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ALL the ways to travel: Johannesburg to Cape Town this December
Planes, trains and automobiles: Here are all the ways to get from Johannesburg to Cape Town this December and how much it’ll cost you.
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.
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.
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 the Rugby World Cup long weekend are as follows:
| Flight | Time | Cost |
| FlySafair | 2 hours 15 min | R2 204 |
| South African Airways | 2 hours 10 min | R2 988 |
| SA Airlink | 2 hours 10 min | R3 270 |
| CemAir | 2 hours 15 min | R3 304 |
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.
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.
| Bus | Time | Cost |
| Greyhound Premium | 21 hours 30 min | R850 |
| Wezwe Coaches | 17 hours 30 min | R1 200 |
| Intercape Tourliners | 26 hours | R1 650 |
Finally, if you have 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.
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.
| Rank | Transport | Time | Cost |
| 1. | Train | 26 hours | R430 |
| 2. | Bus | 21 hours 30 min | R850 |
| 3. | Car | 15 hours 20 min | R2 172 |
| 4. | Plane | 2 hours 10 min | R2 204 |
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.
