Look for road signs

If you are unsure which roads you are allowed to drive on, you should speak to the local rental company when you pick up your hire car. Beyond that, however, there are some generally applicable guidelines as to which roads are passable by hire car and which are not.

As a rule of thumb:All roads that are maintained by the state are considered “paved roads” and may therefore also be driven with the hire car. Also so-called “Gravel Roads”, thus gravel roads, belong to it.
That a road belongs to the state-maintained roads in the country, one recognizes first by the number.Only state-maintained roads carry a numbering.This is also clearly indicated on the road maps of Namibia.

In addition, traffic signs and speed limits are a clear indication that the road is official and therefore permitted for hire cars. Since the state-owned gravel roads are usually in pretty good condition, an off-road vehicle is not absolutely necessary for a drive through Namibia, but it is advisable.

At some prominent points, such as the Kaokoveld or Kaudom National Park, an off-road vehicle is an absolute must. Dune sands or riverbeds should also only be negotiated with four-wheel drive.

Hire car prices

The hire car prices in Namibia are quite high. Therefore, you better think very carefully about the days on which you need a hire car. It might be cheaper for you to hire car twice and return the car on the days you don’t want to travel.

You can always find great deals with our handy price comparison tool. Note that with some rental companies you need two credit cards for cars of a certain category.

hire car price comparison Namibia

Accessories

In sparsely populated Namibia, you will be glad to have a sat nav to give you the reassuring feeling that you are on the right track. You will always have to order accessories such as sat nav or even child seats separately. Make your reservations well in advance to ensure that the items you want are available on the day of hire.

Remember the tank regulation

Only rent from rental companies where you pick up the car with a full tank and return it with a full tank. This is the most transparent solution for all parties involved.

Customer Satisfaction Hire Car

Most customers are satisfied with the rental companies in Namibia. Some complain that they were tried to sell them unnecessary additional insurance. Be sure to adequately insure your car right at the time of booking and then refuse to take out any additional insurance on the spot.

Some customers also complain about long waiting times at hire car stations. So plan an appropriate time cushion.

What drivers need to watch out for in Namibia

Think about left-hand traffic

Whoever drives a car in Namibia should familiarize themselves with some peculiarities beforehand.

Most importantly: Namibia has left-hand traffic. Information on this topic can be found in our special.

First come, first served

The so-called “four-way stop intersections” also take some getting used to. Here, it’s not right before left. Instead, the rule is: whoever is first at the intersection also goes first, then the second and so on. When in doubt, it’s best to communicate by hand signal.

Warning about corrugated iron
Another problem that drivers in Namibia have to expect are the so-called “corrugated iron roads”. These are roads that have transverse grooves five to ten centimetres deep, which can also be quite common on state roads.

Only flying is more beautiful
The best way to get these stretches over with as little accident as possible is to “fly” over the road. When doing so, you should drive as fast as possible; the optimal speed for such slopes is around 80 km/h.

This way, the wheels don’t take every transverse groove in their stride. Caution is advised in curves, because at such a speed the wheels not infrequently lose traction.