Johannesburg car rental · Car rental in Johannesburg
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Car rental in Johannesburg
Car rental in Johannesburg
Renting a car is your best option. Public transport is limited. It is worth buying a good road map of Johannesburg, using a GPS and planning your trips carefully before setting out. The city large and not poorly signposted.
There are some areas of Johannesburg that you don't want to stray into. Stay on the freeway between the airport and Sandton, and don't divert through the townships and Alexandra on London Road. A GPS following the fastest route will usually divert around the townships, but it pays to know where you are going. If you are coming from the airport and you are afraid of getting this wrong, carry on past Marlboro Drive with the N3 (which becomes the N1) until you reach Rivonia road. Then turn left/south and this will take you straight into Sandton, bypassing any townships.
Other areas to be especially careful of if you don't know the place are Hillbrow, Louis Botha Avenue (running from Hillbrow to Alexandra) and some poorer parts of Soweto. To get from the N3 highway to Sandton, take Marlboro Drive (and not London Road under any circumstances) and drive straight past the outside of Alexandra until you reach or cross under the M1 freeway. Never turn left/south (if you are coming from the N3) or right/south (if you are going towards the N3) from Marlboro Drive on any roads between the M1 and the N3).
Avoid dangerous areas in Johannesburg by ending your journey before entering areas such as Hilbrow, City Suburbia and Johannesburg town centre. These areas are dangerous when one does not know where they are going. Since the construction on the inner city has started, there are certain buildings and areas in town which are visitable. E.G. Braamfontein - lively night life, very artsy. Main Street Life and Artes on Main(Sunday market) - city suburbia, The Neighbougood Market on a saturday. Besides places mentioned above, town is a no-no. Greenside to Houghton, to Parktown North to Parkhurst to Killarney to Rosebank to Illovo to Melrose North, Atholl, Sandown, to Sandton to Morningside, Fourways, Randburg - all these places are safe to travel to.
If you do want to go into town or a township, or even exploring downtown, if is best to book a guided tour.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Johannesburg
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Johannesburg - updated Apr 2024
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Johannesburg Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.