Cape Town to Hermanus by car is 102 km from Cape Town International Airport, about 1 h 30 without traffic or stops, on the N2 and then the R43, and a Cape Town Airport hire car can come back the same day or carry on east. Which way to take depends on the time you have and on whether Clarence Drive, the coast road, is open.
Which is the quickest way from the airport to Hermanus?
Pick up the car at the airport and take the N2 east for about 69 km, then the R43 for about 28 km into Hermanus: 102 km in all, about 1 h 30 without traffic or stops, and the drive never enters the city. It is the route to take when the day is short or the weather is poor.
What is Clarence Drive and is it open?
Clarence Drive is the R44, the coastal road that links Rooi Els, Pringle Bay, Betty's Bay and Kleinmond, running through fynbos between the mountains and the Atlantic. Taking it from CPT makes the drive to Hermanus 124 km, about 2 h. Clarence Drive has been closed after weather damage in the past, and when its section between Rooi Els and Gordon's Bay is closed, it is closed to all traffic; the alternative from the Kleinmond side is the N2 via Grabouw. Check the road status with the Overstrand Municipality before choosing it.
| Route | Distance | Time |
|---|---|---|
| CPT to Hermanus on the N2 and R43 | 102 km | about 1 h 30 |
| CPT to Hermanus by the R44 Clarence Drive | 124 km | about 2 h |
| Hermanus to Franschhoek | 94 km | about 1 h 20 |
| Hermanus to George Airport | 348 km | about 4 h 05 |
Can I carry on to the Garden Route and drop the car at George?
Yes. George Airport is one of the two one-way drop-offs for cars collected at CPT, and from Hermanus the N2 east to George makes it 348 km, about 4 h 05, to George Airport. Book the car with George as the drop-off; the search then lists only the cars that can end there.
Can I come back through the Winelands?
Yes: north on the R43 and then the R45 takes you inland to Franschhoek in 94 km, about 1 h 20, and Franschhoek is 72 km from CPT, about 1 h. The loop CPT, Hermanus, Franschhoek, CPT is 268 km.
What does the hire cover on coastal roads?
Standard insurance does not cover damage to the wheels, the undercarriage, the windscreen or the interior, and the insurance is invalid for deliberate damage or neglect; the standard insurance and its exclusions are the same on the R44 as on the N2. Rental cars may travel only on paved public roads. After an accident, tell the rental agent at once and get a police report unless the agent agrees otherwise.
What are the rules on the road to Hermanus?
South Africa drives on the left. The general limit is 120 km/h where the N2 is a freeway, 100 km/h on the R43 and the R44 outside towns and 60 km/h in Kleinmond, Betty's Bay and Hermanus, unless a sign sets another. Every adult wears a seatbelt where one is fitted, and a child uses an appropriate child restraint where one is available in the car.
Does a day's kilometre allowance cover Hermanus and back?
It depends on the selected car's allowance. It is 206 km there and back on the N2 and the R43, and any driving in Hermanus itself adds to it. Going out by the R44 and back on the N2 is 227 km. Beyond the allowance the car's page shows a rate per extra kilometre.
What will the day cost besides the rental?
Fuel, parking, fines and tolls are the driver's cost. The car goes back with the fuel level it had at pick-up, and a lower level is charged at the rental company's rates.