Cape Town to Johannesburg

by train from R690 (£33 or $50)

Is
Shosholoza Meyl South
Africa’s best-kept secret?

Jo’burg here we come!  Above, the Shosholoza Meyl train to
Johannesburg speeds away from Cape Town, with Table Mountain in the background. 
Safe, comfortable, THE way to go!

You can easily swap a meaningless
flight or an ugly bus journey for an epic overland rail
adventure with comfy sleepers, showers, restaurant car &
fabulous scenery.

Cape Town to Johannesburg,
an amazing 956 miles
in 26 hours for an
unbelievable £33 or $50 including sleeper – yes, you
read that
right!, see
the Shosholoza Meyl section.  Or for a touch of
luxury for R2,840 (£160 or $280) try
Premier Classe.

 

 

 

Contrary
to what you may have heard and to what many middle-class South
Africans may tell you, taking
the train is a remarkably safe, civilised & enjoyable way to travel
between cities in South Africa.  In fact, you’d be crazy
not to consider it.  There
are several completely different train services:

• Gautrain linking Jo’burg, Pretoria & Jo’burg
  airport… 

  Gautrain is
  the brand-new safe and modern electric suburban train
  service around Johannesburg.  The Airport Line
  links Jo’burg’s O.R. Tambo international airport with
  Sandton.  The North-South Line links Park Station in central Johannesburg
  (used by Shosholoza Meyl and Premier Classe long
  distance trains) with Sandton and Pretoria.

• 
  Metro suburban trains…

  Suburban (Metro)
  trains around Johannesburg & Pretoria are not
  safe (which is why some South Africans will mistakenly
  tell you that all South African trains are unsafe), but
  those around Cape Town can be used if you’re reasonably
  careful to travel from Cape Town to Stellenbosch, Paarl & Simon’s Town. 
  Metro train information.

• 
  Cruise trains:  Rovos Rail, Shongololo…

  There are several
  luxury cruise trains in South Africa, run by companies like Rovos Rail or
  Shongololo, aimed a tourists with western-style prices.  Cruise train information.

• International travel to & from South Africa by train,
  bus & sea…

  Unfortunately,
  there are now no international trains (other than
  occasional tourist cruise trains) from South Africa to Namibia, Botswana
  or Zimbabwe, but for information on international travel by a
  combination of train and bus from South Africa to Zimbabwe, see the
  Zimbabwe
  page. For onward travel to Zambia and Tanzania, see the
  Zambia page.  For travel to
  Namibia, see the Namibia page. 
  For trains to Maputo in Mozambique, see the
  Mozambique page.  For
  travel to Botswana, see the Botswana page. 
  See the map here.

  Freight ships with limited passenger places and an occasional cruise liner link
  the UK with Cape Town.  Start with your search with
  www.cruisepeople.co.uk,
  a UK agency which books both cruise liners and freighters.  Also try
  www.travltips.com/cruises/freighter/overview.php
  &
  www.freightercruises.com.  Cunard have occasional sailings from Southampton to Cape Town, see
  www.cunard.com.  The St Helena steamship
  used to have very occasional sailings from the UK to Cape Town but these ended in 2018
  as the island of St Helena finally (sadly) got an airstrip, see
  www.rms-st-helena.com.

 

 

Sunset from the train. 

The Shosholoza Meyl
long-distance passenger trains are perhaps South
Africa’s best-kept travel secret and an unbelievable
bargain.  Comfortable,
cheap & perfectly safe, they
link major cities including Johannesburg to Cape Town,
Durban, Port Elizabeth & East London.  They’re a great way to
travel as they let you see South Africa comfortably &
affordably at ground level, without spending whole days
& nights in a bus seat, or spending a fortune on
expensive tourist experiences like the
Blue Train or
Rovos Rail, or flying and missing
everything.  They are run by Shosholoza
Meyl (www.shosholozameyl.co.za),
originally part of South African Railways (Spoornet)
and now a division of the Passenger Rail Authority
of South Africa (PRASA,
www.prasa.com).  The
Shosholoza Meyl name was
launched in 2001 along with newly-refurbished
brightly-coloured sleeping-cars. 
In 2006, Shosholoza Meyl split its trains into two distinct classes: 
Tourist class with sleeping cars with 2 & 4-berth compartments and a restaurant
car serving full meals, snacks, beer and wine, and Economy class with sitter
class seats and sometimes a restaurant car.  In Tourist class, the sleepers
even have hot showers at the end of the corridor!

Cape
Town – Johannesburg

Johannesburg
– Durban

Johannesburg
– Bloemfontein – Port Elizabeth

Johannesburg
– East London

Johannesburg
& Pretoria – Louis Trichardt – Messina

Johannesburg & Pretoria – Nelspruit – Komatipoort (for Kruger Park)

Johannesburg
– Mafikeng – Kimberley

Cape Town – East London

Shosholoza Meyl
travel information…

How much does it cost?

How to buy tickets   

What are Shosholoza Meyl trains like? 

Safety on Shosholoza Meyl trains  

Travellers’ reports

You
can check Shosholoza Meyl train times at the official site

www.shosholozameyl.co.za, but travel agency site

www.southafricanrailways.co.za is kept better updated
and is usually far more useful!

 Cape Town ► Johannesburg  – showing the
full choice of
trains

Days of running:

Wednesday, Friday, Sunday

Some Tuesdays*

3 or 4 per month

Type of train::

Shosholoza Meyl

Tourist & Economy

class
train
with

sleepers, restaurant &

economy seats.

Premier Classe train

Affordable deluxe
train with

 sleepers, restaurant,
lounge

meals included,
see below.

Blue Train

Luxury train with

suites, restaurant &

lounges,
see below.

Comments:

Distance

(Km)

In sleepers it’s cheap,

safe,
comfortable, a

great experience.

A more luxurious journey,

but still affordable.

World class luxury

experience, if you

can afford it…

0

Cape Town
depart

 09:05 
day 1

 09:05  Tues

 08:30 
day 1

19

Bellville

 10:05 
day 1

|

|

72

Wellington

 11:36 
day 1

|

|

175

Worcester

 13:40 
day 1

|

|

298

Matjiesfontein

 16:19 
day 1

|

|

538

Beaufort West

 21:30 
day 1

 18:45  Tues

|

801

De Aar

 02:09 
day 1

|

|

1,035

Kimberley

 07:04 
day 2

 03:00  Wed

|

1,344

Klerksdorp

 12:52 
day 2

|

|

1,530

Johannesburg
arrive

 17:59 
day 2

 11:03  Wed

|

1,600

Pretoria arrive

**

**

 12:50 
day 2

* Until 2019, the Premier Classe
train ran every week.  In 2020 it will be reduced to running some weeks
only, once or twice each month, see
www.southafricanrailways.co.za
for dates.

** Pretoria: 
Shosholoza Meyl & Premier Classe trains no longer run through to/from Pretoria, since May 2006
they start/finish their journey at Johannesburg.  Remember that

Johannesburg city centre isn’t safe for visitors, but
Johannesburg Park Station itself has security
and is well-patrolled & secure.  Be
very careful if you walk outside the station.  It’s
recommended that you either use the safe new
Gautrain network to travel between
Jo’burg Park Station, Sandton and Pretoria, or that you pre-book
a car or taxi to pick you up at Jo’burg station when you arrive,
and when leaving again, take a taxi or car to the station
entrance.  Pretoria is a safer city to use as a base when
visiting the Jo’burg area.

Fares   How to buy
tickets   What are the trains
like?   Are these trains safe? Yes!   Cape Town to Johannesburg is 1,530
Km or 956 miles.

 Johannesburg
► Cape Town  – showing the full choice of trains

Days of running:

Wednesday, Friday,
Sunday

Some Thursdays*

3 or 4 per month

Type of train:

Shosholoza
Meyl

Tourist & Economy

class
train
with

sleepers, restaurant &

economy seats.

Premier Classe train

Affordable deluxe
train with

 sleepers, restaurant,
lounge

meals included,
see below.

Blue Train

Luxury train with

suites, restaurant &

lounges,
see below

Comments:

In sleepers it’s cheap,

safe,
comfortable, a

great experience.

A more luxurious journey,

but still affordable.

World class luxury

experience, if you

can afford it…

 Pretoria depart

**

**

 08:30  day 1

 Johannesburg depart

 10:30  day 1

 10:30  Thurs

|

 Klerksdorp

 15:41 
day 1

|

|

 Kimberley

 21:40  day 1

 19:07  Thurs

|

 De Aar

 02:38  day 2

|

|

 Beaufort West

 07:46 
day 2

 03:40  Fri

|

 Matjiesfontein

 12:10 
day 2

|

|

 Worcester

 15:03 
day 2

|

|

 Wellington

 17:03 
day 2

|

|

 Bellville

 18:55 
day 2

|

|

 Cape Town arrive

 19:35  day 2

 12:40  Fri

 12:00  day 2

Fares   How to buy
tickets   What are the trains
like?   Are these trains safe? 
Yes they are!   Hotels in Cape
Town, Jo’burg & Pretoria

 Johannesburg ► Durban

Days of running:

Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Type of train:

Shosholoza
Meyl

Tourist & Economy

class
train
with

sleepers, restaurant &

economy seats.

Comments:

Distance (Km)

In sleepers it’s cheap,

safe, comfortable,

civilised.

0

Johannesburg
depart

17:30  day 1

?

Germiston

18:43  day 1

438

Ladysmith

04:06  day 2

617

Pietermaritzburg

08:21 
day 2

722

Durban

arrive

11:59 
day 2

Johannesburg-Durban
trains pass the spot near Estcourt where
in 1899 young war correspondent Winston Churchill was
taken prisoner by the Boers when the British armoured
train he was with was derailed.  They call at
Pietermaritzburg (PMB), the station where Mahatma Ghandi
was thrown off a train in 1893.  Not just transportation,
but a bit of history!

Fares   How to buy
tickets   What are the trains
like?   Safety on board  
Johannesburg to Durban is 722 Km or 451 miles.

 Durban ► Johannesburg

Days of running:

Wednesday, Friday & Sunday

Type of train:

Shosholoza
Meyl

Tourist &
Economy

class train
with

sleepers, restaurant &

economy
seats.

Comments:

In sleepers it’s cheap,

safe,
comfortable,

civilised.

 Durban depart

19:15  day 1

 Pietermaritzburg

22:04  day 1

 Ladysmith

03:34  day 2

 Germiston

11:38  day 2

 Johannesburg

arrive

12:36  day 2

  Johannesburg
► Port Elizabeth

 

 Port Elizabeth ► Johannesburg

Days of running:

Wed,
Fri, Sun

Fridays

Days of running:

Wed,
Fri, Sun

Fridays

Type of train:

Shosholoza Meyl

Tourist & Economy

class train
with

sleepers, restaurant &

economy seats.

Shosholoza Meyl

Economy

class train
with

economy seats.

Type of train:

Shosholoza
Meyl

Tourist &
Economy

class train
with

sleepers, restaurant &

economy
seats.

Shosholoza Meyl

Economy

class train
with

economy seats.

Comments:

Distance (Km)

In sleepers it’s cheap,

safe, comfortable,

civilised.

Perfectly safe for a

daytime journey

.

Comments:

In sleepers it’s cheap,

safe,
comfortable,

civilised.

Safe enough, but

no sleepers

.

0

Johannesburg depart

13:15  day 1

12:35

 Port Elizabeth depart

11:00 
day 1

–

210

Kroonstad

17:27  day 1

??:??

 Nouport

19:45 
day 1

–

407

Bloemfontein

20:30  day 1

19:30

 Bloemfontein

02:05 
day 2

23:35

696

Nouport

02:20  day 2

–

 Kroonstad

05:23 
day 2

??:??

1,112

Port Elizabeth arrive

09:10  day 2

–

 Johannesburg arrive

09:18 
day 2

05:10

Fares   How to buy
tickets   What are the trains
like?   Are these trains safe? Yes!   Johannesburg to Pt Elizabeth is
1,112 Km or 695 miles.

 Johannesburg
► East London

 

 East London ► Johannesburg 

 Days of running:

Wednesday,
Friday, Sunday

 Days of running:

Wednesday,
Friday, Sunday

 Type of train:

Shosholoza Meyl

Tourist &
Economy

class train
with

sleepers, restaurant &

economy seats

 Type of train:

Shosholoza Meyl

Tourist &
Economy

class train
with

sleepers, restaurant &

economy seats

 Johannesburg

depart

14:20 
day 1

 East London

depart

14:15 
day 1

 Kroonstad

arr/dep

18:32 
day 1

 Bloemfontein

arr/dep

03:37 
day 2

 Bloemfontein

arr/dep

21:35 
day 1

 Kroonstad

arr/dep

06:59 
day 2

 East London

arrive

10:20 
day 2

 Johannesburg

arrive

11:03 
day 2

Fares   How to buy
tickets   What are the trains
like?   Are these trains safe? Yes!   Johannesburg to
East London is
1,023 Km or 639 miles.

 

Shosholoza Meyl tourist class fares

 One-way
fares in
tourist class including sleeper…

 Johannesburg to Cape Town

R690
(£33 or $50)

 Johannesburg to Durban

R330
(£16 or $24)

 Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth        

R500 (£24 or $36)

 Johannesburg to East London

R490
(£23 or $35)

 Johannesburg to Kimberley

R240
(£12 or $17)

 Cape Town to Johannesburg

R690
(£33 or $50)

 Cape Town to
Kimberley

R470
(£22 or $33)

 Durban to Johannesburg

R330
(£16 or $24)

• Fares may vary by month.  For example, Cape
  Town to Jo’burg might be R650 in August, R670 in Sept-Oct, R680
  in November, R690 in December & January.  The fare
  includes a sleeper berth in a 2 or 4 berth sleeper
  compartment.  Couples can request berths in a 2-berth
  compartment, though this can’t be guaranteed.  Bookings
  open 90 days in advance.

• Bedding (sheets, blankets, pillow, made up for you by the train
  attendant) is an extra 60 rand (£4, $6) or so per person, paid on the train.

• Children in tourist class sleepers aged from 0 to 9 pay
  half fare, 10 and over pay the adult fare.  This
  arrangement was introduced in 2009.  It seems harsh to have
  to pay half fare for a 3-month old baby, but remember how cheap
  the fares are to start with. 
  Children in economy class seats aged under 5 travel free,
  children aged 5 to 9 inclusive travel at half fare, children aged 10 and over
  pay full fare.

• Return fares are twice the one-way fare. 

• There may be further reductions for students & seniors
  in off-peak periods,
  so ask when booking.

• Luggage:  You can take up to 25Kg of luggage into your sleeper compartment
  with you.  Excess can be sent in the baggage car for R4 per item.

• Cars can be transported, for prices & booking contact
  
  www.shosholozameyl.co.za or (probably better) reliable
  agency
  www.southafricanrailways.co.za.  Pets are
  not allowed on board, except guide dogs.

• Economy class fares:  Cape Town to Johannesburg in a seat on the
  daily Economy class train costs 170 Rand (£12).

What are
Shosholoza Meyl Tourist Class trains like?

Sleeping-cars:  
The sleeping-cars have 4-berth rooms called ‘compartments’ and
smaller 2-berth rooms known as ‘coupés’.  The berths
convert to seating for daytime use.  Each compartment
has basic leatherette bench seats which convert to bunks at night,
and a washbasin with hot and cold water.  Bedding is provided for a small
extra charge (60 Rand, about £4, $6) and expertly made up
for you in the evening by the train attendant.  Each
sleeping-car has a hot shower at the end of the corridor,
with lockable shower cubicle & changing area – bring your
own soap & towel.  The
coaches are not air-conditioned, so the
windows open for a superb view of the countryside.  A
metal mesh screen is provided for use at night to allow
cool air.  Berth numbers aren’t specified on your
ticket or allocated when you book.  Instead, reservation
lists are posted at the departure station telling you your car and berth number.  As far as is possible, two passengers travelling together will
be booked into a 2-berth coupé, a solo traveller
will normally be booked into a 4-berth compartment with
passengers of the same sex.  The price is the same.  If you pay for two tickets
(quite affordable, given the fare) you can have sole
occupancy of a coupé.  The whole train is all
non-smoking.

 

2-berth ‘coupé’ sleeper, with berths folded away and washbasin covered. 
.

 

The Shosholoza Meyl
Tourist Class train to Cape Town
about to leave Johannesburg Park Station.  All the scenery of
the famous Blue train at a tenth of the price!

 

 

4-berth ‘compartment’
sleeper, washbasin covered by the small table,
one upper berth folded away.  .

 

There is a toilet and a
shower with plenty of hot water at the end of the
sleeper corridor.

Restaurant car: 
There’s a restaurant car serving snacks, drinks and
affordable complete meals.  A full English
breakfast hits the spot in the morning, and
beer and a wine list is available for something to go
with you lunch or dinner.  The food is not
expensive, even by South African standards. 
Restaurant car staff also come down the train to sell
tea and coffee to you at your seat.  Catering was
originally sub-contracted to caterers such as BJ’s, the
South African equivalent of Wimpy, though is now back
in-house. 

Recent video of dining in Shosholoza Meyl restaurant car. 

 

 

Restaurant car.

 

Dinner in the diner…

 

A cooked breakfast…

What are
Shosholoza Meyl Economy Class Trains like?

Sitter class
seating: Economy trains have
basic seating, which does not convert to berths.  Fine
for daytime journeys, and safe with travelling security staff on board, but not
generally
recommended for visitors on overnight trips unless you can’t get a sleeper and are
prepared to rough it. 
Most trains also have a
restaurant or refreshment car.

 

Economy class sitter car. 

 

Shosholoza Meyl train. 

• Bookings open 90 days before
  departure. 

• Shosholoza Meyl tourist class sleepers can get fully-booked a month or two
  ahead, especially on the popular Cape Town to Johannesburg route, . 

• Remember that this is Africa and trains can run late, sometimes hours not
  minutes, so don’t book any tight onward connections – ideally allow
  an overnight stop before any connecting international flight. 

Option 1, buy tickets online at

• Online booking is theoretically possible on the official
  Shosholoza Meyl website
  www.shosholozameyl.co.za – click
  at top right.  It may or may not work, option 3 is often a
  better bet. 
  Feedback would be appreciated.

Option 2, buy tickets in person or by phone on 086 000 8888…

• , simply call Shosholoza
  Meyl’s freephone number 086 000 8888.

• , call + 27 11 7744 555 – but you have to collect & pay at a
  Shosholoza Meyl station within 2 days.  As this may be impractical, I suggest booking
  online as above or using African Sun Travel as shown below.

• Reservations are
  computerised, so any reservation office can book any
  journey in South Africa.  When booking by phone, you will
  be given a booking reference number, and you must collect and pay for your tickets
  at a station within 2 days.  Your
  ticket will not show your coach or berth number, but
  a passenger list showing which berth is allocated to which
  passenger is posted in a glass case at the station about an hour
  before departure.

Option 3, buy from train ticketing agency African Sun Travel,

www.southafricanrailways.co.za…

• One of the best ways to buy tickets for Shosholoza Meyl
  trains from outside South Africa is to order online from travel
  agency African Sun Travel via their website
  www.southafricanrailways.co.za.  Their website is kept better updated with Shosholoza timetable
  sand days of running than the official one, and
  they seem far more on-the-ball than Shosholoza Meyl themselves. 

• Just be aware that this is not Shosholoza Meyl, but a
  privately-run travel agency.  They charge
  a R90 (£8, $14) fee on top of the official price for Cape Town
  to Jo’burg tickets, R60 (£6 or $9) for Jo’burg to Durban.

Safety & security on
Shosholoza Meyl trains: 

Shosholoza Meyl
tourist class trains are perfectly safe to travel on, and can
even be recommended for families and women travelling alone. 
Sleeping compartments have both a normal lock and a security
lock which cannot be opened from the outside, and the train
manager and his assistants do a good job looking after their
passengers.  People who tell you that ‘trains in South Africa
are unsafe’ have probably never been on one, and are confusing
these excellent and safe Shosholoza Meyl trains with the
suburban Metro trains around the big cities which they see
adversely reported on South African TV.  It goes without
saying that the high-end Premier Classe and Blue Train services
are very safe, too.

Safety & security at
Johannesburg’s Park Station…

The long-distance
trains themselves are very safe, and Johannesburg’s Park Station
itself is well-patrolled with security guards & CCTV. 
However, the streets surrounding Park Station in downtown
Johannesburg are definitely not safe, so arrange a car to
drop you off or pick you
up right at the station entrance or ask the driver to meet you
inside the station.   You should take advice before
walking around in Johannesburg city centre.  However,
things are improving and you can now travel between
Johannesburg Park Station and Pretoria via the suburb of
Sandton, using the safe new Gautrain network.

Traveller’s report:  Trish
Jones says this about arriving by car at Johannesburg Park
station to catch the Premier Classe train to Cape Town:
“With regards to Johannesburg’s Park Station, it was one of the
things I was concerned about as I haven’t been there for ages,
and I’m super cautious.  We had a friend collect us, drove
into the car park from the Rissik Street side, and much to my
amazement it was spotless and well organized.  Once inside,
it’s a case of down the escalator, turn left, and straight into
the Premier Classe Lounge (also used for The Blue Train) for check in. 
It’s totally separate
and is available only to Premier Classe [and Blue Train] passengers.  No
hassles and I didn’t feel uncomfortable or threatened at all. 
The rest of the station isn’t great, but it doesn’t matter
because you don’t go there.”

Traveller’s report: 
Steven Wasiura says “Park Station in Johannesburg was very busy and felt
generally safe, with visible security presence throughout.  The Gautrain is an
excellent way to reach the station [from Pretoria, airport, or suburbs], though the direct link between the Gautrain
station and Park is still under construction, necessitating a short, easy walk
outside.  There are also several car hire agencies with offices at the station,
so you may be able, as I was, to return your rental car there and go straight to
your train.”

Traveller’s report: 
Ivor Morgan says “The
key point is that it’s possible to transfer between Shosholoza Meyl & Premier
Classe trains,
long-distance buses and the Gautrain, without leaving the reasonably secure
perimeter of Jo’burg Park Station.  Shosholoza Meyl & Premier Classe trains arrive on the lowest level, on a
platform which is somewhat separate from the Metrorail suburban platforms.  Leaving the
platform (where your ticket will be collected, so have it handy) an escalator
takes you up to the main concourse.  Long-distance buses leave from the main concourse
level.  The bus companies have their offices on one side, and there are waiting
areas and departure gates on the other.  If you go up another level, there are
some shops and a food court and this upper level is also the way to the Gautrain.  The signage is not great, so look for the Wolmarans St exit if there is no
Gautrain sign.  When you reach the exit from the building at this level, you will
see a short (~15m) covered walkway leading to another building. Inside the
entrance to this building, you can see escalators going down to the Gautrain.  At
the bottom of the escalators, there is a short passage:  The Gautrain ticket
counter and ticket machines are straight ahead, and the ticket barriers are on
the left.  Going the other way should be easier – turn right out of the Gautrain
ticket barriers (left takes you to the Gautrain car park), up the escalators, and
follow the covered walkway to the main station building.  If there are no signs
specifically for Shosholoza Meyl, follow the signs for Metrorail until
Shosholoza Meyl signs appear.”

Travelling
from
Johannesburg to Cape Town by Shosholoza Meyl tourist class
train…

 

Johannesburg Park Station.  Above left, the
main concourse.  Above right, the Shosholoza Meyl
ticket office and waiting room.  the streets
outside Park Station aren’t safe, so make sure you are
dropped and collected right at the station entrance. 
However, the station itself is well patrolled, has CCTV
and is a fairly safe and pleasant place to be. 

 

The reservation
list…  Tourist class berths aren’t allocated
when booking, reservation lists are posted at the
departure station. 

 

En route from
Johannesburg to Cape Town… 
26 amazing hours by train, right across South Africa. 
Travellers who fly really do miss out… 

 

 

The next day, after
crossing the arid Karoo and traversing the Hex River Pass,
the train reaches the Cape wine region, where
vineyards nestle under vast mountains.  The
carriage windows open half way, great for
reflection-free photography and allowing a cool breeze
into your sleeper… 

Approaching Cape Town itself, you’ll pass shanty towns,
then Table Mountain itself will come into view. 

 

Cape
Town station. You arrive right in the heart of Cape
Town itself…

Traveller Ivor Morgan used
Shosholoza Meyl in 2015:  “Bedding (sheets, blanket, pillow) was
available on the train at 60ZAR per person.  They made up the beds
shortly after departure, but then folded the mattress up, so the compartment
was in daytime mode, and could be converted just by pulling the mattress
down.  In the restaurant car, mains are now 45-95ZAR, and the full
cooked breakfast options are 45-55ZAR.  Soft drinks and beer are
15-20ZAR.  The food was good (and cooked on board – not microwaved!)
but by the evening they were starting to run out of some meal options. 
A member of staff came through the sleeper carriages to announce meals and
take orders, but you could also just go to the restaurant car yourself. 
At other times of day, they came through with teas and coffees for sale. The
restaurant car doesn’t accept credit/debit cards, so it’s important to carry
enough cash.  The toilet in our sleeper was kept clean and well-stocked
with toilet paper and running water throughout the journey.  However,
there was no soap.  Similarly, the shower was spacious and had good
pressure – but the bedding package doesn’t include towels.  So good to
bring your own soap and towel.  The timetable on the Shosholoza Meyl
website only shows about 4 intermediate stops between Cape Town and Jo’burg,
but in fact the train seemed to stop at every significant settlement en
route, outside of the Cape Town and Jo’burg Metrorail areas. So it could
also be used for journeys between such locations and indeed it seemed many
locals were using it for that purpose.  The train left Cape Town on
time but almost immediately ran late (I think due to track works, and
possibly signalling faults – Metrorail had also been quite disrupted the
evening before and that morning). We gained and lost time during the
journey, and eventually reached Jo’burg about 1h45 late.  Overall we
had a very pleasant and relaxing journey. Indeed, it could probably be
argued that this trip is one of Africa’s best value travel experiences – and
best kept secrets.  $60 for 26 hours, with constantly changing scenery
from Table Mountain, then the Cape vineyards, through the barren Karoo, then
waking in the morning to rolling veld, transitioning into farmland nearer
Johannesburg.  Plus occasional wildlife – we saw flamingos, ostriches,
guinea fowl, monkeys and deer – and lots of sheep and cows!  And while
it may not be luxury on the scale of Rovos or the Blue Train, it is
comfortable, secure and quite adequate – far more comfortable than a dreaded
“luxury” bus, and cheaper than a “budget” flight.  Interestingly,
although the train seemed to be quite busy in both economy (seats) and
tourist (sleeper) classes, judging by the accents we (and perhaps one other
couple) were the only non-South Africans onboard.  Which does make me
wonder why so many foreign tourists are missing out on this experience!

Traveller Steven Wasiura
took Shosholoza Meyl from Jo’burg to Cape Town in 2013:  “In South Africa we took the Shosholoza Meyl tourist
class train from Johannesburg to Cape Town, with a 2-berth sleeper booked
through
African Sun Travel, who gave very friendly, efficient service.  There
isn’t much to say beyond that it was great.  Park Station in Johannesburg
was very busy and felt generally safe, with visible security presence
throughout.  The Gautrain is an excellent way to reach the station, though
the direct link between the Gautrain station and Park is still under
construction, necessitating a short, easy walk outside.  There are also
several car hire agencies with offices at the station, so you may be able,
as I was, to return your rental car there and go straight to your train. 
We had considered taking the Premier Classe but it didn’t fit our schedule,
but anyway I’m very glad we ended up on the Tourist Class.  The train was
full and as far as I could tell we were the only non-South Africans onboard.
 Our fellow passengers were very open and friendly and represented every
part of the “rainbow nation.  Travelling at the beginning of winter it did
get cold overnight, but the bedding [60 Rand] included three heavy blankets
and the hot shower at the end of the corridor worked great in the morning.
 Dinner for two in the dining car, with dessert and a full bottle of
excellent South African wine, came to $21, and they also served breakfast
and lunch the second day before arriving in Cape Town.  There is no need to
fly across South Africa and certainly no reason to subject yourself to a
bus.”

Traveller
Matthew Dowling travelled with Shosholoza Meyl tourist class:  “As for the south African Shosholoza Meyl train from
Cape Town to Kimberly – only good things to say.  Excellent
service, comfortable and efficient.  Surprisingly empty, though,
which allowed us a six sleeper compartment all to ourselves. 
The dining car was well kept and reasonably priced – a real
pleasure sliding through the Karoo desert sunset and having a
lasagne and a glass of wine.”

Traveller Maranda
reports from a trip on Shosholoza Meyl’s Johannesburg-Cape Town
train:  “I met fascinating people (there were no
non-South Africans visible on the trains I was on) and saw the
country in a spectacular way.  My parents and husband were
happy because it was clearly safe. And I even stayed within my
budget. I was greatly blessed to meet wonderful people and to
see a slice of South African life that’s not on the tourist
maps.  On the Trans-Karoo, the food I had at dinner in the
restaurant car was really good.  I had fried fish and
yellow rice with some onion/tomato topping.  Quite scrumpy,
and at Rand 30, a very good deal. It was obviously freshly made. 
You still need to take a bar of soap, as soap provision in
toilets was a bit spotty.  Overall, have to say that the
1st class travel on Shosholoza Meyl is one of the best bargains
I’ve ever encountered. As you said, the train staff are lovely,
the bedding is comfy, the views are unbelievably spectacular,
and the whole experience is great.  Plus you just get a
window onto so many different aspects of South African life,
just in terms of whom you meet. “

Back to top

Premier Classe
trains

 

 

 

Premier Classe:  Travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town
in comfort & safety, aboard the Premier Classe train…  .

 

Deluxe train travel on a budget…

Cape Town –  Johannesburg (once a week)

The Premier Classe train (www.premierclasse.co.za,
if & when their site is working) is an affordable deluxe service
aimed at both budget-conscious tourists and South Africans themselves. 
It’s another of South-Africa’s well-kept travel secrets, and it’s
already getting great reports from travellers who try it.  If you can’t
afford the famous Blue Train, but still want safe, civilised deluxe train travel
at ground level through superb South African scenery that you can’t see from
35,000 feet, take a Premier Classe train.  Premier Classe started out in
1998 as an affordable deluxe service from Cape Town to Johannesburg, originally
running once a week attached to the regular Shosholoza Meyl train.  But in
2006 it was made into a completely separate train.  In 2008 they introduced a Jo’burg-Durban train and in 2013
they added a Jo’burg to Port Elizabeth train.  Sadly both of these were
discontinued in 2014. 

See advice on using Johannesburg Park
Station.

The
Premier Classe train is a hotels on rails.  It uses standard South African
Railways sleeping-cars (in fact, the same 1960s-1970s type used by Shosholoza
Meyl) which have been refurbished to deluxe standards, and passengers are given
twice the normal amount of space per passenger:  Solo passengers get sole
occupancy of what would have been a 2-berth coupé, two passengers get sole use
of what would have been a 4-berth compartment and so get two lower berths. 
The sleeping-cars aren’t air-conditioned, a big advantage for photographers as
the windows open.  There’s a deluxe Premier Classe restaurant car serving
3-5 course meals and a Premier Classe lounge car with armchairs, sofas and a
bar.  The fare includes all your meals and complimentary tea/coffee,
although alcoholic drinks cost extra.  Premier Classe passengers can use the
luxury VIP lounges at
Cape Town and Johannesburg stations.  Premier Classe is now
a division of the new Passenger Rail Authority of South Africa (PRASA,
www.prasa.com). 

This amateur video gives a good idea of what to expect on
board the Premier Classe train and in terms of scenery, and you
may also find

this account helps convince you to try out this excellent
train service!

Pretoria, Sandton & airport connections:  You
can now travel between Jo’burg Park Station, Sandton,
Pretoria & Jo’burg international airport on the safe new
Gautrain network, see below.

Car transport:  Cars can also be transported on these trains between
Cape Town & Johannesburg, R 1,780- R 3,700 per car.

Premier Classe train timetable…  
You can check train
times & fares at

www.premierclasse.co.za (if working) or at

www.southafricanrailways.co.za
(African Sun Travel, a private agency but usually more reliable).

 Cape Town ►
Johannesburg

 Johannesburg ► Cape Town

 :  Deluxe sleepers, restaurant car,
lounge.

 :  Deluxe sleepers, restaurant car,
lounge.

 Cape Town

depart

09:05 
Tuesdays*

 Johannesburg

depart

10:30 
Thursdays*

 Beaufort West

arr/dep

18:45 
Tuesdays*

 Kimberley

arr/dep

19:07 
Thursdays*

 De Aar

arr/dep

22:35 
Next day

 De Aar

arr/dep

??:?? 
Next day

 Kimberley

arr/dep

03:00 
Next day

 Beaufort West

arr/dep

03:40 
Next day

 Johannesburg

arrive

11:03 
Next day

 Cape Town

arrive

12:40 
Next day

* Until 2019, the Premier Classe
train ran every week.  In 2020 it will be reduced to running some weeks
only, once or twice each month, see
www.southafricanrailways.co.za
for dates.

How much does Premier Classe
cost?

• Cape Town to Johannesburg costs around R 3,120 (£189 or $235)
  each way per person including all meals and private sleeper.

• Slightly higher fares apply at peak times such as December-January, Easter &
  school holidays.

• Children under 3
  travel free if
  sharing
  with their parents, children under 10 pay 80% of the adult fare, children 10 &
  over pay the adult fare.

• You can check
  fares at
  www.premierclasse.co.za (if working, it may well still not
  be!),
  www.southafricanrailways.co.za (African Sun Travel) or
  www.newfusion.co.za (New Fusion Travel)

How to buy tickets…

www.southafricanrailways.co.za or call +27 11 774 4555
or + 27
12 334 8039 or (in South Africa) 086 000 8888

Booking for Premier Classe opens 12 months ahead. 
You can request a Premier Classe booking online at

www.southafricanrailways.co.za (this is  African Sun
Travel, a reliable ticketing agency, not the operator themselves) or

www.newfusion.co.za (New Fusion Travel).  Or you can book by phone calling
the train operator on
+27 11 774 4555 or + 27
12 334 8039 or (from within South Africa) 086 000 8888 (lines open
Monday-Friday 09:00-16:30, GMT+2).  Alternatively, you can e-mail
your request to the train operator at

[email protected]. 
There is more information at the Premier Classe website,
if it’s working, at

www.premierclasse.co.za, with an online booking request
form.  However, reports suggest you’ll get more responsive
booking from ticketing agency

www.southafricanrailways.co.za (African Sun Travel).

A journey from
Cape Town to Jo’burg
by Premier Classe
train…

 

Boarding the Premier Classe train. 
Originally purple like this, the Premier Classe train is now pale blue.

 

Premier Classe departure
lounge.  The same lounge is used for the Blue
Train.

 

Dinner in the diner: 
Meals in the elegant restaurant car are included in the
fare.  .

 

Private sleepers: 
All passengers get a private sleeper,
solo travellers a coupé with one lower berth, couples
a compartment with two lower berths.  Each
compartment has a washbasin, fluffy towels, soap,
shampoo, shower gel, mineral water, slippers &
bathrobes.  There’s a toilet and shower just along
the corridor.  . 

The Premier Classe bar-lounge
car…
…

 

Shanty towns on the outskirts of Cape Town, a
reminder of South Africa’s less well-off…

 

Cape Town’s Table Mountain,
seen as the train leaves Cape Town…

The Cape vineyards: 
The train heads past Paarl and the Cape wine country.
You can sample some of their produce on board the train!

More scenery from the Premier Classe train…

Hex River Pass…
…

The Great Karoo desert…
…

 

Night falls over South Africa, the train races on…

 

Sunrise next morning…

Traveller Deon Irish travelled from Cape Town to Johannesburg
by Premier Classe:  “The train itself was
immaculately turned out with – for once – a pair of matching
Shosholoza purple diesels instead of orange freight locomotives
to pull us out of Cape Town.  Inside, our double berth
compartment was immaculate and the newly installed air
conditioning welcome (although I would have welcomed higher
temperatures overnight in the extremely cold winter highveld
conditions).  Staff were uniformly cheerful and helpful,
which more than made up for the occasional lack of
sophistication. The dining car was a real surprise, with a fine
luncheon, a splendid dinner and a gargantuan breakfast included
in the ticket price. Drinks are extra, but the wines – in
particular – are sold with minimal mark ups.  The only real
criticism of the entire journey was the appalling traffic
control in the Johannesburg area which over a distance of only
90 odd kms, turned what had been a uniformly on-schedule journey
of some 1400 kms into an almost 90 minute late arrival,
especially considering it was a Sunday morning.”

Traveller William Shearer travelled from Johannesburg to Cape
Town by Premier Classe:  “Oh, the howls of
disbelief from my South African friends when they heard I was
taking a train. “It’s too dangerous! Why aren’t you flying? Are
you sure?” 
Thanks to the information on Seat 61 I was more than reassured
by the safety of the trip I was making. I’ll admit, it was with
a certain trepidation that I approached Johannesburg station.
The area around train stations in any country can sometimes be
dodgy (think Kings Cross in times past) but Johannesburg does
come with a reputation.  Lugging my two suitcases from my
friends car, I was obviously a tourist, and indeed we were
approached by a beggar. My friend told him to go away, politely,
and he did. That was the extent of any ‘hassle’ experienced. The
station itself reminded me of a shopping centre, but with a
handful of shops – quite modern and tidy.  I walked down
the escalator which was out of order and found the Premier
Classe lounge and ‘check-in’. My two suitcases were labelled and
I was invited to sit down for a hot or cold drink and a snack
while waiting for boarding. The lounge was more like a waiting
room, but away from the main station so much more private.

The train manager introduced himself and announced that boarding
would start at 2.30pm. A short walk down to the platform and
there was our train.  I was invited to join everyone in the
dining car at 2.55pm for welcome drinks, so in the meantime I
went to my sleeper.  The showers and loo were at the end of
the corridor, and they were spotless.  The toilet always
smelt fresh, and there was fantastic water pressure in the
shower.  After some sparkling wine, and an introduction to
the onboard staff, we had coffee and cake. I met some of my
fellow travellers and enjoyed a drink as the train lazily snaked
through the suburbs of Johannesburg. Our host then asked if we
were happy to dine in our groups, which was fine. My fellow
traveller was a young man who worked in a goldmine, loved
travelling, and hadn’t told his parents he was onboard because
they would complain he was wasting money… At 7pm I found my
table, and my new friend, and sat down for dinner. We had a
table for four, made up for two, so very spacious. Kingklip is
delicious! As a rule, I don’t go for fish, but I was on holiday
and my goodness I am glad I tried it! The other courses were
very tasty too – served with a smile! I took some pictures but
to be honest they didn’t come out very well and that wasn’t
because my dining partner wouldn’t share the bottle of wine I
ordered. Or anything.

I then went to the bar where I discovered that payment for
drinks was made at the end of the trip – very civilised, and
drinks were cheap.  A bottle of wine with dinner was about
£5.00, a good South African wine too.  I had to do a double
take at the prices, as well as watch my drinking!  I went
back to my sleeper to discover that it had been made up for turn
down.  Next morning, having arranged an early wake up call
the night before, I watched the scenery go by. This part of
South Africa, the Karoo Desert was cold and rather bleak,
however the sunshine took the edge of both at this time of the
morning. Soon, it was breakfast time, and a fully cooked
breakfast was offered – as well as pastries, cereals, yogurts,
the lot!  The scenery improved as we got closer to Cape
Town, as vineyards and orchards came into view. Lunch was a four
course affair, and as usual, the tables were set up with fresh
flowers and crisp linen. Before long, Table Mountain came into
view, and we were approaching journeys end. Some of my fellow
passengers commented that they had been on Rovos Rail and The
Blue Train, but preferred the informal atmosphere on the Premier
Classe service.  I would definitely do it again, and I
think incorporate it into my next trip to South Africa.

And the cost?  Travel from Johannesburg to Cape Town, sole
use of a double occupancy sleeper, coffee & cake, five course
dinner, full breakfast, four course lunch, welcome drinks in the
lounge, all for a mere £171. I think its the best value travel I
have ever experienced.

Traveller Trish Jones travelled from Johannesburg to Cape
Town by Premier Classe:  My husband and I
have just travelled from Johannesburg to Cape Town on the
Premier Classe Train – and what an experience!  Although
it’s in a different class (and price range) to the Blue Train,
it offers a truly amazing, comfortable, relaxing trip.  Why
on earth have I been driving or flying to Cape Town for all
these years?  With regards to Johannesburg’s Park Station,
it was one of the things I was concerned about as I haven’t been
there for ages, and I’m super cautious.  We had a friend
collect us, drove into the car park from the Rissik Street side,
and much to my amazement it was spotless and well organized. 
Once inside, it’s a case of down the escalator, turn left, and
straight into the Premier Classe Lounge for check in – it’s
totally separate and is available only to Premier Classe
passengers.  No hassle and I didn’t feel uncomfortable or
threatened at all.  The rest of the station isn’t great,
but it doesn’t matter because you don’t go there.  One is
checked in, your baggage taken for loading into your
compartment, and there’s free tea, coffee and soft drinks on
hand before you are asked to board.  And boarding is a
breeze too – the platform the train was on was somewhat removed
from the rest.  The onboard staff were truly outstanding,
nothing was too much trouble.  We were served complimentary
bubbly & snacks in an elegant and comfortable lounge car shortly
after leaving in Johannesburg at 3.00pm, and we were introduced
to the various members of staff who explained their roles, told
us about the facilities on the train and made us feel very
welcome indeed.  We had books and magazines to read en
route but only looked at them when we were tucked up comfortably
in crisp white sheets and duvets for the night.  There was
no time to read, we were too busy gazing at the scenery, without
having to worry about bad drivers, huge trucks or anything at
all to do with road travel – sheer bliss!!  Dinner was a 5
course meal of excellent standard, and there’s a good wine list
to choose from too.  We were asked whether we would like
tea or coffee delivered to our compartment in the morning. 
We chose tea for a 6.30am ‘wake-up’ up call, opened the curtains
and blinds in our compartment and watched the sun come up across
the Karoo – truly awesome!!  A hearty breakfast at 7.00am
followed by a head-shoulders-and back massage in the spa
compartment [the spa is now discontinued, not enough business to
support it].  A hot
shower in an exceptionally clean bathroom then back to the
compartment for more sightseeing.….through a 12.km tunnel which
brings you to the beginning of the Hex River Valley.  Some
snow on the mountain peaks completed the perfect picture!! 
A
three course lunch, again delightfully prepared and presented,
some more excellent South African wine before arriving in Cape
Town at 4.00pm.  I was almost sorry to have arrived. 
Train travel in South Africa is horribly under-utilised and if I
can persuade anyone to give it a try perhaps we could have more
trains operating, more people off the roads, and more people
discovering the joy of rail travel.  The routes offered are
Johannesburg to Hoedspruit, Johannesburg to Durban, Johannesburg
to Cape Town, and Cape Town to Port Elizabeth – I intend to do
the latter as soon as I possibly can – it just has to be
fantastic.

Traveller Andrew Darwin travelled from Johannesburg to
Cape Town by Premier Classe: 
I discovered the existence of
the ‘Premier Classe’ train from Johannesburg to Cape Town
through seat61.  I have just returned from there a few days
ago, having taken this train in both directions. 
What a treat!  It was probably
the longest and most enjoyable railway journey I’ve ever made, immensely
enjoyable.  The train is modern and well designed.  18 carriages
long including 2 lounges, 2 dining cars and 2 enclosed trucks at the
back for carrying people’s cars or motorbikes.  On our trip
there were 4 Harley Davidsons in one of these trucks, while the
burly middle-aged bikers (and their molls) enjoyed the comfort
of the Premier Classe to Cape Town before going back by road. 
The staff were all brilliant, very keen to be of service and
clearly with great pride in their job.  At stations, some of
them would get out and clean the train windows!  There was a hot
shower in each coach, which meant that one arrived the other end
fresh and clean, as well as rested and fed and watered.  The
drinks on board are refreshingly cheap – a bottle of perfectly
decent wine in the dining car can be had for as little as
£2.00.  The return ticket cost about £250, including all meals. 
What a contrast to the flight back from Jo’burg to London:
squashed into a cramped seat, nowhere to go and nothing to see,
plastic food, limited drink, no chance of rest, no shower. 
Totally uncivilised: 12 hours of torture!

Traveller Michael Schaffer travelled from Johannesburg to Cape Town by
Premier Classe:  “Oddly, few
of the local travel agents in Pretoria knew about the Premier
Classe train, instead they all reflexively warned us against
taking trains.  I suspect this is part of the odd feeling
in that country, where large segments of the population live in
fear and also assume anything “public” will be bad. Finally, a
friend cued us in to what we’d learned on your website:  A
weekly [now twice-weekly], first-class-only train designed as kind of a
middle-class approximation of the Blue Train.  The train
itself is comfortable and pleasant, albeit a triumph of style
over substance.  They have attractively printed menus and
solicitous dining-car service, but the food is so-so, although
still great for a knockabout traveller.  The 4-bed sleepers
have been converted to accommodate just a couple, and they put
your name on the door.  The views from the train are both
astonishing (the Karoo, and table mountain from the rear) and
telling (the often invisible shantytowns of South Africa’s
poor).  At the front end, in Jo’burg, you have access to a
first-class lounge where they take your bag  and offer you tea
and coffee, etc., but you still have to get there by walking
through the public portions of a station that has about the
worst reputation in the country.  We were fine, although we
saw two different people being taken off by police.  At the
far end, in Cape Town, the station is pleasant and quiet,
although for us this meant there were no taxis to hail. 
Eventually, the train’s purser got his son to give us a lift to
our hotel!

Back to top

The
Blue Train

 

 

The legendary
Blue Train from Cape Town to Pretoria, one of the world’s
most luxurious trains…

Cape Town to Pretoria on one of the world’s most luxurious trains…

It’s the most famous train in South Africa, and one of the most famous trains in
the world.  South Africa’s links Cape Town
with Pretoria once or twice a week, year round.  With a one-way
fare from around R18,000 (£915 or $1,200) per person for two people
travelling together even in the low season, it’s now aimed squarely at
foreign visitors.  Single passengers cannot opt to share, so should
reckon on paying at least R27,000 (£1,400 or $1,800) one-way for sole use of a
2-berth compartment.  However, The Blue Train is definitely the
most luxurious way to travel between these two cities, and if you do
choose to splurge, you will not be disappointed!

The Blue Train
timetable 2019…

From 2019 onwards, the Blue Train
switches to a novel night-day-night schedule, a slower schedule but one less
susceptible to delays and with additional off-train excursions.

 Cape Town ► Pretoria

  

 Pretoria ► Cape Town

 

 4-5
times a month

 

4-5 times
a month

 Cape Town depart:

18:30  day 1

 Pretoria depart:

16:00  day 1

 Pretoria arrive:

10:30  day 3

 Cape Town arrive:

10:30  day 3

For departure dates see
www.bluetrain.co.za.  
See here for the regular passenger
trains between Cape Town & Johannesburg.

The northbound journey includes a one-hour stop at the 19th century
health resort of Matjiesfontein in the heart of the Karoo.  The
Southbound trip includes a stop at Kimberley for a tour of the Kimberley
‘big hole’ mining museum.  The train no longer serves Johannesburg
in either direction, as few tourists want to go there because of its
security problems.  The Blue Train rolling stock is also used to
run irregular rail cruises on a couple of other scenic routes within South Africa.

How much does a trip on the Blue Train cost?

 Fares

Cape Town to Pretoria
or vice versa.

Meals & drinks included,
approx.

Low season

(1 Jan to 31 Aug &

16 Nov to 31 Dec)

High season

(1 September

 to 15 November)

Luxury suite, per person sharing

R23,000

R29,000

Luxury suite, per person sole occupancy

R35,000

R43,000

De Luxe suite, per person sharing

R18,000

R23,000

De Luxe Suite, per person sole
occupancy

R28,000

R34,000

How to buy tickets…

• You can buy tickets online at
  www.bluetrain.co.za.

• Or you can arrange a package which
  includes the Blue Train with hotels, transfers, flights through train specialist
  Railbookers.  They have offices in the UK, USA & Australia:

   
  In the UK call 0207 864 4600,
  .

   
  In the USA call free 1-888-829-4775, .

    Canada call free 1-855-882-2910,
  .

   
  Australia call toll-free 1300 971 526,
  .

   
  New Zealand call toll-free 0800 000 554 or .

What’s it like on board the Blue Train?

The Blue Train offers two types of room:  compartments have
either a double bed or two single beds and en suite shower or small bath. 
compartments cost a bit more and are almost
identical, but have a full size bath (yes, really) and a video. 
The train has a dining car and two lounge cars (one smoking, one
non-smoking) and both of the two trainsets have an observation car at the
rear, allowing you to look back along the line (one of the was damaged and taken
out of service several years ago, but is restored for the 2019 season).  Meals and drinks
(and even Montecristo Havana cigars!) are included in the fare, and
there is an extensive list of South African wines available.  You
probably won’t be able to drink £800-worth before you reach Pretoria,
but you can have a dam’ good try…  For pictures of the scenery
between Cape Town and Pretoria, see the scenery shots from the Cape Town
to Johannesburg journey

by Shosholoza Meyl train here and
by
Premier Classe train here, as the Blue Train follows the same route
as far as Jo’burg.

 

Boarding South Africa’s
Blue Train at Cape Town’s central station for an epic 27-hour
journey to Pretoria…

 

One of the
two bar-lounge cars on the Blue Train.  Even Montecristo cigars
are included in the fare!

 

Meals in the elegant restaurant car are
included in the fare, complete with a choice of South African wines…

 

The Blue
Train stopped at Matjiesfontein, with two electric locomotives
specially kept in the famous blue colour…

 

Yes, it
really is a full-size bath (in deluxe suites only)! The Blue
Train is one of the few trains in the world to feature a real
en suite bath, not just a shower…

 

A deluxe
twin-bed suite on the Blue Train, showing one bed folded out, the second bed remaining folded
away to reveal the seat…

Watch the video:

It’s a PR video, of course, but
this short film shows how good travelling in The Blue Train from Cape Town to
Pretoria can be.

A bit of history…

A fast train called the northbound and the southbound was introduced in 1923, to link the Union Castle
steamers arriving at Cape Town from Southampton with the gold fields of
Jo’burg and the Transvaal capital at Pretoria.  The original wooden
coaches were replaced in 1937 with steel coaches built in Birmingham and
painted a smart blue.  Before long, the train became known
colloquially as ‘that blue train’, and its name was changed officially
to ‘The Blue Train’ in 1946.  Two new sets of coaches were built
for the Blue Train in 1972, and both of these were beautifully
refurbished in 1997.  You travel in these same trainsets today. 
The Blue Train is still run by the South African Railways (Spoornet),
but it is now a separate business unit, due for privatisation…

If you can’t afford the
Blue Train…

…check out the other two trains
linking Cape Town with Johannesburg through exactly the same
scenery at a fraction of the price,
Premier Classe, a deluxe rail experience that’s far
cheaper than the Blue Train, and if you’re on a tight budget
the amazingly cheap but still excellent
Shosholoza Meyl Tourist Class train.

Back to top

Airport Line:  Sandton ► Johannesburg
International Airport, see

www.gautrain.co.za…

Phase 1 of the modern standard-gauge
metro service called ‘Gautrain’ is now operational between the
Jo’burg suburb of Sandton and Jo’burg’s OR Tambo international
airport.  Using brand-new standard-gauge electric trains,
it has all the necessary CCTV and security equipment to be a
safe and comfortable means of transport for locals and tourists
alike.  Trains run every 30 minutes at weekends, every 20
minutes weekday off-peak, and every 12 minutes in the weekday
morning and evening peaks.  See

www.gautrain.co.za for fares, times and more information.

North-South Line:  Johannesburg (Park Station) ►
Sandton ►
Pretoria  Gautrain now open, see

www.gautrain.co.za!

Phase 2 is now
open, with safe modern
Gautrain service linking Johannesburg Park Station in
downtown Johannesburg (the station used by
Shosholoza Meyl and Premier Classe
long-distance trains) with the suburb of Sandton and the administrative capital Pretoria.  Gautrain
is the best way to travel between Jo’burg and
Pretoria, and the safest way to access Jo’burg Park station to connect with
your Premier Classe or
Shosholoza Meyl long-distance
train.  Trains run run every 30 minutes at weekends,
every 20 minutes weekday off-peak, and every 12 minutes in the
weekday morning and evening peaks.  See

www.gautrain.co.za for details.

 

Gautrain
links Johannesburg & Pretoria.  Gautrain exterior
& interior.  .

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Suburban
trains

Metro trains around Johannesburg & Pretoria…

Although long-distance Shosholoza Meyl
trains and Gautrain are perfectly safe, ‘Metro Rail’ suburban trains around
Johannesburg, Soweto and Pretoria are different matter.  Unless you
are particularly foolhardy or adventurous, they are probably
best avoided completely.

Metro trains from Cape Town to
Stellenbosch, Simon’s Town & Paarl…

Metro Rail suburban trains around Cape
Town are less of a problem and as long as you take care, leave
your valuables at your hotel and don’t travel after dark, they
can be a good way to get from central Cape Town to the seaside
town of Simon’s Town (a scenic run along the coast), or to the
wine regions at Stellenbosch or even Paarl – I’ve taken the metro train to
Stellenbosch myself, then hired a bike to cycle round the wineries.  But always check current local
travel advice as the situation can change and there have been incidents, even if
that may not be the norm.  On the other hand, there is a
new initiative for tourists using the Cape Town to Simon’s Town
train service to tour the coast.

Two classes are
available, 1st (‘Metro Plus’) and 3rd.  Metro Plus
means longitudinal cloth seats on newer trains, grey plastic
seats on the older ones, 3rd class means plastic bench seats.  Outside the
rush hours, trains are not crowded and there’s a train from Cape Town to Simon’s
Town or
Stellenbosch every hour or two, taking about an hour.  Make
sure you sit in a carriage with other travellers.  To reach
the wineries, bicycles can be hired in Stellenbosch, for about
£4 a day.

 

Metro trains
at Cape Town

Arriving at
Stellenbosch…

 

Metro trains on the Cape Town to Simon’s Town route. 

Back to top

Cruise
trains

Several companies run
all-inclusive tours around Southern Africa using special deluxe cruise trains. 

• Rovos Rail
  (www.rovos.co.za)
  runs a 5-star cruise train to
  a regular schedule from Cape Town to Pretoria and on to Victoria
  Falls.  The train consists of beautifully restored South
  African coaches with all the usual tourist facilities – lounge,
  restaurant, private sleeping compartments and showers. 
  Meals are included in the tour price.  For
  times, dates of running and prices see
  www.rovos.co.za. 

• Shongololo Express (www.shongololo.com)
  also operates a 3-star cruise train on various routes in Southern Africa and
  into neighbouring countries.

Back to top

Buses
in South Africa

The trains don’t
go everywhere in South Africa, and there are times when you might need to
take a bus.  There are several long-distance bus
operators.  Useful internet addresses are:

TransLux, www.translux.co.za. 
Call 011 774 3333 or from outside South Africa +27 (011) 774
3333

Greyhound, www.greyhound.co.za. 
Call 083 915 9000.

InterCape, www.intercape.co.za. 
Call 0861 287 287 or from outside South Africa +27 21 380 4400.

Back to top

I
strongly recommend buying a good guidebook – and I think the Lonely Planets and Rough
Guides are easily the best out there for the independent traveller. 
You won’t regret buying one!

LP Southern Africa
is less detailed than LP South Africa, but it covers other countries as well as SA.   
Alternatively, you can download just the chapters or areas you need in
.PDF format

from the Lonely Planet Website, from around £2.99 or US$4.95 a
chapter.

Click the images to buy online at Amazon.co.uk…

Back to top

Accommodation in South Africa

Finding
hotels

in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Durban or anywhere in
South Africa…

Personal recommendations: 
The

Tudor Hotel in Cape Town is inexpensive and central, a good budget choice,
from 440 Rand (£33 or $65) per night.  Pretoria is a better place to stay
than Johannesburg itself.

My favourite hotel search site: 

www.booking.com
is my favourite hotel booking site and I generally prefer booking my hotels all in one place here.  You can usually book with free
cancellation – this allows you to confirm your accommodation at no risk before train
booking opens.  It also means you can hold accommodation while you finalise
your itinerary, and alter your plans as they evolve – a feature I use all
the time when putting a trip together.  I never book hotels non-refundably. 
I have also come to trust their review scores – you won’t be disappointed with
anything over 8.0.

Tip:  It can pay to compare prices across multiple hotel sites: 
HotelsCombined.com is a price comparison site which compares hotel prices on
Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, Accor, Agoda and many others.  Though if
there’s not much in it, I prefer keeping all my bookings together in one place
at
www.booking.com.

Other hotel sites
worth trying…

www.tripadvisor.com
is the place to find
independent travellers’ reviews of all the main hotels.

Backpacker hostels…

www.hostelworld.com:  If you’re on a tight budget,
don’t forget about backpacker hostels.  Hostelworld
offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in
backpacker hostels in most
cities at rock-bottom prices.

Back to top

1) 
Check flight prices at Opodo, …

2) 
Use to compare flight prices & routes
worldwide across 600 airlines…

3) 
Lounge passes…

Make the
airport experience a little more bearable with a VIP lounge
pass, it’s not as expensive as you think!  See

www.loungepass.com

Back to top

Always take out travel insurance…

Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable
insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover.  It should also cover
cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible
limit. 
An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year, I have an annual policy myself.  Here are some suggested insurers. 
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.

In
the UK, reliable insurers include

Columbus Direct.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over 65, see
www.JustTravelCover.com
– 10% discount with code .

You
can use

Confused.com to compare prices & policies from many
different insurers.

 

 
   
If
you live in
Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the EU, try

Columbus Direct’s other websites.

 

If you live in the USA try

Travel Guard USA.

A Curve card
saves on foreign transaction fees…

Most banks give you a poor
exchange rate, then charge you a currency conversion fee.  A Curve
MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market
exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of
writing.  The balance goes straight onto one of your existing debit or
credit cards.

  1.
Download the app for
iPhone or Android.  2. Enter your details & they’ll send you a Curve
MasterCard – they send to most European addresses including the UK.  3.
Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app.  4. Now use the Curve
MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, just like a
normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance onto
whichever of your debit or credit cards you choose.  You can even change
your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.

I have a Curve Blue card myself
– I get some commission if you sign up to Curve, but I’m recommending it here
because it’s great. 
See details, download
the app and get a Curve card – they’ll give you £5 cashback through that
link, too.

When you’re travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be
secure.  A VPN means your connection to the internet is encrypted & always
secure, even using unsecured WiFi.  In countries such as China where access
to Twitter & Facebook is restricted, a VPN gets around these restrictions. 
And lastly, you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse
with, to get around geographic restrictions which some websites apply – for
example one booking site charges a booking fee to non-European visitors but none
to European visitors, so if you’re not located in Europe you can avoid this fee
by browsing with a UK IP address using a VPN. 
VPNs & why you need one explained. 
ExpressVPN
is a best buy and I use it myself – I’ve signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate,
and if you go with
expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal,
3 months free with an annual subscription, and I get a small commission to help
support this site.

 

 Johannesburg
& Pretoria ► Messina

 

 Messina ► Pretoria & Johannesburg

Days of running:.

Wednesday & Fridays

Days of running:.

Thursday & Sundays

Type of train:

Tourist & Economy

Type of train:

Tourist & Economy

Johannesburg

depart

19:00

Messina (Musina)

depart

15:25

Pretoria

arr/dep

??:??

Louis Trichardt (Makhado)

arr/dep

??:??

Louis Trichardt (Makhado)

arr/dep

??:??

Pretoria

arr/dep

??:??

Messina (Musina)

arrive

11:10

Johannesburg

arrive

05:44

Fares:  Jo’burg to Messina in
economy seat from R100, in a tourist class sleeper berth from R160. 

This train has economy class seats,
tourist class sleepers, restaurant car.  For travellers bound for Bulawayo
or Harare in Zimbabwe, Messina is 12km from the Zimbabwe frontier across the
Limpopo River at Beitbridge.  This route was discontinued in 2014 but was reinstated from March 2018. 
It went twice-weekly in August 2018.

 Johannesburg
& Pretoria ► Maputo

 

 Maputo ► Pretoria & Johannesburg 

Days of running:.

Friday**

Days of running:.

Sunday**

Type of train:

Economy
seats

Tourist sleepers

Type of train:

Economy seats

Tourist sleepers

Johannesburg

depart

18:10 day 1

Maputo (Mozambique)

depart

 07:45*
day 1

Pretoria

arr/dep

19:40 day 1

Ressano Garcia
(Mozambique)

arrive

 11:20* 
day 1

Nelspruit (Mbombela)

arr/dep

04:15 day 2

Komatipoort (across
border)

depart

18:00 day 1

Kaapmuiden

arr/dep

05:15 day 2

Kaapmuiden

arr/dep

19:36 day 1

Komatipoort (for Kruger Park)

arrive

06:38 day 2

Nelspruit (Mbombela)

arr/dep

20:40 day 1

Ressano Garcia
(across border)

depart

 12:10* 
day 2

Pretoria

arr/dep

04:50 day 2

Maputo (Mozambique)

arrive

 16:40* 
day 2

Johannesburg

arrive

06:20 day 2

The Jo’burg – Komatipoort train
was discontinued in December 2014, but resumes operation as from late March
2015. It now has tourist class 2 & 4 bed sleepers as well as economy seats.

Komatipoort station is 14km from the Croc Bridge entrance to Kruger National
Park.

*  See the Mozambique page for
full details about travel between Johannesburg & Maputo by train.

 Kimberley ►
Bloemfontein

 

 Bloemfontein ► Kimberley

Days of running:.

Discontinued

Days of running:.

Discontinued

Type of train:

–

Type of train:

–

Kimberley

depart

Discontinued

Bloemfontein

depart

Discontinued

Bloemfontein

arrive

Discontinued

Kimberley

arrive

Discontinued

 

 

 Cape Town ►
East London

 

 East London ► Cape Town

Days of running:.

Sundays

Thursdays

Days of running:.

Tuesdays

Fridays

Type of train:

Economy
seats

Tourist sleepers

Economy
seats

Tourist sleepers

Type of train:

Economy
seats

Tourist sleepers

Economy
seats

Tourist sleepers

Cape Town

depart

10:25 Sunday

10:25 Thurs

East London

depart

      10:00 Tuesday

      –

Beaufort West

arrive

19:40 Sunday

19:40 Thurs

Queenstown

arrive

      14:45
Tuesday

    14:45 Friday

De Aar

arrive

23:45 Sunday

23:45 Thurs

De Aar

arrive

01:00 Wed

01:00 Sat

Queenstown

arrive

10:02 Monday

10:02 Friday

Beaufort West

arrive

05:00 Wed

05:00 Sat

East London

arrive

14:25 Monday

–

Johannesburg

arr/dep

14:10 Wed

14:10 Sat

Fare from Cape Town to East London
approx R 650 in Tourist sleeper class.

 

 Johannesburg ► Mafikeng

 

 Mafikeng ► Johannesburg

Days of running:.

Fridays

Days of running:.

Sundays

Type of train:

Economy
seats  only

Type of train:

Economy
seats
only

Jo’burg

depart

19:05 Fri

Kimberley

depart

07:00 Sundays

Mafikeng

arrive

02:00 Sat

Makifeng

arrive

15:50 Sundays

Mafikeng

depart

05:00 Sat

Mafikeng

depart

22:20 Sundays

Kimberley

arrive

13:15 Sat

Jo’burg

arrive

05:15 Mondays

Fares:  Jo’burg to Mafikeng
R100, Mafikeng to Kimberley R130. 

Back to home
page

Cape Town’s water crisis got so bad last year that there were competitions to see who could wash their shirts the least. Restaurants and businesses were encouraging people not to flush after going to the toilet. The city was just 90 days away from turning off the taps.

A year on, the South African city’s parched dams are now over 80% full. Water use restrictions have been relaxed. And Day Zero – the point at which Cape Town’s municipal water supply would be shut off – never came to pass.

Having been threatened by one of the worst-ever drought-induced municipal water crises, residents became water-wise.

Image: WWF

A city united

In a dry climate, with rapid urbanization and relatively high per capita water consumption, Cape Town had all the makings of a water crisis. In 2018, after three years of poor rainfall, the city announced drastic action was needed to avoid running out.

Reducing demand was a key priority. The City of Cape Town worked to get residents and businesses on board with a host of water-saving initiatives. People were instructed to shower for no longer than two minutes. A campaign with the slogan “If it’s yellow, let it mellow” promoted flushing the toilet only when necessary. And the use of recycled water – so-called greywater – was also pushed.

Water

What is the World Economic Forum doing about closing the gap between global water demand and supply?

The world is not on track to achieve Sustainable Development Goal No. 6 on water and sanitation. At the current rate, there will be a 40% gap between global water supply and demand by 2030.

We’re helping to close the gap between global water demand and supply. The 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) was launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2008 in Davos, Switzerland, to help close the gap between global water demand and supply by 2030.

Since its inception, the Forum-initiated 2030 WRG has grown into a vibrant network of more than 700 partners from the private sector, government and civil society. To date, the 2030 WRG and its network have facilitated over $893 million of financing for water-related programmes and demonstrated tangible results in a number of areas, including agricultural water efficiency, urban and industrial water management, wastewater treatment and improved livelihoods for farmers.

Want to join our mission to close the gap between global water supply and demand? Find out more about our impact, and help us improve the state of the world.

At the most extreme, residents were restricted to a maximum of 50 litres a day – not easy when showers alone can use up to 15 litres a minute. Backed up with data on each household’s water use, people pulled together, sharing tips on social media.

Image: WWF

Restricted supply

The City of Cape Town introduced increasingly strict restrictions, which as well as limiting the volumes allowed, also restricted what the water was used for. Filling swimming pools, washing cars, and fountains were all banned.

Households using high volumes of water faced big fines. The city also significantly hiked tariffs as well as rolling out management devices, which set a daily limit on the water supply to properties.

Africa

What is the World Economic Forum on Africa?

With elections taking place in more than 20 African countries in 2019, the world’s youngest continent is facing a new era.

Held under the theme ‘Shaping Inclusive Growth and Shared Futures in the Fourth Industrial Revolution’ the 28th World Economic Forum on Africa will convene more than 1,000 regional and global leaders from government, business, civil society and academia.

The event (held 4-6 September 2019) will explore new regional partnerships and entrepreneurial and agile leadership to create pathways for shared prosperity and drive a sustainable future.

Participants will discuss ways to accelerate progress on five transformative pan-African agendas in the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, addressing the African Union’s Agenda 2063 priorities.

Read more about the Forum’s Impact in Africa and our launch of a new Africa Growth Platform to scale the region’s start-ups for success.

Read our guide to how to follow #af19 across our digital channels. We encourage followers to post, share, and retweet by tagging our accounts and by using our official hashtag.

Become a Member or Partner to participate in the Forum’s year-round annual and regional events. Contact us now.

Another method of curbing use saw the city reduce the water pressure, which both cut overall consumption as well as decreased the loss through leaks.

Alongside measures targeted at domestic use, Cape Town also called on the agricultural and commercial sectors. Hard limits on agricultural water quotas were introduced.

Crisis averted… for now

By changing a city’s habits, along with the welcome return of some rain, Cape Town managed to avert the worst of the water scarcity crisis. However, the risk of future shortages remain. South Africa is one of the world’s driest countries and demand for water continues to climb.

Image: WWF

According to the WWF, demand is set to reach 17.7 billion m³ by 2030 – up from 13.4 billion m³ in 2016 – outstripping what the country is able to allocate.