By bike
By bike
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.
Heritage Tours Private Travel
U.S. based company focusing on private travel experiences in Southern Africa, including luxury accommodations, transportation, expert guides, safari and more. Contact us at 800-378-4555 or www.HTprivatetravel.com
GoTravel24.com
great package holidays geared to your requirements - book and pay online! Destinations include Cape Town, Johannesburg, Kruger Park, Winelands, Garden Route, Victoria Falls and Mauritius.
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
Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Kasane, Victoria Falls and Windhoek.
Kea Campers
Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Windhoek, Namibia
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
Helderberg Camper Hire
Based in Cape Town with branches nationwide
Bobo Campers
Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Windhoek, Namibia
Kea Campers
Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Windhoek, Namibia
Maui
By bus
By bus
There are scheduled bus services between Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban and other cities with stops in between, as well as connections to neighboring countries. The main bus companies are:
By bus
Booking for the above can also be done via Computicket (http://www.computicket.co.za) .
Smaller services include City Bug (http://www.citybug.co.za/) and Lowveld Link (http://www.lowveldlink.co.za/) .
An alternative is the Baz Bus (http://www.bazbus.com/) . 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 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 kilometer 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 car
Fuel
As of March 2010, fuel can now be bought on a normal credit card; most garages have ATMs on the premises. Visa Electron and other debit cards are accepted at most fuel stations.
By road
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. You may want to 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. Never hitchhike at night.
By plane
South Africa has a well established domestic air travel infrastructure with links between all major centers.
See Air travel in South Africa for detailed information.
By train
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa PRASA (http://www.prasa.com) is the national rail operator. There are budget passenger services between major South African cities known as Shosholoza Meyl (http://www.shosholozameyl.co.za) as well as luxury services known as Premier Classe (http://www.premierclasse.co.za) between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.
Central Reservations for both Shosholoza Meyl and Premier Classe can be contacted as follows :
From within South Africa, phone 086 000 8888 share-call
From outside South Africa, phone +27 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 (http://www.metrorail.co.za) . Most services are perfectly safe, but certain routes are overcrowded and not always safe.