Getting There

By Plane

Hot on the heels of its R250-million ($35-million) upgrade, Cape Town International Airport (tel. 021/937-1200 or 086/727-7888) is gearing up for another expansion in preparation for 2010. Cape Town's popularity has led, unfortunately, to chronic delays; call tel. 086/727-7888 to check arrival times. (Note: If you've arrived early or are waiting for a connection, you can relax in a Rennies Travel "Premier Club" lounge, which offers the same facilities as a first-class lounge; entry costs R140/$19/£10 in the international terminal and R72/$10/£5 in the domestic.) The airport is 22km (14 miles) from the center of town, so it should take no longer than 20 to 30 minutes to get into the city and surrounds (set aside twice that amount of time during evening rush hour, 4-6pm). Centurion (tel. 021/934-8281; centuriontours@telkomsa.net) offers an efficient door-to-door service in clean minibuses. From the airport to the city center costs R110 ($15/£7) for the first person and R20 ($3/£1) per person thereafter. Mail or call them and they'll be waiting at the airport arrivals area with a sign. An alternative is Magic Bus Shuttle (tel. 021/505-6300; capemagic@magicbus.co.za); their airport-to-city-center run, in similar vehicles, costs around R165 ($23/£12) for one person, plus R30 ($4/£2) for each additional person -- ideally book either service 2 days in advance. You'll also find taxis directly outside the terminals; the same trip costs in the region of R250 ($34/£18), but you can usually bargain this down if you agree on a price up front. Car-rental desks are inside the arrival terminals, and a bureau de change stays open for international flights; the rates aren't always the best, so use an ATM instead.

By Car

If you're driving directly from Johannesburg, you will arrive on the N1, traveling past the Winelands area of Paarl. From Port Elizabeth, via the Garden Route, you'll approach the city center on the N2, passing Stellenbosch in the Winelands. The N2 splits into the M3 (the highway, known as De Waal Dr., that connects the southern suburbs to the City Bowl suburbs) and Eastern Boulevard, which joins the N1 as it enters the perimeter of town. The entrance to the Waterfront is clearly signposted off here.

By Bus

The main intercity buses, Greyhound, Intercape, and Translux, all terminate at the junction of Strand and Adderley streets. Note that the Baz Bus -- a minibus service aimed at backpackers -- offers a more flexible hop-on, hop-off option throughout the country.

By Train

The luxurious Blue Train (tel. 021/449-2672) and Rovos Rail (tel. 012/315-8242) roll in to Cape Town station from Pretoria. A more affordable alternative is a Premier Class coupe from Johannesburg/Pretoria on Shozoloza Mail (tel. 086/000-8888), South Africa's main-line passenger services. The train departs for Cape Town from Pretoria/Johannesburg every Thursday (and departs for Johannesburg/Pretoria every Tues) and costs R3,150 ($437/£225) per person one-way (all-inclusive). The bus is quicker, albeit not as comfortable (the Trans-Karoo to Jo'burg takes 25 hr., and the bus takes 18 hr.).