Although a majority of visitors coming into South Africa do so by air, the country is reachable by land and sea as well. Getting to South Africa overland requires you to go through the country’s neighbours; Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

There are three main international airports in South Africa; O.R. Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport and Durban International Airport. The main airlines offering South Africa flights include South African Airways, British Airways, Lufthansa and Swiss Air. It would help to get a travel agency which will help you plan your trip as well as get good deals on flight or cruise fares, as well as accommodation expenses.

There is an array of reputable travel agencies on-line all of them offering different types of deals. Find one that best suits your idea of a fantastic vacation and negotiate. However, it is important not just to go for the cheapest rates but for the agency with a solid reputation and good efforts.

A visa is needed to gain entry into South Africa. Visitor’s or tourist visas are sufficient for if you do not intend to stay in South Africa for more than 90 days. However, if you wish to stay longer than 90 days, you need to apply for a “temporary residence permit” instead of a visitor’s visa. These can be issued at South Africa’s points of entry. They regulate the duration of your stay depending on the purposes you stated on your application. If you are already in South Africa and holding a visa, but need to prolong your stay longer than 90 days, you can apply for a temporary residence permit at the Department of Home affairs in South Africa.

Those wishing to study, work or volunteer in South Africa must apply for a work, work-seeker’s or study permit. They function as valid visas for the duration of your stay. So the basic requirements if you wish to gain entry into South Africa are; a valid visa if required or any of the above mentioned permits, at least two blank pages in your passport, yellow fever inoculation certificates if the journey necessitates passing through the yellow fever belt of Africa or South America, a return or onward ticket, enough money, a valid passport.

The following countries do not require visas for visits of up to 90 days: All African union countries (except Morocco), Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Spain, St Vincent & the Grenadines, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Venezuela, and the United States of America.

It is important to note that if by nationality you are subject to visa requirements, you should apply for visa at least a month before your departure and wait for the outcome as visas are not issued at South Africa’s entry points. Also, visitors planning to go on South Africa tours must have a passport valid for at least 30 days from their indicated departure date from South Africa. Nationals of certain countries are subject to visa fees which are charged per application and are non-refundable.

Getting around South Africa is quite easy as the country boasts an impressive transport network. Once you are there, you can choose how to commute from an array of choices. The railway is a popular method of travel in South Africa. It is pretty safe and the rails, the trains as well as the terminals are very well maintained.

There are train stops in almost every town all around the country but trains are best if you are commuting fairly short distances such as within cities. There are luxury trains which go for long distances such as cross country. These trains are good for sight seeing as they pass through quite a number of towns and you are bound to see much.

There are also numerous companies offering car hire services in South Africa. The costs are reasonable as it gets cheaper the longer you have the car. There are a variety of cars available for hire some of course being more expensive than others. Even if you have enough money to hire a posh car, it is important to be practical.

If you are planning to tour an area with rough terrain, a 4×4 is no doubt more practical than a Mercedes. Make sure to enquire about the landscape of the place you are visiting; it might help you make a wiser choice. Make sure you remember your driver’s license though citizens of some countries might need an international driver’s license.  Flying from town to town within the country is common especially when the towns are far apart for example; Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Share This

 Email This Post To Friend
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 9:57 am and is filed under South Africa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.