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Johannesburg International Airport (JIA), easily accessible from Pretoria and Jo'burg, has flights to regional centres across the country, with airlines covering many of the smaller towns as well. Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth and several other destinations are also connected to Jo'burg via a network of no-frills budget airlines - by far the best way of getting between the big cities. A number of international bus services leave Jo'burg for Mozambique, Lesotho, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe. The main long-distance bus lines (national and international) depart from and arrive at the Park Station transit centre, in the northwest corner of the site, where you will also find their respective booking offices.
All the major car rental operators have counters at JIA and at various locations around the city. It is well worth calculating the length of your planned journey before you settle for a deal though. With many of the main operators offering a limited number of free kilometres, and distances in South Africa piling on the miles, you may end up with a nasty bill when it comes to returning the car. Minibus taxis can be a better option.
Metropolitan Bus Services cover dozens of routes in the Greater Jo'burg area. The main bus terminal is at Gandhi Sq, two blocks west of the Carlton Centre, and fares work on a zone system ranging from zone one to zone eight.
The hop-on, hop-off, open-topped City Slicker buses offer one of the best ways to see Jo'burg. The double-deckers pick up from five of Sandton's best hotels, heading to Rosebank and the zoo before winding through the mansions of Parktown, Melville's 7th St and the Oriental Plaza on its way to the city centre. City stops include the Newtown cultural precinct and the Carlton Centre. The three-hour route ends in Soweto, via Gold Reef City. The return trip takes the same route.
It's easy enough to catch a minibus taxi into the city and, if you're waiting at a bus stop, the chances are a taxi will show up before the bus does. If you do take a minibus taxi into central Jo'burg, be sure to get off before it reaches the end of the route - avoid the taxi ranks as they are a mugging zone.
Taxis are an expensive but necessary evil in this city. They all operate meters, which unfortunately seem to vary markedly in their assessment, if they work at all. Consequently, it's wise to ask a local the likely price and agree on a fare at the outset.
There has been a very serious problem with violent crime on the Metro system, mostly on those lines connecting with Black townships. The Jo'burg-Pretoria Metro line should also be avoided.
