Chameleon Holidays & Travel for Safaris & Vacations in Africa | Southern Africa | Namibia | Car Hire In Namibia

Car Hire and driving in Namibia  can be an absolute highlight - with huge open spaces, terrific scenery and well maintained roads means your safari is a real adventure.

We often advise clients to pay for the best possible vehicle they can afford, and whilst it is easy to opt for a smaller vehicle, this is fine for driving around towns and on tar roads.  However, its not comfortable to drive long distances and on gravel/sandy roads in a saloon type vehicle and the risk of damage is much higher.   With a bigger 4x4 or even some 2x4 vehicles the extra ground clearance, larger tyres and comfort go a long way when travelling for best part of a day.

When hiring a vehicle ANYWHERE in Southern Africa please remember to treat it as if it's your own and with care.

"Excess" is something you will see on the car hire and this means this is the maximum amount you will have to repay if you damage the vehicle.  Whilst we can ensure you have "super" cover (limited excess) or "zero" excess on the vehicle it will still rarely give you cover for undercarriage damage.  Please also bear in mind that if you do incur damage to the vehicle and it is deemed "negligible or reckless driving" you will have to pay for the full damage to the vehicle and needless to say this can be costly.  In addition, many car hire companies will not cover you for sand or water damage and in most instances you will have to pay for damage to windscreen or tyres.   It is worth purchasing the extra insurance particularly for windscreen and tyres.

Fully equipped vehicles - mean that they normally come with roof tents (for 2 or 4 people - 2 people per roof tent), mattresses and mossie proofed tents as well as cooking equipment, table, chairs, light, gas cooker and cylinder, water container and tools.  Fridges can often be hired for an additional cost.

We generally have all the relevant terms and conditions on car hire on file so if you book a vehicle with us we are more than happy to send this contract through to you in advance to your arrival after you've booked the vehicle.

When you pick up your vehicle from the car hire company we recommend you check the vehicle and equipment thoroughly, once out on the road sorting a problem or something not working correctly can be costly, time consuming and of course, frustrating.   Please note

- the car hire company will take an authorisation of your credit card for security and to ensure that deposit amount can be covered and will be held until you return the vehicle.  If the car is returned in the same condition as it went out then the credit card slip will be destroyed, if the vehicle is damaged they will then take payment from your card.  This is standard practice with the car hire companies and will form part of her agreement.  Normal credit cards accepted are mastercard or visa.  Amex cards are rarely accepted.

- Full home address, telephone number and email contact details are required

- They will also need a copy of your driving licence.  This can be either an international driving licence or one in English (if you have a foreign licence then a translated copy must be supplied). Your passport is also required

- Additional drivers must be listed on the rental agreement (the car hire company will take this information from you at the time of hire).  If an undisclosed driver is involved in an accident the renter will be liable for the damage. 

All of this may seem like hard work and off-putting but the benefits of the freedom of travel certainly outweigh the negatives.

See the car specifications page for a selection of vehicles you can hire in Namibia.  There is also a page for distances and all that you need to help plan your trip, as well as a selection of various self drive itineraries for all budgets to whet your appetite and give you plenty of ideas.