TRAVEL TIPS

Air Travel

Cape Town International Airport is about 19 km (12 miles) from the city center. It should take about 20 minutes to get from the airport to the city; during rush hour it can easily be double that. Private airport-transfer operators abound, and there is now public bus service to and from the airport. All major car-rental companies have counters at Cape Town International, and driving to the City Bowl or V&A Waterfront is straightforward in daylight. If your flight arrives after dark, consider prearranging transportation through your hotel. There are tourist information desks in both the domestic and international terminals.

Contacts

Cape Town International Airport. Matroosfontein, Cape Town, Western Cape. 021/937–1200; 086/727–7888; www.airports.co.za.

Airport Transfers

Metered taxis and shuttle services (usually minivans) are based inside the domestic baggage hall and outside the international and domestic terminals and can also be phoned for airport drop-offs. Rates vary depending on the operator, number of passengers, destination, and time of arrival. The fare for one person to the city center is R300 in a metered taxi; a group of up to four will usually pay the same rate. A surcharge of up to R50 is sometimes levied from 10 pm until early morning, and some services charge more for arrivals than for departures to cover waiting time. For single travelers, a prearranged shared shuttle is the most economical, costing about R150–R180 per person; however, there may be numerous drop-offs, so this can be slow. MyCiti, a public bus, also serves the airport, and for R90 it's the cheapest way to or from the airport and City Centre. Reports of overcharging are common, so discuss the fare before entering any taxi.

Rikkis provides inexpensive, unmetered fares (R220 to City Centre, for example) from the airport.

Recommendable shared-van services include Legend Tours and Transfers or Magic Bus Airport. Citi Hopper provides both shared-van transfers and private-car transfers.

For the ultimate luxury ride you can hire a six-seat Lincoln stretch limo from Cape Limousine Services. Rates are R1,400 for the first two hours and R200 per hour thereafter (add extra for gas if you travel outside the Cape Town area).

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