Preparing for your trip

Some advice for your holiday preparation

Security

Crime in South Africa is generally concentrated in the townships and and in some neighborhoods of Johannesburg and Durban.

Avoid driving at night. Avoid leaving items of value  in plain view in the vehicle (e.g. on the dashboard and car seats). Avoid shortcuts around large cities that can take you through townships. Make sure you have a cell phone with you.

Packing your bags

The useful.....and the useless!

Type of bag

When travelling through South Africa by motorhome, it is advisable to make the most of the space that is available to you in the vehicle.

If you are doing a one-way trip, collecting and returning your motorhome in different cities, it is best to use soft, flexible bags or backpacks. These types of bags can be folded and more easily stored away in the motorhome once you have unpacked. Hard suitcases will waste space in the vehicle. If you are doing a round trip, collecting and returning your motorome in the same city, you can leave your empty bags in a storage area at the local rental agency where you collect your motorhome.

It is also a good idea to keep a small day bag avaliable so that you can carry valuables with you when you leave the motorhome to site see.

Documents

Passports: Your passports must be valid for at least 6 months after your arrival in South Africa.tre passeport doit être valide 6 mois après votre arrivée dans le pays. Please contact your local South African embassy to obtain more information.

Plane tickets

National and international drivers licences

Vouchers for collecting your motorhome, hotel and ferry bookings/tickets/vouchers etc.

Credit card (inform your bank of your trip so that your card is not blocked). Make sure you know your credit card's daily/monthly withdrawal limits

Travel insurance information

Advice: Leave copies of your important travel documents with family or friends so that they can be faxed to you in case of emergency and/or leave copies in a place different to the originals.

Lastest info: You will be required to present the unabridged birth certificates of your children if they are travelling with you when yiou arrive in the country. Please contact your local South African embassy to obtain more information.

General

• Mobile phone (make sure you know the costs involved in using your phone in South Africa)
• Camera
• Sun glasses
• Travel guides
• Address book
• CDs for the road
• IPod/Mp3, chargers, speakers, earphones
• Phone, computer, camera chargers, etc.
• Camera (take extra memory cards)
• Plug adapters
• Penknife
• Torch and batteries
• Medical prescriptions, reading glasses, contact lenses
• Books (you can swop books at some of the local motorhome rental companies)
• Watch with alarm
• Playing cards and other games
• Binoculars
• Water bottle

Toiletries

Basic toiletries: Toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, shower gel, rasors, hair dryer, cosmetics, wipes 

Suncream (minimum SPF 30)

Sunglasses

Basic first aid kit (bandaids, bandages, aspirin, antihistamines, antiseptic solution, scissors, etc).

Medical prescriptions

Clothes

In summer take light clothing, with some sweaters and jackets for cool evenings.

In winter take warmer clothes, with warmer jackets or overcoats.

Loose, comfortable clothing is better and raincoats and windbreakers are useful.