Back in the UK a road trip was anything over an hour! Since moving to South Africa we have learnt that most people thinking nothing off putting the kids in the car and driving 10 - 12 hours!

At the end of our first year in Joburg we headed to the Transkei for Christmas. It was the longest road trip we had ever done. We drove the route over 2 long days which looking back will be one of the most memorable trips we have taken for good and bad reasons. Good: Beautiful scenery and the sense of adventure in the new routes undertaken. Bad: locking the keys and the dogs in the car, a burst oil pipe and driving through the largest thunder storm over Van Buren pass (at night) in years. What a journey, loved (in hindsight) every minute.

We are learning, and now Road Trips are something we have come to love and don’t think twice about jumping in the car for a weekend away to Durban (5/6yrs) or out to Madikwe (4/5yrs).

This year we are driving 16 hours down to Cape Town with twin boys (2yrs) and our girl (4yrs) and ridgeback dog, which is going to take some preparation.

Here is my research to date, which covers - route selection, places to stay and other tips for making it the best road trip ever!!

Johannesburg to Cape Town some 1400 km on the N1 - put it into your sat nav and it will say continue on this road for 1,401 kilometres.......

The Route:

Option 1: N1

(15/16 hours)

Leave Joburg on M2
Take M1 N to Christian Barnard St/M60
Take N1 exit to Cape Town
Pass through Bloemfontein
Colesberg
Richmond
Beaufort West
In to Cape Town via the Wine Lands

We stayed at the beautiful Bloemhof Karoo - click here to read our review.

Route 2: 1519km

Not much more than standard 1400km on N1, route taken from Traveller 24

Joburg - Kimberley
Kimberly N12 to N1 at Three Sisters
Continue N1 through Beautfort west
N12 - Outdshoorn
Outdshoorn to George
George - N2 - Cape Town

Route 3: The Ultimate Road Trip Of South Africa

Around 2,500Km Route supplied by South Africa To

Leave Joburg N3 - Vaal River
Head onto R26 towards Bethlehem
Clarens - R712 - R711 towards Ficksburg
Fouriesburg change from R711 onto R26 (again)
At Ficksburg you will enter Lesotho
Lesotho visit Maseru
Head back into SA back on R26
Rouxville - N6
Then head onto R58 crossing the Orange River
R56 towards Middelburg
N9 South to Graaff Reinet
N12 to Oudtshoorn
George - Mossel Bay
N2 Heidelberg (start Garden Route)
Hermanus
Cape Town

Going To Eastern Cape - Portfolio Collection

Not heading to Cape Town but Plet or Port Elizabeth - Click here for Back Road Route, highlighting some wonderful stop overs and places to eat along the way.

Where To Stop

N1 route: Day 1
1. Windmill casino in Bloemfontein (the Spur) has a good play area for the kids and off the road so the dogs can run around a bit.
2. Colesburg or our fav is the Karoo Padstal just before Richmond on the right (has red flags leading up to it).
3. Service Stations / Padstals - usually yummy home baked goods for quick stop

Stay Over:

Beaufort West (small town in Cape Karoo) - 930Km from Joburg and 460Km to Cape Town, so majority of your drive will be done on day 1

Lemoenfontein Game Lodge
Ko kat sara Bush Camp

If this is too far to drive in one day - you can stop off in Colesberg at Kuilfontein Stable Cottages
or we love to stay at the Bloemhof see my review here.

Take the additional day to head to Graaf Reinet and Camdeboo National Park, fellow blogger 2summers has a great write up of this beautiful stop over. READ IT HERE

Or slight D Tour to Gariep Dam - DeStijl Hotel

Day 2 stops: standard N1 route:
1. Matjiesfontein - very cute little town. Nice to grab lunch at the coffee shop, dogs can sit out back with you. Nice to walk around the town as well.

Kimberly Route 2:

Stay at Country Club Kimberly

There are also lots of little Farm Stalls on route, selling uniquely South African items such as Rose Geranium Cordial, Lamb and mint Pies, Fig Jam and Biltong. Check out Food Jams post by Jade de Waal

General Tips:

   •   Leave early to avoid queues at the tolls
   •   Have a map and backups to your GPS
   •   Take enough small change / cash for the tolls (don’t accept foreign credit cards, and only some accept south african credit cards)
   •   The big petrol stations have grassy areas for the dogs so make great pit stops.
   •   Stick to Speed Limit (usually - 120km/h major routes / 100km/h secondary roads, and 60km/h in towns)
   •   Pull over into hard shoulder (yellow line) to let cars pass and then thank other drivers by flashing your hazard lights.
   •   Make sure you have your drivers licence on you and certified photocopies of your passports (or actual passports)
   •   Don’t leave your bag or valuables in the car when stopping at service station and double check manually your car is locked as car jammers (systems that block your automatic central locking) operate over the holiday season.
   •   Avoid traveling in the dark (the conditions of the roads aren’t always great, and often deserted).

Emergency Numbers To Have In Your Phone:

The best advice I have is to download this app! It literally enables you to get the support you need where ever you are in country.

https://namola.com/

   •   ER24 paramedics: 084 124
   •   Police/Fire Department: 10111
   •   Ambulance: 10117
   •   Arrive Alive Call Centre: 0861 400 800
   •   Netcare Emergency: 082 911

Also your insurance details, who to call in emergency and break down.

Other Places to stay - AirBnB and Greenwood Guide / Portfolio Collection