South Africa
5 scored roads in South Africa, reranked for motorhomes and campervans rather than for cars, with the fit score shown next to each one.
A motorhome is limited by width, height and turning circle rather than by power. Most graded alpine passes are built for coaches and are perfectly manageable, while a handful of famous roads are genuinely unsuitable and finding that out halfway up is expensive.
These country pages push single track, unclassified and very steep roads down the ranking and lift wide, well graded routes. Always check the posted restrictions against your real dimensions before you commit to a pass.
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Checked against current closure and restriction notices for South Africa. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 30 March 2026
Ranked
01 · Karoo
A hand built dry stone gravel pass twisting through folded red rock strata.
14.9 mi · Rating 9.7 / 10 · Fit 10.5 / 10
Gravel, closed after snow or heavy rain
02 · Cape Peninsula
A toll corniche blasted into a sea cliff with 114 curves above the Atlantic.
5.6 mi · Rating 9.4 / 10 · Fit 10.2 / 10
Closed after rockfall or heavy rain
03 · Western Cape
Wine valley hairpins climb to a viewpoint over the whole Franschhoek bowl.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.2 / 10 · Fit 10.0 / 10
04 · Mpumalanga
Escarpment road past God's Window and the vast Blyde River Canyon.
37.3 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 10.0 / 10
Mist common in summer
05 · Western Cape
An old mountain shelf road along a boulder river, narrow and beautifully engineered.
18.6 mi · Rating 9.1 / 10 · Fit 3.9 / 10
Before you go
Measure height including the aerial, roof box and satellite dish. The number on the paperwork is often not the number that hits the bridge.
A heavy vehicle on a long alpine descent will fade brakes quickly. Pick a gear that holds the speed without the pedal and stay in it.
Wild camping rules vary enormously across Europe and enforcement has tightened. A booked pitch removes the whole problem.
Common questions
Most major passes are built for coaches and are fine for a standard motorhome. The exceptions are narrow unclassified roads and a handful of passes with posted width restrictions.
Hardknott Pass, Wrynose Pass and the Bealach na Ba are all explicitly unsuitable. Many Highland single track roads are legal but very hard work in a wide vehicle.