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Arrival, information and city transport
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The nearest airport to Pretoria is
Johannesburg International airport
some 50km away to the southeast. At the time of writing, the airport shuttle service to Pretoria had just gone out of business, but it's likely a replacement service will fill the gap. Otherwise, negotiate a taxi fare (it's unlikely to be less than R200) or make arrangements with wherever you're staying. If you're arriving by
train
you'll alight at Pretoria station (tel 012 334 8470), designed by Sir Herbert Baker, to the south of the city centre;
intercity buses
stop beside the station building.
The main point of information for Pretoria - or Tshwane , as the greater metropolitan area is known - is the Tourist Information Centre on the southwest corner of Church Square (Mon-Fri 8am-4pm; tel 012 308 8909, ). In the same office you'll find a travel agent called Travel the Planet (tel 012 337 4337), who will help with booking tours, transport and accommodation. Pretoria's city centre is easily explored on foot, but public transport is useful if you are heading slightly further afield. For journeys to the suburbs, you'll need the municipal bus services, which start in Church Square (where there's a bus information office tel 012 308 0839), and spread outwards. You buy tickets - which are never more than a few rand - when you get on; timetables are available from Church Square, the buses themselves and from pharmacies.
The best place to catch
minibus taxis
is from the corner of Jacob Mare and Bosman streets, just north of the railway station, though you can hail them from anywhere. As in Johannesburg, you can't hail metered
taxis
, but you'll usually find one on or near Church Square; alternatively, cabs can be booked ahead by phone. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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South Africa,
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