Johannesburg to Cape Town: How to travel this December

The festive season is upon us, and here are all the ways to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December on a budget. We were inspired by the reintroduction of PRASA’s Shosholoza Meyl train to look at the cheapest ways to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December.

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That was before, unfortunately, the train was halted en-route to Cape Town due to cable theft and passengers had to be bussed the final leg of the journey. Nevertheless, the long-distance train adds an interesting element to our comparison of ways to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December.

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JOHANNESBURG TO CAPE TOWN THIS DECEMBER

For the sake of fairness in this exercise we’re only looking for the cheapest one-way options on Rugby World Cup long weekend, Friday 15 December 2023. Whether it be planes, trains or automobiles. Here it goes …

1. BY PLANE

Almost certainly everyone’s go-to if they’re thinking of travelling from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December. According to Cheapest Flights, one-way flights on Rugby World Cup long weekend are as follows:

*flight prices at the time of writing.

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2. BY TRAIN

PRASA’s long-distance train, the Shosholoza Meyl is back in operation. And while its very first journey from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December was disrupted, just R430 for the 26-hour trip is very cheap.

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You’re going to need food and drink to sustain you for the trip that spans two days. So, factor that into your budgeting. And bank on it taking even longer due to cable theft and other potential delays as PRASA gets back up to speed.

3. BY VEHICLE

The other option is to go from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December by road. Of course, this being South Africa, there are many vehicles to choose from. A bus trip is always a good value, and here are your options, according to Bus Bud.

*prices correct at time of writing

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Finally, if you’re in possession of a car, there’s always the option to drive from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December. The benefit of going by car is you don’t need to rent a car or use public transport when you arrive.

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Assuming yours is a reasonably efficient car, let’s bank on it using an average of 6.0 l/100 km over the 1 400 km drive. That’s 84 litres at R23,25 per litre inland. That comes to R1 935 in fuel alone. But don’t forget toll fees along the N1 from Johannesburg to Cape town this December. These add on an additional R219,50, making a total of R2 172. This excludes padkos of course, or if you want to overnight somewhere along the way.

VERDICT

In conclusion, anyone looking for a last-minute trip from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December has the following options ranked cheapest to quickest. You’ll note the travel time is inversely proportional to the amount of money spent.

If time is money, then the two-hour flight is the way to go. If life is all about the journey and not the destination, there are cheaper options available.

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What’s your preferred way to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December? Is there something we neglected to include? Be sure to share your thoughts with our audience in the comments section below. And don’t forget to follow us @TheSANews on X and The South African on Facebook for the latest updates.