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Johannesburg is South Africa’s most populous city with over 4.5 million people residents. Explore this mega metropolis with a cheap rental car from Airport Rentals.
Johannesburg sits on the highveld plateau in Gauteng province in the northeast part of South Africa and is often referred to by its nicknames: Jozi, Joburg and Egoli. The city continues to rebuild from its troublesome past with successful urban-renewal projects including the hipster-friendly Maboneng neighborhood. Learn about Johannesburg’s sobering history at the Apartheid Museum. Hang out at Joziburg Lane for a coffee, a bite to eat or to shop in one of the city’s latest projects. Enjoy this vibrant, friendly city and all it has to offer with an airport rental car.
Image: South African Tourism
From Johannesburg, head your South African vehicle rental and explore more of this beautiful region, visiting top destinations such as Durban, Cape Town or Port Elizabeth.
Flying into other Johannesburg airports? Airport rentals are also available at Johannesburg OR Tambo Airport and Lanseria Airport.
Airport Rentals makes it easy to find a cheap rental car in Johannesburg. Use our powerful search engine to compare vehicles from numerous rental companies on one page. Simply type in your travel details, click search and browse deals from a generated list of the best available rental cars from Grand Central Airport. Select your preferred vehicle type from international brands like Avis and Budget and enjoy special benefits such as 24hr roadside assistance, theft protection and unlimited mileage from Airport Rentals.
Book securely online and pay no additional fees for the one-stop-shop service. Customer care is just a phone call away, at any hour of the day, should you need it.
Grand Central Airport is a small private airfield in Midrand, 30 kilometres north of Johannesburg. It is a comfortable but small transport facility, offering just one cafe. Upon arrival, grab your luggage and head to the rental car counters located within the terminal.
If you’ve arranged to pick up your car hire in Johannesburg, take a taxi to the Marlboro Station in Midrand to train into the city or taxi straight to the downtown area. Uber is also available.
If you’re flying out of GCJ, you can opt to relax and wait in the Executive Lounge, offering WiFi, refreshments and air conditioning for R50 per day.
Secure a cheap rental car to travel the city on your own schedule and read on for directions, driving tips and parking options.
Directions from Grand Central Airport to the city
Driving to downtown Johannesburg from Grand Central Airport requires tolls and takes around 35 minutes in normal traffic conditions. For the quickest route to the city in your car hire, exit the airport from New Road and merge onto Pretoria Main Road/N1. Continue on the highway as it turns into the M1 and follow it until 10A, merging onto M2. Exit on Rissik Street to arrive in downtown Johannesburg.
Driving your rental car in Johannesburg
South Africa drives on the left-hand side of the road and while some areas are unsafe in Johannesburg, hiring a car is your best option to get around. Check out our tips for driving in the area:
Always keep your doors locked and windows rolled up, even when driving.
Stick to main roads and minimise driving at night when possible to avoid drunk, reckless drivers.
Park your rental car in well-lit, secure areas.
Use a GPS to avoid the following neighborhoods: Alexandra, Berea, Hillbrow and Yeoville.
Keep your valuables hidden - this includes mobile phones.
Ask your hotel for help with directions or parking to avoid unsafe areas.
For more driving tips and national rules of the road, scroll to the bottom of the South Africa rentals page.
A short-term car park is available at Grand Central Airport, granting users the first 15 minutes free. The first hour costs $10 and it increases by the hour with a maximum daily rate of $54 for parking between 12 to 24 hours.
When parking in the city, you have multiple options. Park on the street for up to 2 hours for R7.50 per hour. Pay cash to parking marshals and display the receipt on the dashboard. Parking garages are available for all day parking and most hotels offer on-site parking.
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Need accommodation near the airport? Select from a number of hotels and guest houses only minutes away.
Aberfeldy B&B
BON Hotel Midrand
Mercure Hotel
Premier Hotel Midrand
SUN1 Midrand
Take your pick of hostels, guest houses and hotels dotted throughout Johannesburg. We recommend the following:
Brown Sugar Backpackers
Melrose Place Guest Lodge
Satyagraha House
The Peech Hotel
The Residence Boutique Hotel
Celebrate the city and culture at one of Johannesburg’s fantastic annual events:
Dance Umbr (March)
Joy of Jazz Festival (September)
Arts Alive Festival (September)
Jo’burg Pride (October)
Johannesburg Carnival (New Year’s Eve)
Visit Johannesburg’s many museums with your rental car and learn about the city’s sombre past.
Apartheid Museum
Constitution Hill
Liliesleaf Farm Museum
Joziburg Lane Market
Wits Art Museum
If you have more time, cruise the coastline for an unforgettable road trip through the nation’s diverse landscape or pick up a car hire from Cape Town Airport. Alternatively, you can get a car rental in Port Elizabeth, in George, or in Durban and get going. Visit South Africa for a once-in-a-lifetime road trip, you won’t regret it.
Airportrentals.com offers great deals all over the world. Compare and save!