Made by the team behind Clearpath Routes, our own navigation app. Where we mention it, we are recommending our own product.

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Cape Town International Airport

Driving from Cape Town airport: what the official warnings say

The airport run is 22 km on the N2 and it is the first road almost every visitor drives. It is fast and well built, and most of the time nothing happens. But the authorities single out specific off-ramps near the airport, and you should know them before you pick up the keys.

Cape Town Tourism

The four N2 off-ramps flagged as high-risk

  1. 1N2 off-ramp onto Borcherds Quarry Road
  2. 2N2 off-ramp onto the R300, on both the Bellville and Mitchells Plain sides
  3. 3N2 off-ramp onto Airport Approach Road
  4. 4N2 off-ramp to Oliver Tambo Drive

Cape Town Tourism also lists the stretch of the N2 by Mew Way. Its advice is to stay alert on these routes. Source: Cape Town Tourism, safety tips when travelling from Cape Town International Airport.

The honest answer

Arriving after dark: drive or transfer?

Take a transfer if…

  • you land after dark and have never driven on the left
  • you are tired after a long-haul flight
  • your accommodation is not on the N2 to the City Bowl

A transfer or ride-hail to your accommodation, then collecting the car the next morning, removes the one drive with the least margin for error. Ask your rental company whether you can collect later or at another branch.

If you drive anyway

  • Load every bag into the boot at the rental lot, not on the road.
  • Set your route before you leave the lot. Phone in a cradle, not in your hand.
  • Stay on the N2 to the city. Do not leave it at any of the four off-ramps above.
  • Do not stop on a ramp or the shoulder. If something feels wrong, keep driving to a lit fuel station.
  • Doors locked, windows up, a car length of space in front at every stop.

Our own app, Clearpath Routes, has a page on the airport route we use. (Disclosure: we make it.)

Cape Town airport safe route

Leaving a car at the airport instead? See our sister site capetownairportparking.com.

FAQ

Airport driving questions

Is it safe to drive from Cape Town airport at night?

It can be, but it is the drive with the least margin for error. Cape Town Tourism lists four N2 off-ramps near the airport as high-risk: Borcherds Quarry Road, the R300 (both sides), Airport Approach Road and Oliver Tambo Drive. If you have never driven on the left, are tired after a long-haul flight and land after dark, take a transfer or ride-hail and collect the car in daylight. If you do drive, stay on the N2 the whole way, do not stop on any ramp or shoulder, and keep luggage in the boot.

How far is Cape Town airport from the city centre?

About 22 km on the N2, 20 to 25 minutes off-peak and 40 to 50 minutes at the 17:00 rush.

Which roads should I avoid near Cape Town airport?

Do not leave the N2 at Borcherds Quarry Road, the R300 interchange or Oliver Tambo Drive unless you know exactly where you are going. Do not follow a navigation app that sends you off the N2 to save a minute. Canada's travel advice also recommends the M3 and N2 over the R300. travel.gc.ca — South Africa travel advice

Our own app

Clearpath Routes

Full disclosure: Clearpath Routes is our own app. It is a safe-route navigation app for Cape Town, made by the same team as this guide.

  • iPhone app. Android is coming later.
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  • Premium €3.99 per month, or a Tourist Pass at €7.99 for 14 days.
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Clearpath Routes app showing a route along the Cape Town Atlantic Seaboard