Cape Point Route accessibility during the World Cup

It is less than a week to go until kick-off and the atmosphere and excitement is building at a rapid rate! Flags are flying from buildings and from cars. Football Friday shirts are being worn on days other than Fridays! Memorabilia is sold at every traffic light, the news reports are about arriving teams, final selection squads and at every dinner table World Cup seems to get a mention in some form or another.

Cape Point Route is no exception to the fever and the frenzy and if this exquisite weather is anything to go by – the World Cup is going to be a cracker! Fingers crossed for the weather to continue in a glorious state throughout the tournament. With a 26°C sunshiny day with no wind, who would have thought it is winter in Cape Town! (Cape Point Route has mentioned that May and June are a secret season more than once, but we don’t like to be smug or say “I told you so”).

But I get distracted – today we are talking about getting around and of course access to the Cape Point Route during the tournament and particularly access on match days!

Getting to the Cape Point Route on arrival at the airport:

1. Hire a car and drive yourself around the city
2. Book an airport transfer to your accommodation (From R350 per person from the airport to the Cape Point Route)
3. Hop in a metered taxi (About R10 per kilometer. Airport to Simon’s Town is 42 km – so you looking at a minimum of R420) http://www.capepointroute.co.za/map.php
4. Take the Airport – City Shuttle Bus. This operates daily and takes people to the main Civic Centre transport hub on Hertzog Boulevard for R50 one way. The Shuttle is integrated with flight schedules and will run every 6 – 30 minutes. From the transport hub you can link up with other shuttles or transport options.

Getting around Cape Town and to the Cape Point Route:

1. Hire a car and drive yourself
2. Take a metered taxi (great for short journeys but can add up in price if you are going further afield)
3. Guided tours – these could be scheduled trips or with a private guide – the latter gives you more flexibility
4. Train – Metrorail offers a Southern Line Tourism route from Cape Town to Simon’s Town. A one day hop-on hop-off ticket is R30 and a two day hop-on hop-off ticket is R50. The line has a dedicated coach with guides on the train. On a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday you can do a one day trip on the Southern Line with a transfer to Cape Point and Boulders Penguin colony with the Green Cab for R600.

Getting to Cape Town Stadium from the Cape Point Route on MATCH DAYS:

NO private vehicles are permitted anywhere near the stadium on match days so don’t even think about it! Some private tour operators have registered but varying restrictions apply so check with your tour operator directly!

Your best bet is to get to the main transport hub at the Civic Centre:
1. Free stadium shuttle bus for all ticket holders from the transport hub to the stadium where there are 2 loading points. Shuttles will run from 4 hours before the match to 4 hours after the match.
2. Fan Walkway: this 2.2km walk is a pedestrian zone which starts in Adderley Street near Cape Town Station and ends at the stadium precinct. This vehicle free zone is recommended to avoid traffic congestion and should be a fun and festive way to reach the stadium. The path is well lit and should take approximately 30 minutes to walk the distance!

Park ‘n ride Options:

1. TRAIN: If you are staying on the Cape Point Route we recommend parking at the beach at Fish Hoek Station where there is a dedicated park ‘n ride set up. Train tickets are free for ticket holders on match days only! The trains will be running extended services until approximately 02h00 – yup that’s 2 o’clock in the morning!

2. BUS: three park and ride venues have been set up to serve areas with limited rail access. Of particular interest to residents and visitors on the Cape Point Route are:

2a) UCT Upper Campus in Rondebosch – free bus shuttle to the main transport hub for ticket holders.
2b) Kronendal Primary School in Hout Bay – This is a pay as you go service based on the distance travelled and is operating on the Atlantic Seaboard Bus Service which operates from Hout Bay to Granger Bay. Good news for those travelling from Hout Bay as you won’t need to go to the main transport hub at the Civic Centre!

Other notes on Getting Around:
Inner City Shuttle: These operate on 4 circular routes around the inner city. The cost of this shuttle is R8 per trip or based on distance travelled. There are several shuttle pick-up points on the circular route so that visitors can get around the city. These route maps will be available on the Cape Town City website under 2010/ Getting around.
These routes include:
• Civic Centre to Waterfront and Sea Point* along the Atlantic seaboard to Queens beach - cost based on distance travelled;
• Inner City Bowl area* - cost R8 per trip and scheduled every 10- 30 mins;
• UCT to the Civic centre (on match dates only) - Cost free of charge with match ticket;
• Atlantic seaboard service (on match dates only): Houtbay to Granger bay. This is a pay as you go service based on the distance travelled.

*On non-match days and after the World Cup, the Inner City Shuttles will continue to operate as a Hop-On Hop-Off system to get around our beautiful city.

TO SUMMARISE:

This is going to be a spectacular event, with fanfare and exciting events, people, characters and no doubt vuvuzelas! Enjoy the ride, enjoy the journey but be prepared. Take refreshments with you, wear comfortable shoes for walking or waiting, have a jacket with you and don’t forget your flags and your spirit!

Cape Point Route recommends finding accommodation on the Cape Point Route to suit your needs - either close to the train station for match day access or to ask us for assistance if you want to be out of the main buzz and arrange a transfer to one of the transport hubs on a match day, leaving you free to enjoy the rest of your holiday in a quieter zone, close to amenities and the city should you desire.

Watch this space for news and happenings on the Cape Point Route with details of where to watch games and who is doing what and where and when!