Getting There by Air
Flights to South Africa are rarely a bargain, but shop around because prices fall substantially if you are willing to make a connection in the Middle East. The national airline is South African Airways (SAA) (www.flysaa.com). There are frequent direct and indirect flights by numerous major airlines from destinations throughout Europe and North America, including British Airways (www.ba.com) with daily flights to Johannesburg and Cape Town, and Delta (www.delta.com), which flies to Johannesburg from Atlanta. Flights are most expensive around Christmas when flights tend to fill up quickly.
SAA has two daily services between Johannesburg and London and up to 44 daily flights between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic still run non-stop flights from London to Cape Town. Several other carriers connect to Cape Town with one stop, including Dubai-based Emirates and Qatar Airways via Doha, as well as several European lines such as KLM via Amsterdam. Most routes fly overnight and South Africa is at most two hours ahead of the UK, so there’s no problem with jet lag.
Departure Tax
None.
Note
SAA ended direct flights between London and Cape Town in August 2012 and now routes passengers via Johannesburg. The move was inconvenient for most leisure travellers, who see Cape Town as the destination and tend to skip Jo'burg altogether.
Main Airports
Cape Town International Airport (CPT).
(www.acsa.co.za)
Cape Town International Airport is located 22km (15.5 miles) east of Cape Town. Tel: <p>(021) 937 1200.</p>.
Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB). (www.airports.co.za) Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport is located 22km (14 miles) east of Johannesburg. Tel: <p>(011) 921 6911.</p>. Port Elizabeth Airport (PLZ). (www.airports.co.za) Port Elizabeth Airport is situated within Port Elizabeth, 5km (3 miles) west of the business district and 3km (2 miles) southwest of Algoa Bay. Tel: <p>41 507 7348 or 86 727 7888.</p>. Durban King Shaka International Airport (DUR). (www.acsa.co.za) Durban King Shaka International Airport is located 35km (22 miles) north of central Durban. Tel: <p>032 436 6000.</p>. Getting There by Water
Cape Town, Durban, East London and Port Elizabeth all have major ports and it is possible to travel by ferry from these destinations. For more information regarding the ports, contact Transnet National Ports Authority (www.transnetnationalportsauthority.net).
Several international cruise liners call at Cape Town or Durban. Getting There by Rail
South Africa’s railway network is sadly under-developed and there is little cohesion between neighbouring countries. That makes arriving by train unfeasible, unless you can afford the luxurious Rovos Rail (www.rovos.com) which runs occasionally to and from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Swakopmund in Namibia, Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and the long haul up to Cairo.
Getting There by Road
There are several borders you can cross to get into South Africa if you are entering the country by car and border posts are open daily. The main border posts are:
• Namibia Vioolsdrif / South Africa, open 24 hours • Mozambique Komatiepoort / South Africa, 0700-2200 • Botswana Tlokweng / South Africa, 0700-2200 • Zimbabwe Beitbridge / South Africa, 0600-2200 • Swaziland Oshoek / South Africa, 0700-2200Coach operator Intercape (www.intercape.co.za, tel: +27 21 380 4400) runs regularly to and from points in Namibia, Botswana, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Note
Distances are very long and roads are not always well maintained, sometimes making arriving by road an adventure, not a doddle.
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