Smoothest route from Joburg to Clarens

[Tsepy]

Hi All,
I'm heading out to Clarens from Joburg in 2 weeks and I was wondering which is the best route to take. By best, I mean smoothest. I drive a low profile sports car.
TiA

 

[Mzezman]

this might still be relevant

Pretoria to Clarens Route

My wife and I drove to Clarens at the end of February. From Sasolburg to Heilbron on the R57, we were expecting the worse, but in the end we only had to slightly dodge a pothole about halfway there. The rest of this leg was surprisingly acceptable. From Heilbron to Reitz via Petrus Steyn and...

mybroadband.co.za

 

[KikzAzz]

Hi All,
I'm heading out to Clarens from Joburg in 2 weeks and I was wondering which is the best route to take. By best, I mean smoothest. I drive a low profile sports car.
TiA

I would stick to the tar roads.

 

[epah]

Hi All,
I'm heading out to Clarens from Joburg in 2 weeks and I was wondering which is the best route to take. By best, I mean smoothest. I drive a low profile sports car.
TiA

I would say take the N3 highway all the way to harrismith, Then from harrismith join the R74 until you get to the R712 then just head straight down until you go past qwaqwa then the golden gate and some kilometers after that you will be in clarens.

Avoid going via vereeneging-Heilbron-franfkort-rietz-Bethlehem-fouriesburg-clarens. I guarantee you will get no less than four flats and might even buckle your rims and some underbelly rash from the potholes, especially between Bethlehem and fouriesburg, there is virtually no roads left.

 

[Mista_Mobsta]

N3 to harrismith and then past Sterkfontein dam and into Clarens via Golden Gate. Bypass all the shitty roads.

@OP -> pretty much this - don't go Bethlehem/Reitz/Frankfort etc and stick to highway where possible

 

[Tsepy]

I would say take the N3 highway all the way to harrismith, Then from harrismith join the R74 until you get to the R712 then just head straight down until you go past qwaqwa then the golden gate and some kilometers after that you will be in clarens.

Avoid going via vereeneging-Heilbron-franfkort-rietz-Bethlehem-fouriesburg-clarens. I guarantee you will get no less than four flats and might even buckle your rims and some underbelly rash from the potholes, especially between Bethlehem and fouriesburg, there is virtually no roads left.

Thank you so much!

 

[Ecco]

Giving this a bump - anything changed on the recommended routes - given all the rain we been having?

 

[Thugscub]

Whatever you do DO NOT
end up on the Marquard to Clocolan Road it is fekked beyond all.

 

[dillinger]

Take N3
At Warden take the R714 to Bethlehem
At Bethlehem take the N5
Turn onto the R712 to Clarens

 

[rh1]

I wonder if OP made it to her destination. Posted here before her trip and never appeared again. She even took the time to edit her profile pic.

RIP Tsepy, gone and almost forgotten, if not for the thread necro.

 

[Thugscub]

Oh dear a necro.

 

[epah]

Giving this a bump - anything changed on the recommended routes - given all the rain we been having?

Conditions have changed, you won’t have to use the freeway all the way to Harrismith anymore. You can go all the way to (freeway)villiers then, then take the exit and go to Bethlehem then Clarens.

They fixed up the roads in past two years and it’s mostly fresh tar, the only bad patch is in town of Bethlehem, but it’s a short stretch, less than 1km of bad patches.

Any route you choose will
Be fine, even if you just use what google maps recommends you will
Be fine.