If you are used to renting vehicles you will already have a mental checklist when picking your car. However, for an African road trip more consideration is needed. You have to consider the long drives, remote areas and gravel roads.
1- Road Rules of Namibia
In Namibia you drive on the left and most regular road rules apply, such as wearing a seat belt. You are also required to keep your headlights on during the day as well as at night. We rented with our British drivers license. Additionally an international drivers license was effortless to obtain in the UK post office prior to leaving.
Be sure to keep an eye on you speed. Speed limits are posted roadside throughout the country. It is easy to accidentally go over when you are driving along long straight roads with no other cars.
Make sure you are familiar with any laws and if in doubt, ask the rental agency.
2- Rental Agency Rules
For insurance reasons, many of the renal agencies will have their own set of rules. For example, not driving after sunset. Moreover, it is worth reading the insurance policy carefully as many policies will not cover windows, tires and bumpers. Look into the credit card you are using to pay for the rental. We used Amex Plantinum which offered additional rental insurance. As we were charged (what we think) was a fairly large amount on return of our vehicle after renting with Berg 4×4, we are claiming it back from Amex. (Read more about our negative experience with Berg)
3 – 4×4 and truck, SUV or Sedan?
Most rental vehicles in Namibia are 4×4 as it is almost essential for Namibian roads. You may find your never use it however having it will put you at ease and perhaps give you a little more confidence to take an adventurous route.
If you are camping during your road trip you will find a truck such as a Toyota Hilux is your best bet. Often they come equip with roof top tents, and the back is well designed for storage of equipment you may need.
An SUV will work if you are staying in lodges and hotels for your road trip. Just make sure the other boxes are ticked, and you have enough room for luggage and emergency equipment.
In general, you want a car with a high clearance, so if you are opting for a sedan, bare that in mind
4 – Extended Gas Tank
Another essential for a road trip. It is a good idea to top off at any opportunity in one of the towns you pass through even with an extended gas tank
6 – Spare Tire and Jack and the rental cars policy
A flat tire will probably happen at some point. The first time it happened for us, in the grounds of a private lodge. Luckily that meant we had the willing help of the staff around the lodge. The spare was actually in better condition then the original one. Berg 4×4 rental car policy is that if the tire cannot be repaired, it needs to be replaced with one of the same or equal brand. We fixed the puncture in the next town we went through.
For added security you can rent an extra spare if you wish to, which we opted to do in Botswana. Before driving away from the rental agency, familiarize yourself with where all the emergency equipment is in the car. Perhaps even practice changing a tire before going!
7 – Road Side Assistance
What is the rental agency’s road side assistance policy? Berg 4×4 is a small and very personal company. We had a whatsapp group which included a few of the employees which we were encouraged to use if we got into any problems. If we were out of cell phone range, we had a satellite phone for emergencies. For emergencies, think about investing in a Garmin Inreach Mini.
8 – Navigation device
The Namibia road system is very simple. A paper map in the glove compartment is a great emergency go-to, but we found google maps was by the best option for navigation on our first trip to Namibia. Make sure the maps are downloaded as you will not get enough signal in many areas to get online. For our second trip we used Tracks for Africa, which was more accurate for drive times and with better info, especially for Botswana.
9 – Refrigerator(s)
Fridges are provided with many rental cars. They run off the car battery or a spare battery. Our Toyota Hilux came with a large fridge in the trunk and we rented a smaller drinks fridge in the interior. For the next trip we are not renting the smaller drinks fridge. Instead, we are purchasing a soft cooler bag and will use frozen water bottle as ice packs.
10 – Camping Equipment
If your road trip involves camping many rental vehicles come equip with everything you need. This includes:
- Roof top or ground tent with mattress, sleeping bags, blankets and pillows (you may have to pay extra for bedding beyond the basic package)
- Propane gas tank and cooking equipment. We didn’t use the propane stove as BBQ grills were available everywhere, however if you need your morning coffee it will come in handy!
- Folding tables and camping chairs
- Emergency equipment such as ropes, shovels, jack, lanterns
11 – Check Points and Road Signs
You will drive through a few checkpoints. The purpose of many of these are to see where you are going to or coming from. For example, when entering the skeleton coast, you sign in at the entrance and then out again at the other gate. Hopefully the purpose of this is to make sure all vehicles make it successfully along the road and didn’t get stuck! Make sure you have all licenses and paperwork handy.
You may see some interesting unique road signs, many encouraging you to stay in the car due to wild animals!
Overall the most important thing about renting a car in Namibia is making sure you have a quality car with a good idea of what you need to do for road side assistance
