Transport in South Africa
South Africa, the host country of the 2010 World Cup, has three international airports. These airports are managed by ACAS, (Airports Company South Africa), which operates or manages 10 of the South Africa’s airports, handling more than 97 percent of the country’s commercial air traffic.
If need to get to any of the airport you have several options. As a local traveler you might choose to drive yourself to the airport and park your vehicle at the airport’s parking facilities. For the business travel, who is need of their car on short notice upon returning from their trip this is a suitable option, but has several disadvantages.o 1. The expenditure for parking on a long trip can be very expensive. 2. Parking in the long-term parking facility requires taking a shuttle bus from the airport to get your vehicle, adding to your total travel time. 3. Upon your return from a long, tiring trip you still have to drive home.
Locals can drive to the airport and back. There are large parking lots where you can park your car and collect it when you get back. However this method has disadvantages such as the cost of parking which can be high when going for long trips, when getting back from a long trip you are usually too tired to drive and the long term parking lots are located further therefore you have to take a shuttle bus to the terminal and back.
Another option is to use the shuttle service provide by most the major hotels located near the airport. These services operated several times a day between the airport and the hotel. Some hotels provide the service for free; others have a minor charge for using the service. The advantage of using the shuttle service is the fact it brings you right where you need to be. The disadvantage is that they normally operate on set schedules so you’ll have to plan according to their schedule.
For those that travel to South Africa with a tour group, there may be a bus or tour guide available (depending on the size of the group). Shuttle services also operate between all the major cities and airports of this beautiful country. More details and reservation information on shuttle companies can be found at http://www.shuttle.co.za. Shuttle services are very affordable, but one of the drawbacks is that the shuttle driver may not take each passenger directly to their destination, as he or she will need to take into account other passengers’ destinations when planning the route. Also, the departure time may be delayed if there aren’t enough passengers confirmed.
Metered taxis are a good travel option for short trips with a specific address as the end point. Because the costs quickly add up, they are not recommended for long trips. It’s better to find a shuttle service for trips over a few miles.
Gautrain The first segment of the Gautrain, running between Pretoria, Johannesburg, and the airport, will be up and running by 2010. The Gautrain will have feeder transport from each station, which will bring passengers as close as possible to their final destination.
Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator for a leading South African online flights booking portal, to book a flight, simply visit our website at: http://www.saflights.co.za
Author: Graham McKenzie
