Page 441 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - South Africa

TRA VEL INFORM A TION 439

Long-Distance Buses
Citiliner, Greyhound,
Intercape and Translux
coaches travel to most towns,
and the journeys are safe,
comfortable and affordable.
Greyhound, Intercape and
Translux also run services to
the capital cities in neigh-
bouring countries: Maputo
(Mozambique), Windhoek
(Namibia), Livingstone
(Zambia), Harare (Zimbabwe)
and Gaborone (Botswana). The
coaches are modern and air-
conditioned, with on-board
toilets and reclining seats, and
they stop for refreshments. Travelling by train, a lovely way to view South Africa’s landscapes
There are, however, long
distances to cover, and some routes. Services have a poor DIRECTORY
coaches depart or arrive at safety record and vehicles are
inconvenient times. Trips can overcrowded, so they are Trains
be booked via Computicket not recommended.
(see p415), either online or at Gautrain
any branch in the country. Tel 0800 428 87246.
The Baz Bus hop-on/hop- City Buses ∑ gautrain.co.za
off system, aimed at budget All South African cities have a Metrorail
travellers, runs between system of public buses. These Tel 011 773 1600.
Cape Town and Durban, and are inexpensive and easy to use. ∑ metrorail.co.za
Durban and Johannesburg, They can accommodate
picking up and dropping off wheelchairs and prams and are Premier Classe
passengers at backpackers’ monitored by security cameras. Tel 011 774 4555.
hostels. Tickets are priced in In Cape Town, bus services are ∑ premierclasse.co.za
segments – Cape Town to Port run by MyCiTi, which also Shosholoza Meyl
Elizabeth, for example – and operates a service to and from
allow unlimited hop-on/hop- the airport. In Durban, the Tel 0860 008 888.
offs (but no backtracking) People Mover runs up and ∑ shosholozameyl.co.za
within that segment. This down the beach front and in a Buses
makes the Baz Bus convenient loop around the city centre,
for shorter journeys, especially while in Johannesburg Baz Bus
since buses travel only during Metrobus and Rea Vaya cover ∑ bazbus.com
the day. However, for longer all the metropolitan areas.
journeys, conventional bus Minibus taxis follow the Citiliner
services offer better value. same routes as regular buses ∑ citiliner.co.za
Minibus taxis transport but are driven erratically and Greyhound
workers on some long-distance are not recommended.
∑ greyhound.com
Intercape
∑ intercape.co.za
Metrobus
∑ mbus.co.za
MyCiTi
∑ myciti.org.za
People Mover
∑ muvo.co.za
Rea Vaya
∑ reavaya.org.za
Translux
∑ translux.co.za
The hop-on/hop-off Baz Bus, a favourite among budget travellers