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I'll be traveling to South Africa this spring, and we're in the midst of planning our itinerary. Because we have items on our to-do/to-see list that span a large geographic area, friends have recommended that we rent a car for part or all of our trip.

My question is: as an American, are there any advantages to waiting until I am actually in South Africa to rent a car? I imagine we'll be picking up and dropping off cars at an airport (we're flying in and out of Johannesburg, but may fly down do Cape Town and work our way back north by car). Is it possible to negotiate prices, or simply get better deals, by waiting until we arrive? Or should we book rental cars well in advance? Would we be in danger of not having cars available if we didn't make an advanced reservation?

Our trip is 10 days long, so it's a short term rental rather than long-term/mini-lease.

Laura
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2 Answers2

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It is definitely better to book a car in advance, even in lower season. I would not take the risk of arriving there and not finding a suitable car. Moreover, when you book your car at home you can rent it through a broker. This way you will get a good price. And I have some doubts that you will find a better deal by pounding the rental desks at O.R. Tambo airport.

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if you plan to visit South Africa between February & March, I would strongly suggest that you reserve a vehicle in advance as that is a very busy time for tourist to SA. You can also get in contact with us if you require a detailed quotation on
info@atlanticcarhire.co.za - All the best with your planning.

VMAtm
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Jacques Oosthuizen
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