Cape Town is a large city with numerous neighbourhoods spread across a huge territory, which even includes a mountain – Table Mountain – in the middle! Obviously, in order to reach the various parts of the metropolis it is necessary to use public transport and this also includes an urban railway which, together with the Blue Train (which connects the city with Johannesburg and Pretoria), is the only reliable rail transport in the region ! The city is served by a large and very active airport, Cape Town International Airport (CPT).
AIRPORTS
Cape Town International (CPT)
Built in 1954 to replace the old and too small Wingfield Aerodrome, the Cape Town Airport did not enjoy great success until the end of the 20th century. International tourism discovered it only in the 2000s and initially only as an “alternative” to Johannesburg’s. Today, however, this airport is widely used by crowds of travelers who knowingly fly to Cape Town. And here they find every comfort during and after the journey.
The International Airport has two terminals connected together to form a single large Central Terminal. Arrivals are located on the ground floor, departures on the first floor and everything is accompanied by shops, bars, restaurants, banks, police services, taxis and buses. There are also drugstores, bookshops, souvenir shops and information points here. The presence of car rental services with driver is very important, as this is the most recommended alternative for those who want to get around Cape Town without driving! Two hotels serve the airport within its own perimeter. There are two runways. Approximately 10 million passengers pass through here every year.
STATIONS
Cape Town Railway Station
Cape Town Railway Station is the oldest and most important station in the city. Arrival and switching point of all the region’s railway lines, both national and urban, it hosts direct connections with Johannesburg and Pretoria plus some smaller departures for Bloemfontein and Durban. High-speed – and super luxury! – train lines arrive and depart from here: the Blue Train and Rovos Rail, used by commuters to and from other large cities but also by tourists who want to move comfortably around South Africa!
Complete with shops, restaurants and information points, the station introduces you to the tourist core of the city. It has 24 platforms and tracks that serve both as transit and as a terminals. The outside of the station includes many car parks and the terminals of almost all the most important bus lines in the region (MyCity, Golden Arrow Bus, Mini Bus) as well as urban taxi stops.