Rovos Rail

Travel Advice & Access

By rail. Every South African journey begins or ends at Rovos Rail Station in Capital Park — the company's own private station in Pretoria, not Pretoria's public station and not Johannesburg. Check in a minimum of one hour before departure, or two for the museum and yard tour, which is worth the earlier arrival. The southern terminus uses the Rovos lounge at Cape Town station. Passports are collected at check-in.

Rail works. At the time of writing, line maintenance means some northbound arrivals terminate at Meyerton, about 100 kilometres short of Pretoria, with a complimentary road transfer of around 90 minutes. Arrangements like this change: confirm the disembarkation point at final documentation, and never plan a same-day international departure off an inbound Rovos arrival.

By air. OR Tambo (JNB) is the gateway for every Pretoria departure, roughly an hour by road from Capital Park outside peak traffic, with transfers arranged by Rovos. Cape Town (CPT) serves the southern end, Victoria Falls (VFA) the Zimbabwe journeys with Livingstone (LVI) as the cross-border alternative. Walvis Bay (WVB) and Windhoek's Hosea Kutako (WDH) serve Namibia, King Shaka (DUR) serves Durban, and Julius Nyerere (DAR) the Tanzanian terminus. Southern Cross includes a one-way flight from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg or Cape Town.

Routes, nights and what each one is for

Pretoria to Cape Town — 3 nights. 1,600 km, both directions, year-round. Kimberley, Matjiesfontein, the Hex River Valley. Sell this one first.

Pretoria to Victoria Falls — 3 or 4 nights. 1,400 km via Bulawayo and a Hwange game drive. Four nights adds Matobo. Ends at VFA.

Pretoria to Durban — 2 nights. 800 km, summer only. Nambiti game drive, battlefields, Valley of a Thousand Hills.

Golf Safari — 9 nights. 2,100 km Pretoria round trip, with a parallel non-golf programme.

Namibia Safari — 11 nights. 3,400 km to Walvis Bay. Fish River Canyon, flight to Sossusvlei, Etosha, Swakopmund.

African Collage — 12 nights. 3,700 km Pretoria to Cape Town via Kruger, eSwatini, Durban, Addo and Fancourt.

Cape Town to Dar es Salaam — 16 nights. 5,530 km, five countries, quarterly at best. Madikwe, Victoria Falls, the TAZARA line.

On the ground. Excursions run in Rovos vehicles with Rovos guides and are included, as are listed entrance fees and the off-train nights on long itineraries. Nothing is upsold on board, and no client needs a hire car on a Rovos segment.

Border crossings. Officers board the train, and crossings into Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, eSwatini, Namibia and Tanzania are handled at the platform with passports already collected. It is the least painful way to cross an African land border, but it is not quick: expect several hours stationary, occasionally overnight. Zimbabwe issues visas on arrival for most nationalities; Tanzania and Angola should be arranged in advance. Insist on four blank passport pages for the multi-country routes.

Practicalities. Fares are per person sharing with a single supplement, and the Pullman-to-Royal spread is wide. There is no luggage limit on the train, unlike fly-in safaris; any light-aircraft leg elsewhere still carries the usual 15 to 20 kilogram soft-bag rule. Children aged 0 to 2 are not permitted, long journeys are not recommended under 13, and there is no childminding. The fare covers effectively everything, so clients need rand only for gratuities. Book nine to twelve months ahead for the short routes, eighteen for Royal Suites and the long crossings.