Route guide
Durban to Dundee
Route R602 through Glencoe, N11 to Ladysmith, then the N3About 320 kmDrive 3½–4 hours
Country roads across to Ladysmith, then the N3 toll road down through the Midlands to Durban.
This guide was written for Dundee to Durban. The same roads apply on your trip, but read exits, merges and lane tips the other way round.
From drivers, last 3 days
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Before you leave
- Have a card or cash for the N3 tolls: a ramp toll where you join at the Ladysmith (N11) interchange, then the Mooi and Mariannhill plazas.
- Save the N3 Helpline: 0800 63 43 57 (24 hours).
- Do the stretch to Ladysmith in daylight if you can: animals on the road and few streetlights.
- Check @N3Route on X for closures before you leave, especially on holiday weekends.
Durban to Pietermaritzburg
R33 via GreytownTipRoad know-how
Looks shorter on the map, through Pomeroy, Tugela Ferry and Greytown, but it's slower: rural single-lane road with speed humps, potholes and livestock. Only in daylight, and best if you know it.
Steep hills around PinetownHazardRoad know-how
Loaded trucks crawl uphill and brake hard going down. Keep a big gap.
Mariannhill Toll PlazaTollRoad know-how
The last plaza, near Pinetown. Queues build on Friday afternoons and before long weekends.
Pietermaritzburg bypassLane adviceRoad know-how
The N3 skirts the city with exits close together. Stay in the through lanes unless you're stopping.
Pietermaritzburg to Ladysmith
Town HillHazardRoad know-how
Long, steep hill between Hilton and Pietermaritzburg. Slow trucks, and often misty early in the morning.
Mooi Toll PlazaTollRoad know-how
Mainline plaza near Mooi River. The Mooi River off-ramps are tolled too.
Stops at Estcourt and Mooi RiverFuel & stopsRoad know-how
Large fuel and food stops just off the N3, a good break halfway.
Ladysmith (N11) ramp tollTollRoad know-how
Joining the N3 southbound at the N11 interchange is tolled.
Ladysmith to Dundee
LadysmithFuel & stopsRoad know-how
The last big town before the N3, with fuel and food.
Potholes and broken edgesHazardRoad know-how
Provincial roads in northern KZN are often patched or potholed. Slow down where the surface breaks up and don't swerve suddenly.
Rural roads to the N11HazardRoad know-how
Two-lane road through Glencoe and past Wasbank. Watch for livestock, pedestrians and slow trucks, especially at dusk.