What is the safest way to get from Cape Town to Durban (not flying)?

Question

Hi myself my husband and 7 year old daughter are planning a trip to SA and want to know the safest way to get to Durban from Cape town without flying, after the recent violence it scared us a little, also can you tell the company names, we thought about driving but have no clue how the roads are. Thank you for your answers!! :o)

Answer 1

You don't need to worry about violence on the roads, or xenophobic related violence in the cities for that matter.  No tourists were harmed in the recent violence to the best of my knowledge.

The roads are in general good.  Depending on the season they may be more or less crowded.  December is very busy.

the most direct route is CT - Bloemfontein - Dbn

There are all sorts of scenic routes, obviously.

Answer 2

Via Bloemfontein but then you miss some beautiful scenery

of the garden route

Answer 3

By bus, if you don't want to fly... use Greyhound or Intercape... or rent a car and drive yourself (get a GPS, it works out the best route). Otherwise, flying is definitely the way to go.

The driving isn't that bad actually... I've driven all over the country, and have yet to be in a hijacking situation (carjack elsewhere in the world). Be vigilant, never stop on the freeways - for anything, even if you get a flat, it's better to drive to a service station... they're quite frequently spaced, odds are you won't go longer than an hour or two without passing a rest stop (usually an Engen or a Shell garage), they have relatively clean toilets (normally at any rate), a shop where you can buy cold drinks and snacks and even a restaurant. It's better to stop at one of these places, than next to the road if you need a break.

Don't use the public transport system (Greyhound doesn't count), no trains, no minibus taxis... those are death traps. You should be fine in a car.

Answer 4

You could also try baz bus:

http://www.bazbus.com/

Answer 5

DO NOT drive through the Transkei whatever you do.......I will drive Cape Town to Bloemfontein, sleep over there, then Bloemfontein to Harrismith, and then to Durban.  

Answer 6

yeah my family and i have done the drive several times. takes about 17 hours at the speed limit, sometimes longer. the roads are fine, but i can't deny there are a lot of bad drivers out there. i don't see what you're afraid of in flying. flying would be cheaper and much much safer. if you're really against it take a greyhound or intercape bus, but expect at 25+ hour trip in a cramped seat. don't even think about trains.