Getting around South Africa

By plane

South Africa has a well established domestic air travel infrastructure with links between all major centres. See Air travel in South Africa for detailed information.

By car

Fuel Note that fuel cannot be bought on a normal credit card, only special Garage Cards issued by a South African bank are accepted at petrol stations. Most garages do however have ATM's on the premises. Visa Electron and other debit cards are accepted at some fuel stations. You might be unfamiliar with road signs. Toll roads have SOS phones at regular intervals One drives on the left-hand side of the road in South Africa. All measurements are done using the metric system; distances on road signs are in kilometre and fuel is sold by the litre. To get a car in South Africa there are basically three options, you can hire a car, buy one or use the so-called buy-back option. Hiring a car is fairly easy and bookings can be made online and in all major cities. Buying a car takes a bit more work (Roadworthy license, registering the car, insurance), but there is a lively used car market in South Africa. The third option is a combination of both, as you buy a car with a guarantee that the rental company will buy-back your car at the end of the contract. Most cars in South Africa have manual transmissions and the selection of second-hand automatics may be limited. The roads within South Africa, connecting most major cities, and between its immediate neighbours are very good. There are many national and regional road connecting the cities and larger centres, including the N1 running from Cape Town through Johannesburg and Pretoria up to Harare, Zimbabwe, the N2 running from Cape Town to Durban, which passes through the world-famous Garden Route near Knysna, and the N3 between Durban and Johannesburg. Some portions of the national roads are limited access, dual carriage freeways (the N3 between Johannesburg and Durban is freeway almost all the way) and some sections are also toll roads with emergency assist telephones every couple of kilometers. All the large fuel companies have rest stops every 200km to 300km along these highways where you can full up, eat something at a restaurant, get takeaways, do some shopping or just stretch your legs. Restrooms at these facilities are well maintained and clean. Most (but not all) of these rest stops also have ATMs. Toll roads generally have two or more lanes in each direction. Some of the main roads have only one lane in each direction, especially where they are far from urban centers. It is customary to flash your hazard lights once, after passing a truck or other slow vehicle that has moved onto the hard shoulder to let you pass. This is considered a thank you and you will most likely receive a my pleasure response in the the form of the slow vehicle flashing its headlights once. South Africa has a high rate of traffic fatalities, and you may want to avoid driving at night except in urban areas. Watch out for unsafe drivers (minibus taxis), poor lighting, and pedestrians (who are the cause of many accidents, especially at night). When driving outside of the major cities you will often encounter animals, wild and domestic, in or near the roadway. The locals tend to herd their cattle and goats near the road. If you see an animal on or by the road, slow down, as they are unpredictable. Do not stop to feed wild animals! Make sure you understand the road signs. A special kind of crossing is the 'four way stop' where the car that stops first has right of way. You will not encounter many traffic circles, but when you do, take special care as the general attitude of South African drivers is that traffic circles do not constitute a traffic management roadway structure, and do not use their indicators in a safe and predictable fashion. In general, South Africans tend to speed excessively and are prone to selfish or aggressive driving behavior, such as tailgating and hooting. On multi-lane roadways, the principle of keep-left, pass right, is often not adhered to. Left turn on Red at traffic lights are illegal, except for traffic lights that have an accompanying yield sign explicitly permitting it. Fuel stations are full service with lead free petrol, lead replacement petrol and diesel available. Pump attendants will offer to wash your windscreen and check oil and water in addition to just filling up the car. It is usual to tip the attendant approximately R5. Almost all fuel stations are open 24 hours a day. Speed limits are clearly indicated. Generally speed limits on highways are 120km/h, major roads outside build-up areas are 100 km/h, major roads within build up areas are 80km/h and normal town roads are 60 km/h. Speed law enforcement is usually done by portable or stationary, radar or laser cameras. Fines will be sent to the registered address of the vehicle you are driving. Non camera portable radar and laser systems are also used and you may be pulled over for speeding and given a written fine. Should you find yourself waiting at a red traffic light late at night in an area where you do not feel safe, you can cross over the red light after first carefully checking that there is no other traffic. If you receive a fine due to a camera on the traffic light you can normally have it wavered by writing a letter to the traffic department or court explaining that you crossed safely and on purpose, due to security reasons. Do not make a habit of this. When stopped at a traffic light at night always leave enough room between your car and the car in front of you so you can get around them. It is a common hijacking manoeuvre to box your car in. This is especially prevalent in the suburbs of Johannesburg. South Africa currently does not have a merits system and does not share traffic violation information with other nations. The N1 between Gauteng and Cape Town and the N3 between Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal can become very busy at the start and end of Gauteng school holidays, due to many people from Gauteng spending their holidays at the coast. If you are planning on using these two highways, it is wise to try and avoid the two days after schools break up and the two days before they open again. School holiday calendars for South Africa can be found here. The N3 normally have a Highway Customer Care line during busy periods, ph: 0800 203 950, it can be used to request assistance for breakdowns, accidents or general route information. Current toll fees, road and traffic condition can also be found on the N3 website. License requirements If your drivers license is in any of South Africa's 11 official languages (e.g. English) and it contains a photo and your signature integrated into the license document, then it is legally acceptable as a valid drivers licence in South Africa. However, some car rental and insurance companies may still insist that you provide an International Driver's Permit. It is generally best practice to acquire an International Driver's Permit in your country of origin, prior to starting your journey, regardless of whether your license is legally acceptable or not. National rental agencies

• Avis, ☎ +27 (0)11 923-3660 (toll free: 0861 113 748, reservations@avis.co.za), [6].

• Budget, ☎ +27 (0)11 398-0123 (toll free: 086 101 6622, reservations@budget.co.za, fax: +27 (0)11 398-0124), [7].

• Hertz, ☎ +27 (0)21 935-4800 (res@hertz.co.za, fax: +27 (0)21 935-4801), [8].

• Imperial, ☎ +27 (0)11 574-1000 (toll free: 0861 13 1000, info@imperial.ih.co.za), [9].

• Thrifty Car Rental, ☎ +27 (0)11 230-5201 (toll free: 086 100 2111, bookit@thrifty.co.za, fax: +27 (0)11 230-5170), [10].

Useful links

• National Roads Agency, [11], has latest toll tariffs and road condition reports.
• South African Automobile Association, ph: +27 (0)83 843 22, [12]

By motorhome

With the abundance of caravan parks available in South Africa, motor homes are becoming ever more popular with international visitors. It gives you the freedom to move around as well as a place to stay wherever you are. A number of companies offer motor home rentals

• Bobo Campers, ☎ +27 (0)11 395-4621 (info@bobocampers.com, fax: +27 (0)11 973-4555), [13]. Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Windhoek, Namibia From R900 to R1500 per day depending on camper size.

• Kea Campers, ☎ +27 (0)11 230-5200 (+49 (211) 2297 5440 (European contact number), reservationssa@keacampers.co.za), [14]. Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Windhoek, Namibia

• Maui, 173 Tulbagh Road, Pomona, Kempton Park, Johannesburg, ☎ +27 (0)11 396-1445 (maui@iafrica.com, fax: +27 (0)11 396-1757), [15].

By offroad vehicle

Should you want to wander off the beaten path, a 4x4 or other high clearance vehicle might be required. Often it is possible to have camping gear included with the vehicle rental allowing you to combine your transport and accommodation requirements in one.

• Bushlore, Unit A5, Sanlam Industrial Park, Masjien Road, Randburg, Johannesburg, ☎ +27 (0)11 792-5300 (info@bushlore.com, fax: +27 (0)11 792-3947), [16]. Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kasane, Victoria Falls and Windhoek

• Bush Trackers, ☎ +27 (0)11 465-5700 (bushtrackers@iafrica.com, fax: +27 (0)11 465-5700), [17].

• Kea Campers, ☎ +27 (0)11 230-5200 (+49 (211) 2297 5440 (European contact number), reservationssa@keacampers.co.za), [18]. Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Windhoek, Namibia

By bus

There are scheduled bus services between Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and other cities (with stops in between), as well as connections to neighbouring countries. The main bus companies are:

• Greyhound, ☎ +27 (0)83 915-9000, [19].

• Intercape Mainliner, ☎ +27 (0)21 380-4400, [20].

• Translux, [21].

• SA Roadlink, ☎ +27 (0)11 333-2223, [22].

Booking for the above can also be done via Computicket. Smaller services include City Bug and Lowveld Link. An alternative is the Baz Bus. It offers a regular hop-on-hop-off service on some of the most interesting routes for the tourist (Cape Town to Durban via the Garden Route; Durban to Johannesburg via Swaziland; Durban to Johannesburg via the Drakensberg). Baz Bus picks you up and drops you off at many hostels along the route, so you don't have to hang around at a downtown bus stop at night. If you're really in a pinch, you can use minibus taxis. They are poorly maintained and rarely comply with safety standards. They also require patience as they make many detours and changeovers at the taxi rank (hub) where the driver will wait for passengers to fill up the bus. But they cover many routes not covered by the main bus service and are quite cheap (25 cents per kilometre per person on the main routes). Warning: Many buses are removed from service by the police, due to lack of legal road-worthiness. Seek up-to-date advice on which companies are more reputable. Occasionally, the driving can be rather wild, and if you're prone to motion sickness, be prepared.

By train

Spoornet is the national rail operator. There are budget passenger services between major South African cities (known as Shosholoza Meyl) as well as a Premier Class service between Johannesburg and Cape Town. Spoornet Central Reservations (for both Shosholoza Meyl and Premier Class) can be contacted as follows :

• From within South Africa, phone 086 000 8888 (share-call)
• From outside South Africa, phone +27 (0)11 774 4555
• Email mmabathop@spoornet.co.za or info@premierclasse.co.za

To book tickets, phone Central Reservations on one of the numbers given above and make your booking. You can pick up and pay for the tickets later at any train station. There are also commuter trains in larger cities (Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London) ; these are run by MetroRail. Most services are perfectly safe, but certain routes are overcrowded and not always safe. Mid-range

• Bushveld Train Safaris, ☎ +27 (0)14 736-3025 (info@boon.co.za), [23]. Offers rail Safaris across South Africa

• Shongololo Express, ☎ +27 (0)11 781-4616 (info@shongololo.com), [24]. Rail Safaris across South Africa

Splurge

• Blue Train, ☎ +27 (0)12 334-8459 (Cape Town:+27 (0)21 449 2672, UK: +44 1403 24 3619, central Europe:+44 2089 245126, USA:+1 305 864 4569, BlueTrain@Spoornet.co.za), [25]. This world famous luxury train operates between Pretoria and Cape Town.

• Rovos Rail, ☎ +27 (0)12 315-8242, [26]. Offers luxury rail travel throughout Southern Africa. Destinations include Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, George, Swakopmund in Namibia, Vic Falls in Zimbabwe and Dar es Salaam in Zanzibar.

By thumb

Hitchhiking in South Africa is not so hard, but most people will think you are catching a ride with the local taxis and thus expect you to pay. I suggest you tell them you are looking for a free ride before climbing aboard. The main issue is crime: some drivers may hijack you and your belongings. Hitchhiking is generally frowned upon and considered unsafe. Drivers are also wary of potentially criminal hitchhikers. Don't hitchhike at night.

By bicycle

Cycling is probably the best way to experience the country, as you really get to admire the views and get the opportunity to mingle with the locals. While it could be considered unsafe to cycle through the cities, because of crime and reckless drivers, there are many farm/dirt roads throughout South Africa. Locals and Farmers are generally willing to provide you with food and a place to sleep, as long as you are willing to talk.

• The Freedom Trail, ☎ +27845674152 (info@freedomchallenge.org.za), [27]. The Freedom Trail

By Tour

There are plenty of tour operators offering tours from day tours to longer overland safaris.

• Package Tours South Africa, ☎ +27 (0)21 8828372, [28]. great budget adventure holidays arranged for you around Southern Africa. Destinations include Cape Town, Pretoria, Durban, George, Swakopmund in Namibia, Vic Falls in Zimbabwe and Dar es Salaam in Zanzibar.