 and R150.

Depending on where you want to go, car hire may be necessary. There is cheap public transport from town to many areas in Cape Town by taxi - these taxis won't cost more than R8 one way but only travel on the main road and certain designated routes.

Where are you interested in spending your time when down here? I could give you a better answer as to whether car hire would be necessary.

oliver, going on garden route to knysna for 8 days.
the other days in capetown with side trips ie wine country
are you saying I do not need any car in capetown
and a taxi would be safe and oK ?????

[oliver]

The cheap taxis here are not the safest form of transport but they do cover a lot of spots in Cape Town. They are normally very loaded and full with people. Some are also in poor shape though it is very competitive and you never have to wait more than 5 minutes for another one if you decide against using a particular one.

As far as covering the wine estates is concerned - I think a car would definitely be needed for this.

All in all, I would say that you should rather hire a car from a comfort perspective. If you do any shopping it is very hard to take on the taxis.

Cape Town is not well known for its public transport. Maybe the best option would be trying out the public transport for a few days and then deciding for yourself whether a car is necessary.

There is a car rental section on the following link if you wish to see prices and what sort of car rentals are available - Cape Town car hire

question

basically We have travelled many places in the world

I am wondering whether to drive a car rental at 10pm at night
or get a taxi......?

I understand that night driving I cannot get lost in capetown
or I may run into some trouble....

so are the taxis at the airport OK...and I can get a car

in a couple of days later as I become more familiar with the area

[oliver]

Basically there are two types of taxis in Cape Town - there are combis which get loaded full of people (the cheaper rides, travelling along designated routes) and then there are proper taxis (like a cab where you can specify where you need to go).

The airport taxis will be the proper ones - so those are very safe. If you are arriving in the evening then I would definitely recommend getting a proper taxi as the airport is close by to some pretty dangerous areas.

There is lots to do around town where you will be staying - the waterfront is close by and the cheaper taxis go there. So your idea sounds perfect, see what you want to see in the areas close by to town for the first few days and use the combi taxis. Once you have orientated yourselves and wish to visit areas further out of town (e.g. wine tasting) then rent your own car.

Remember that the combi taxis do not run past about 6.30pm whereas the proper taxis you can get hold of 24hrs a day.