Car hire in Newcastle

This is a genuinely thin market and we would rather say so than invent a branch list.

What that means in practice:

• Search your dates first, with the town as the pickup point, and see what actually comes back. Availability here changes more than in the big centres.
• If nothing suitable appears, the normal fallback is to collect at King Shaka, OR Tambo or in Pietermaritzburg and drive in. Gauteng is closer than the coast at about three and a half hours.
• If you are already in town and need a car quickly, ask your accommodation who they use. Small towns often have local operators who do not appear in national comparison results.

Book further ahead than you would in a city, particularly in December when families travel home and vehicles get scarce across the province.

We are not going to list branches here that we cannot stand behind. Coverage in Newcastle varies between brands and changes over time.

The national brands most likely to serve northern KwaZulu-Natal are the ones with the deepest countrywide networks, but the only reliable way to know is to check availability for your dates at the pickup point you want. If your preferred brand does not come back with a vehicle, that is your answer.

For a wider choice, Durban and King Shaka carry the deepest fleets in the province, and Gauteng is closer than either if you are coming from the north.

Newcastle is a small market where what is available matters far more than the headline rate.

These figures come from Discover Cars and Cheapflights. Most are national, not Newcastle quotes. A "from" price is the cheapest car found on the day; an average includes bigger cars and longer rentals, which is why the two sites differ so much. Discover Cars puts December at about R474 a day against about R387 in September, so holiday dates cost more.

Because supply is limited, the practical comparison is often a local hire against collecting in Gauteng and driving three and a half hours. On a longer trip the drive usually wins on both price and vehicle choice.

The N11 runs north to Volksrust and south towards Ladysmith, and it carries heavy coal and freight traffic. Overtaking demands patience and a long clear view, and truck queues on the climbs are normal.

The N3 further south is the main route between Durban and Gauteng, with toll plazas, so keep a card or cash for longer trips.

Other notes:

• Winter mornings here are cold, with frost and occasional snow on the higher ground towards the Drakensberg.
• Livestock on rural roads and pedestrians near settlements are common, particularly at dawn and dusk.
• Several Battlefields sites are reached on gravel district roads, which is where your rental agreement's unsurfaced road clause applies.
• Parking in town and at the shopping centres is easy and mostly free.

Approximate one way driving times:

The Battlefields route taking in Isandlwana, Rorke's Drift and Blood River is the main reason visitors hire here, and parts of it are on gravel district roads.