GETTING HERE - International flights
Possibly your easiest option is to go to your travel agent and say - "I'd like to go to South Africa - please book me a flight"
Even better is to take them an Oceans Africa Itinerary and say " I'd like to join this tour - please book me a flight and make any other necessary arrangements".
If you prefer to take charge yourself and assuming you've decided to fly, you'll soon find that the cheapest international flights (often via a stopover somewhere near the Med.) usually end up in Johannesburg, which is not always so close to where you want to spend your time suntanning and although JHB is pretty central, cynics may say it's in the center of nowhere.

JOHANNESBURG
As with all big cities and to be fair to those who live in and love Johannesburg , it's a pretty vibrant place with a lot going on . If you do decide a stopover is desired or necessary, here are a few tips to getting around.
Johannesburg is a very big place with a very confusing road system. Driving can be a nightmare and public transport can be equally so. It may be better to rely on private taxis to get around although this starts to get expensive.
Fortunately many backpackers and B&B's and Hotels offer free transfers from the airport, bus and train stations if you're going to stay with them (see links) and once you're happily settled in will give you the best advice for getting around locally.

GETTING IN AND OUT OF JOHANNESBERG
South African Airways offer an excellent and reasonably priced range of domesric flights that run almost daily to and from most coastal centres, so if a stopover is not desired it's almost always possible to make a connection with your international flight. Book at least two weeks in advance to ensure the cheapest price.

DOMESTIC FLIGHTS - As per 2002 timetables.

Baggage allowance: 20kg - Economy Class :: 30kg - Business Class :: 40kg - First Class (smaller planes may only have one class). You may be able to haggle a few extra kilos for sporting equipment. Please check with the airline.

Contacts for domestic flights:

http://www.saairlink.co.za - for schedules and easy on-line bookings. Tel +27 (011) 978 1111 for reservations.

http://www.kulula.com - now offer budget no-frills (and very cheap) domestic flights with a sense of humor.

BUSSES/COACHES
Busses will get you almost anywhere in the country and are often a much cheaper option than flying. Unfortunately distances in SA are very large and you'll find it takes over 20 hours to get to Cape Town and about 12 hours to get to Durban from Johannesburg.

TRAINS
Trains do not come highly recommended, however we can't really see why if you are of the adventurous type and you are not in a hurry. 1st class sleeper carriages are not much more expensive than the bus and although trains are slower you see more of the countryside, you can walk around, drink at the bar, sleep reasonably well and even shower - just keep an eye on your luggage.

Copyright Oceans Africa 2002. All rights reserved.