Getting There By Air:Cape Town International Airport (CPT) Tel: (021) 937 1200
or 08672 77888 (flight information).
Website:
www.airports.co.za Cape Town International Airport is located 22km (15.5 miles) east of Cape Town’s city center on the N2 highway. The airport has experienced much expansion and renovation over the past decade and its cutting-edge design, clean and efficient interior and extensive facilities have earned it many awards. The domestic terminal
is currently undergoing redevelopment and a double story access road and additional multistory parking are being constructed - intended for completion in late 2008. The airport is South Africa’s second largest and the gateway to the Western Cape; there are direct flights to a number of destinations worldwide, including London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires and Windhoek. Domestic routes include Johannesburg, Durban, Port Elizabeth, East London and Bloemfontein. The airport handles over six million passengers a year, projected to increase to 14 million by 2015.
Approximate flight times to Cape Town: London is 11 hours 20 minutes; New York is 17 hours; Los Angeles is 25 hours; Toronto is 19 hours and Sydney is 16 hours.
Airport facilities: Facilities include foreign exchange, ATMs, executive car parking services, baggage storage, tourist information, restaurants, bars, snack bars, bookshops, duty-free shops, post offices, a pharmacy, mobile phone and SIM card hire center, Wi-Fi access, and car hire from
Avis, Budget, Dollar Thrifty, Europcar, Hertz, Imperial, National/Alamo and
Tempest.
Business facilities: The
Airport Company Premier Lounge (tel: (021) 936 1118) is located near the domestic arrivals terminal and provides meeting and conference space, with facilities such as e-mail, fax, telephones, projectors, video-conferencing and photocopiers. Secretarial services, catering and mobile phone hire are also available.
Transport to the city: There is no rail service or public bus service from the airport. Various shuttle bus services operate services from the airport.
Legend Tours and Transfers (tel: (021) 674 7055
or 08245 62014; website:
www.legendtours.co.za) and
Backpacker’s Bus (tel: (021) 439 7600
or 08280 99185; website:
www.backpackerbus.co.za) operate a 24-hour door-to-door shuttle bus service (journey time - 20 minutes). Advance booking is recommended. At the airport, there are desks for shuttle bus services in international arrivals for
Randy’s Tours (tel: (021) 934 8367) and
Anwar’s Tours (tel: (021) 936 2065). Metered taxis are always available outside the airport from
Touch Down Taxis (tel: (021) 919 4659), the official airport taxi company, for approximately R200 to the city center. Most luxury and business hotels will, if notified in advance, provide transport to and from the airport.
Getting There By Water:The superbly located
Cape Town Harbour, at the heart of the city, accessed via Dock Road, off Coen Steytler Avenue, Portswood or Beach Road, or via Ebenezer Road, off the Western Boulevard, is overseen by
South African Port Operations (tel: (021) 449 2405; website:
www.saponet.co.za), and is the second busiest port in South Africa, handling a huge volume of freight every year. Cruise liners regularly call here and it is also a major fishing port. There are two main sections of the harbor. While the massive working area, comprising the
Duncan Dock, Ben Schoeman Dock and
Sturrock Dock, is off limits to the casual visitor, the
Victoria Basin, Alfred Basin and the
New Basin, known collectively as the
V&A Waterfront (tel: (021) 408 7600; website:
www.waterfront.co.za) is one of South Africa’s premium tourist attractions (see
Key Attractions) as well as a working harbor. There is no dedicated passenger terminal at Cape Town Harbour. Cruise liners longer than 200m (656ft) are accommodated at various berths at the Duncan Dock, while smaller liners dock at the V&A Waterfront.
Boat services: Andrew Weir Shipping (tel: (021) 425 1165; website:
www.rms-st-helena.com) offers round-trip cruises from Cape Town to St Helena and Ascension Island via Walvis Bay and Luderitz in Namibia (journey time - 23 days), on-board the
RMS St Helena (a working Royal Mail ship). Twice a year it continues on to Tenerife and the UK.
Getting There By Road:Cape Town’s road network is excellent, with both good highways and scenic routes. This, combined with the fact that there is limited public transport, means that driving is often the preferred mode of transport for many tourists. However, visitors should note that South Africa has a very high accident rate, although most major accidents happen on the national highways outside the cities.
Roads are designated by an ‘M’ for motorway, ‘N’ for national roads and highways (major routes that criss-cross the country) and ‘R’ for the smaller yet still key routes. Local roads, including gravel or dirt tracks, are commonly designated by a ‘C’ or ‘D’, if they are listed at all. The legal driving age is 18 years, though if hiring a car, most companies require drivers to be at least 23. Driving is on the left and seat belts must be worn at all times. The speed limit on highways is 120kph (75mph), 80-100kph (50-62mph) on national roads and 60kph (37mph) in urban areas. Foreign licenses are valid if they are printed in English and have a photograph of the holder; otherwise an International Driving Permit is essential. Licenses must be carried at all times. Mandatory Personal Accident Insurance is included in the price of the petrol, however, drivers should not rely on this and extra insurance is highly recommended. Drink-driving penalties are strict and visitors should note that the maximum legal alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%.
Foreign drivers need to be aware that car hijacking is rampant in South Africa. Doors should be locked at all times and picking up hitchhikers should be completely avoided. Unfortunately, it is essential for drivers to carry cash, as petrol stations do not accept credit cards. Nevertheless, almost all petrol stations provide ATM machines. Petrol stations are not self service and petrol attendants are on hand to fill up tanks, wash windscreens and check oil and water; a small tip is customary.
The
Automobile Association of South Africa (AA) (tel: (021) 419 6914; website:
www.aasa.co.za) provides general information on road travel in South Africa.
Emergency breakdown service: AA (tel: 0838 4322/THEAA) yellow SOS telephones are available along major routes.
Routes to the city: There are three main routes leading into Cape Town. These are the N1 from the Winelands (Paarl and Franschhoek) and northern destinations, such as the Karoo and Johannesburg, the N2 from the airport, Somerset West and the Overberg via the Garden Route, and the N7 from the West Coast and Namibia.
Approximate driving times to Cape Town: From Somerset West - 30 minutes; Paarl - 45 minutes; Franschhoek - 1 hour; Johannesburg - 17 hours.
Coach services: Cape Town is linked by air-conditioned, deluxe and standard bus services to all major destinations in South Africa, including Johannesburg, Durban and Port Elizabeth, as well as some international destinations, such as Bulawayo and Harare in Zimbabwe, Maputo in Mozambique and Windhoek in Namibia.
Cape Town Station, Adderley Street, is the departure point for all bus services. Service providers include
Intercape (tel: (021) 380 4400
or 08612 87287; website:
www.intercape.co.za),
Greyhound (tel: (011) 276 8500
or 08391 59000; website:
www.greyhound.co.za), and
Translux (tel:
08615 89282; website:
www.translux.co.za). The national booking agency
Computicket (tel: (021) 915 8000
or 08391 58000; website:
www.computicket.com), which has branches in most shopping malls including the V&A Waterfront, provides centralized information and reservations for inter-city bus routes. The
Baz Bus (tel: (021) 439 2323; website:
www.bazbus.com) is a jump-on-jump-off bus service aimed at backpackers and picks up and drops off from Cape Town’s backpacker hostels. It runs along the coast between Cape Town and Durban, from where there are two routes to Johannesburg.
Getting There By Rail:Shosholoza Meyl (tel: (021) 449 2124
or 08600 08888; website:
www.spoornet.co.za) operates all mainline railway services, while
Cape Metrorail (tel: 0800 656 463; website:
www.capemetrorail.co.za) operates the suburban services (see
Getting Around). While national travel is easy and comfortable, often even luxurious, suburban services are unreliable, not very extensive and can be very dangerous, especially after dark. Rail enquiries should be directed to the
Metro Transport Info central toll-free number (tel: 0800 656 463; website:
www.mti.co.za); inter-city train reservations are also available. Metrorail also provides a security emergency number (tel: 0800 210 081).
Cape Town Station, Adderley Street, services both national and suburban lines. The station is in a vast, vaulted building that houses an array of shops and kiosks - some tacky, others quite compelling. Other facilities include information desks, security lockers for hire, a restaurant and even a doctor and dentist. There is also an open-air flea market (Monday-Saturday), located immediately outside the station.
Rail services: Standard train services going to mainline destinations include daily services to Johannesburg, via Kimberley and Worcester (journey time - 26 hours 30 minutes), and a weekly service to Durban via Kimberley and Bloemfontein (journey time - 37 hours). Trains to Johannesburg and Durban offer a sleeper service and are relaxing alternatives to flying, with dining cars for fast food and serviced compartments, though journey times are slow. There’s also a more upmarket service known as
Premier Classe (tel: 08600 08888
or 0117 744 555; website:
www.premierclasse.co.za) that goes to Johannesburg twice a week, with compartments more like three-star hotel rooms and fine dining in the dining car.
The premier luxury train in South Africa is the
Blue Train (tel: (021) 449 2672
or 334 8459; website:
www.bluetrain.co.za), with services between Cape Town and Pretoria (journey time - 27 hours). They arrange occasional trips from Pretoria to Pilanesberg National Park and trains can be chartered from Pretoria to Victoria Falls and Nelspruit/Hoedspruit. Trains to Pretoria usually depart once a week, with more departures in May, August, October and November. Advance booking is essential.
Transport to the city: Cape Town Station is situated right in the heart of the city center. The central public transport bus depot is situated across the road, on Strand Street (in front of the Grand Parade). The minibus taxi rank is on top of the station, but these are also easily picked up outside the station where metered taxis are also available.
Getting Around:
Public TransportCape Town is a frustrating city to navigate, simply because there is hardly any efficient public transport to speak of. That and the fact that there is a great big mountain right in the middle of the city can make getting around quite a daunting task for the tourist. Cape Town is, nevertheless, equipped with some
trains and
buses.
Metro Transport Info (tel: 0800 656 463; website:
www.mti.co.za) provides centralized information on all trains, buses and taxis.
Cape Metrorail (tel: 0800 656 463; website:
www.capemetrorail.co.za) runs the suburban network of
trains, consisting of five routes, which serve four defined areas - Area Ikapa (Cape Town and city destinations), Area North (including Bellville, Wellington, Stellenbosch and Strand), Area Central (including Langa and Khayelitsha) and Area South (including the Cape Flats and the Simon’s Town line via Wynberg, Newlands, Claremont and Rondebosch). The Cape Town-Simon’s Town route, which hugs the coastline, just meters from the ocean, is particularly spectacular. Tourists are advised to keep a watchful eye on their possessions, as pickpocketing is rife, and they should also never travel after dark. Trains generally run from Cape Town station daily 0430-1930 (depending on the route traveled), with regular departures, although there is a more limited service at weekends; some Area North routes do not offer a weekend service. There are two fare types - Metro (standard) and Metro Plus (first class); tourists are advised to travel on the Metro Plus service. Tickets also vary in price according to the distance traveled. Weekly and monthly
passes are also available. Tickets can be purchased at Cape Town Station, Adderley Street.
Public
buses run regular and safe services to most destinations - including Camps Bay, Claremont, Hout Bay, Kirstenbosch, Kloof Nek, Sea Point and the Waterfront. However, tourists should probably avoid taking buses to the outlying areas.
Golden Arrow (tel: 08012 12111; website:
www.gabs.co.za) has the monopoly on Cape Town’s bus services, which run out of the main bus terminal on the Grand Parade, between Cape Town Station and the City Hall. Buses run daily approximately 0600-2000 (depending on the route), with a limited service at the weekend; some routes do not have a weekend service. Bus fares are based on the distance traveled and prices vary accordingly. Tickets can be purchased upon boarding or from the main terminal (Mon-Fri 0600-1800, Sat 0600-1230). ‘Clipcards’ or
passes are also available at the Grand Parade terminal.
TaxisMetered taxis can be ordered at any time of day or night and can also be hired for day trips. Although the meters are generally accurate, visitors should ask the driver for an estimated price before setting out. There are taxi ranks at the main railway station and at the top of Adderley Street, just below Company Gardens. Visitors should note that the practice of hailing a taxi on the street is unheard of in Cape Town. Besides finding one at the ranks, visitors can call
Marine Taxis (tel: (021) 434 0434) or
Unicab (tel: (021) 448 8823). Wheelchair users and groups of up to nine should request a larger Toyota Venture.
Rikki’s Taxis (tel: (021) 423 4888
or 786 2136) provides a more tourist-orientated taxi service in an open rickshaw-type vehicle; they run in the city center and Simon’s Town and will take you out as far as Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens but not as far as the airport. Tipping is not common practice in Cape Town, although an extra R10-20 is always appreciated.
Minibus taxis A common sight in any South African city, including Cape Town, the 10- to 12-seater minibus taxis are the preferred transport option of many a car-less local. These can be hailed down anywhere on the streets and are by far the cheapest transport option (about R4 a ride from the city center to the southern suburbs or Atlantic seaboard).
However, the minibus taxis cannot really be recommended to tourists. Although they are getting more organized and newer vehicles are being introduced, especially on the inner city routes, they still have a bad reputation and safety record. Tourists who do choose to use this service should exercise caution and employ common sense at all times. Passengers, particularly women but men as well, should not board an empty bus, nor should they travel alone, at night or beyond the city center and the immediate suburbs. They should absolutely avoid the minibus taxis that are in dreadful shape - with flat or smooth tires, alarming dents or just a general state of disrepair. Tourists should only board the minibuses that have the destinations and corresponding route numbers printed on the back of the bus. A ride in a minibus taxi is also a white-knuckle experience, not for the faint hearted, as the drivers do not pay much attention to the rules of the road.
Driving in the CityDue to the lack of efficient and safe public transport, many visitors choose to drive. Driving in the city is usually fairly unstressful, as there are good feeder highways, excellent signage and efficient traffic lights. The scenic routes and meandering country roads are particularly lovely. However, the characteristic Cape Town repose seems to dissolve once the locals are behind the wheel and driving can be hair-raising at times. Drivers are almost always accosted at stop signs and traffic lights, by beggars or entrepreneurs flogging everything from newspapers and roses to bin liners. (However, it can be a treat for hot and bothered motorists to purchase a box of sweet Hanepoot grapes, when in season - late summer).
Rush hours are generally 0700-0830 and 1630-1800, when some routes heading out of the city, particularly De Waal Drive, become quite congested. Getting into the city from the southern suburbs can be quite an adventure for the uninitiated. On what is known as ‘University Bend’, where De Waal Drive rounds the mountain towards feeder roads to the N2 and the Eastern Boulevard, there are many tricky lane changes to tackle, mainly because the exits are to the right of the road despite the fact that driving in South Africa is on the left. A preferred route into the city center is via Main Road, which feeds into the city center all the way from Wynberg, through Observatory, Woodstock and Salt River into Cape Town. Although fairly straightforward, here drivers have to keep an eye out for minibus taxis, whose Mad Max antics can be quite alarming at times. It is not advisable for drivers to attempt to challenge the minibus taxi drivers, as this can be very dangerous.
Parking is plentiful around the city, with almost every mall equipped with indoor parking. Central car parks are located on Strand Street, the Grand Parade and Plein Street. In many free open parking lots, uniformed parking security guards will look after cars for a tip. Tipping is not essential, however, as this is, in most cases, the sole means of support for these security guards, a small tip of around R2 (R5 at night) is not much for the average visitor to spare.
The kerbside parking bays are managed by parking marshals, who have hand-held machines which record the vehicle’s registration number, the number of the parking bay and the time of the driver’s arrival. There are two methods of payment; cash or by
City Card,
which are purchased from the parking marshals for R30 and can be topped up with any amount when necessary. The system is in operation Monday to Saturday during office hours; parking is free of charge after 1800.
Car HireA hired car is often the visitor’s preferred mode of transport in Cape Town, especially for excursions to outlying areas. Hotels can arrange car hire for their guests, while all major car hire companies have booths at the airport.
Cape Town Tourism (tel: (021) 426 4260; website:
www.tourismcapetown.co.za) will also arrange car hire for tourists at no extra charge.
Some of the many major car hire companies include
Avis (tel: 08610 21111; website:
www.avis.co.za),
Budget (tel: 08610 16622; website:
www.budget.co.za),
Europcar (tel: 0800 011 344; website:
www.europcar.co.za),
Hertz (tel: 08616 00136; website:
www.hertz.co.za) and
Tempest Sixt (tel: 08683 67378; website:
www.tempestcarhire.co.za).
Global (tel: (021) 423 5211; website:
www.globalcarrental.co.za) and
Cape Car Hire (tel: (021) 385 0445; website:
www.capecarhire.co.za) are local providers.
Insurance is sometimes included in the rates but is usually offered as an optional extra (some companies make this compulsory, unless proof of individual insurance is provided) and is highly recommended, particularly against theft. Drivers must be at least 23 years old and have a credit card and an International Driving License (unless the driver’s national license is printed in English and bears a photograph of the holder).
Bicycle HireCycling in the city center requires nerves of steel and tremendous good luck. It is therefore not recommended. However, country and suburban excursions can be incredibly rewarding, especially through the Winelands and the Table Mountain National Park around Cape Point.
Downhill Adventures, Shop 10 Overbeek Building, corner of Kloof, Long and Orange Streets (tel: (021) 422 0388; website:
www.downhilladventures.com) hires out bicycles and the price includes a helmet, pump, spare tube, lock and city map, as well as free delivery in the City Bowl area.
To beat the beach parking blues, particularly in the crowded summer months, adventurous tourists often choose to hire out 100cc Kymco scooters with helmet from
African Buzz, 202 Long Street (tel: (021) 423 0052). A deposit and a full motorcycle license are required.
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