Cape Town - Garden Route - Addo BY CAR

Hi, we are just in the early stage of planning a two-week trip from Cape Town and back next Easter. I've looked at lots of itineraries and forum questions but most seem to fly back out from Port Elizabeth. Does anyone have any suggestions for a round-trip by road? We want to go inland to Oudtshoorn, spend about 4 nights in Cape Town, do a number of wineries, see the main places of interest on the Garden Route and spend a day or two in Addo. There are 4 of us - seniors - and we'll be driving, but we'd like to avoid doing the same road twice. Any suggestions and advice appreciated.

you can do a round-trip by driving one-way along the coast (garden route) and the other way inland, along the extended route 62. i would start with the route that appeals to you more, so that you can have enough time there, and maybe (if necessary) drive faster / without stopping that often on the other way round.

you need at least 4 nights to experience cape town and the cape peninsula - there is so much to do / see / and enjoy in and around this fantastic city. for cape town you dont really need a car, but for the cape peninsula you are more flexible if you have one.

for wineries, of course the winelands around cape town (stellenbosch, franschhoek, paarl, durbanville) are great (you can go on a day excursion or stay overnight - if you stay overnight, i would either choose a guesthouse on a wine farm (for example eikendal) or a guesthouse in the centre of stellenbosch, which is a beautiful old university town). the beautiful constancia valley also offers several great wineries (like groot constancia). around hermanus and the walker bay, more wineries, some of them with a quite spectacular location (like creations). and on the route 62, around wellington, tulbagh, worcester and roberston - more opportunities to try some great wines.

Thanks, Nathalie, for the advice! Am certainly looking for nice places to stay - although not in the high price range. I'll look into all your suggestions!

where you stop on the garden route and on the route 62 depends on your interests of course. personally, i would make sure that you have enough time in and around cape town, and 2 full days in addo elefant park.

on the garden route, you might want to have a look at:
- driving from cape town along the coast (stop in betty's bay to see the pinguin colony) via hermanus / the walker bay area to the de hoop nature reserve. a beautiful nature reserve with white sand dunes and a lot of birds
- towns on the sea worth looking at are victoria bay, wilderness, knysna and jeffreys bay.
- for wild and beautiful nature along the coast, look at tsitsikamma national park, which is one of the highlights on the garden

on route 62, apart from oudtshoorn (which you have already decided to stop), the cango caves, for nice little towns with beautiful nature around, fynbos, animals and nice for walking - barrydale and ladismith in the klein karoo, montagu for the hot springs