Why use car hire from Cape Town International Airport?

The Cape is an incredible place to explore and an adventurous holiday will be most successful if you drive yourself-hence organising car hire from Cape Town International Airport is a good idea. If you’re keen to visit the glorious Cape Winelands, don’t miss these four historical towns.

Four towns to visit with your car hire from Cape Town International Airport

1. Paarl

About an hour’s drive from Cape Town you’ll find Paarl, an enchanting town and one of the must-visits of the Cape Winelands. Paarl is situated beneath a huge, round granite outcrop initially named “Peerleberg” (Pearl Mountain) by early explorers. The area produces some premier wines from long-established cellars and is famous for having the longest “Old Main Road” in South Africa (11km long)! A trip along Old Main Road shows the development of the town over hundreds of years. Its remarkable old Cape Dutch architecture contrasts with contemporary boutiques, offices, and coffee shops which are interspersed with working vineyards! If you want to know more about the origins of the Afrikaans language, stop by the Afrikaans Language Museum and visit the Taal Monument.

2. Stellenbosch

Stellenbosch is the second oldest town in South Africa and an hour away from Cape Town by car. Sometimes known as “Eikestad” (City of Oaks), it’s renowned for its fabulous wines and beautiful vineyards. If you’re travelling the Cape Winelands, Stellenbosch is a great place to spend a few days shopping, winetasting and eating out. Should you feel energetic, the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve offers a number of superb hikes including the full-day Vineyard Hiking Trail: 24km of vineyards, forests, olive groves and coastal renosterveld. The prestigious local university has the only viticultural and oenological department in the country. For an outstanding Winelands experience, visit Spier for its restaurants, winetasting, Spa, craft market, Cheetah Outreach and Eagle Encounters.

3. Franschhoek

Franschhoek is the Cape’s “French Corner” (Franschhoek means French Corner), steeped in history and thoroughly charming. The town itself is small and the main street bustles with people visiting the lovely art galleries, fine dining restaurants and street-style coffee shops. Wine lovers will have a field day with the almost-thirty cellars in the magnificent Franschhoek area, and foodies will be in their element as eight of the “Top 100” restaurants in the country are located here. There is also a new Cap Classique tour for sparkling wine connoisseurs. Franschhoek is perfect for exploring by foot (the town centre) and by car (the vineyards).

4. Pniel

If you drive from Stellenbosch to Franschhoek on the R310 you’ll drive through the little town of Pniel. Pniel’s main street is lined with grand old oak trees and the town is situated in a lush, green, mountainous area near to Stellenbosch. Pniel started out as a portion of land donated to homeless slaves. The land was divided into plots and given to the freed slaves to settle on and pass down to their families. Some of the homes still standing today were built for the slaves by Sir Herbert Baker. If you’re interested in the history of the area, tours can be arranged and hosted by local residents. A popular attraction on the road between Pniel and Stellenbosch is Hillcrest Berry Orchards. This is an excellent place to buy jams, dried fruit, fresh berries, herbal teas, nougat and delicious munchies.

Paarl, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek and Pniel are real Cape Winelands treasures. Organise your car hire from Cape Town International Airport and head to the mountains to see for yourself!