Travel to Cape Town

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If you're planning to travel to Cape Town from somewhere else in South Africa you have the three standard options - drive, fly or take the train.

Which mode of transport you choose for a family holiday option depends on a few factors --

Travel to Cape Town from Port Elizabethvia the Garden Route

Drive

If you plan your journey to Cape Town as a scenic part of your holiday trip, driving is the obvious choice.

The distance is approximately 800km (500 miles) and can be done in a single day, but I would allow at least 4-5 days to complete it so that you have plenty of time to stop along the way and not feel rushed.

Train

There is also a train option between P.E. and Cape Town which takes you off the beaten track behind the mountains and into the Karoo, so it is a very different experience from driving.

If you are doing a 'round trip' it may make sense to use the train service in a single direction but unfortunately you cannot rail your car as yet on this route.

Fly

Flying time between P.E. and Cape Town is just over an hour, so for those in a hurry this is always an option.

Travel to Cape Town from Johannesburg - Drive, Fly or Train?

From Jo'burg you have every possible option.

Drive

The drive is around 1,500km (1,000 miles) and the road is excellent the whole way. You can do the journey in a single l-o-n-g day, but I would recommend at least one stop, depending on the age and travel tendencies of your kids.

Graaff Reinet offers an interesting, historic stopover, and Beaufort West is home to the Karoo National Park where you can do some game viewing as part of the 'package'.

Traveling by the Shosholoza Meyl train service is likely the best value option as they offer discounts for young children. However, you would have to factor in transport costs once you reach Cape Town and that could eat up all the savings. The journey takes 26 hours, but you have the bonus of doing no driving.

If you want to have your own vehicle in Cape Town but don't like the idea of the long drive, you can now elect to take the train and ship your car along with you.

If you really like the idea of iconic train travel, there is also a luxury tourist train service called Premiere Classe operating between Johannesburg and Cape Town and I have heard rave reviews about it.

Fly

With the advent of cheap airlines, flying from Johannesburg to Cape Town is certainly the way to go if you are pressed for time. For a 4 person family it will likely be slightly more expensive than the cost of driving, and you would have to factor in the cost of hired transport in Cape Town.

Backpacking as a Family ?

If you are considering a backpacker-style family holiday in South Africa then the Bazbus (www.bazbus.com) is a great option for you.

Based on the European hop-on, hop-off touring models, it's a reasonable, flexible way of getting around the country as you travel to Cape Town.

It's not a bargain basement option -- you could go cheaper on standard bus lines, especially as a family of 4 or more. But it's geared to backpackers and saves you driving yourself or having to find your way to and from hostels and the standard bus stations.