Overnight layover in Johannesburg
I will be traveling solo for this safari and have an overnight layover in Johannesburg in September. Safety is a bit of a concern for me during this layover after reading some stories about JNB. I arrive at 5:45pm from the states and fly out to Livingstone at 11am the following morning. The consensus on old posts here is that the InterContinental is the place to stay. Still true? Should I arrange for someone to walk over there with me?
And secondly, what happens to my luggage? My ticket is fully booked through United, but the last leg is on S.A. Airlink. I imagine it will be checked all the way through. Yes? Is it secure?
Any other advice or additional information you can share about the airport process here so I'm a bit more prepared for this small part of the trip would be appreciated. This is my first trip to Africa. Thanks so much!
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In general, Johannesburg is a high crime city. In addition to statistics, you can see it in the homes. Most have high walls around their property, with the walls topped with spikes or electrical wires. When we stayed there, the hotel would not let any of us leave the hotel property without an escort. A few of the guests wanted to go to a pharmacy so the hotel took them in a van with a driver.
Here's a Wikipedia article about crime in South Africa. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_South_Africa. The cause of much of this crime is poverty.
Many people consider South Africa to be very close to a failed state due to corruption and mismanagement. You can use Google to find articles about the self-inflicted problems of South Africa.
Anyway, be very careful in many of the major cities of South Africa. Johannesburg is not the worse city for crime in South Africa - that's Pretoria, followed by Durban, and then Johannesburg.
The InterContinental Johannesburg is a very short walk from the airport. Try to stay with a group or get a porter to go with you to the hotel.
[Added note: A crime that is common in South Africa is that they threaten you unless you give them your smartphone and the pin to get into it. If you have your financial app on your smartphone, they will force you to wire money from your account to their account. You could try removing your financial app from your phone, or arrange with your bank that transfers/wires will not be processed until you appear in person and cancel that. Of course, the best thing is not to get into a situation where someone has a gun pointed at you.]
We had a similar schedule back in 2015, however we flew Delta to JNB and on SAA, under a separate booking, to Livingstone, so we claimed our bags. I would double check with United to be certain your bags will be booked thru and how they will be stored at JNB- don't leave anything valuable if you do leave your bags checked overnight. I don't know how things are now, but not many years ago it wasn't safe to leave bags overnight at the airport.
The InterContinental is literally only about 250' from the ground level arrivals entrance to the terminal (I just measured it using Google Maps)- it is a short, easy, well lighted, and safe walk, especially at the times of day you'll be transiting. The next morning we had plenty of time to eat breakfast at the hotel but the offerings and cost weren't the best, so we ate at the Business class lounge for free instead.
This airport used to have many "helpers" that would aggressively hound you to be your escort to the correct counter or gate. Some are supposedly licensed and wore a certain colored vest, others not. Though I had briefed my wife earlier to avoid them, she didn't realize what was happening, so we ended up with a "guide." It ended up OK, especially since the airport signage wasn't the best, and the gratuity was reasonable. Just a word to the wise about these helpers and potential pickpockets.
This was our first overnight layover- it worked out perfectly. We got a good night's sleep at the InterContinental and were ready to go upon reaching Livingstone, which we did. We selected the river arrival which was interesting. After checking in and getting settled at the Royal Livingstone we met our transportation and were taken to a small airfield for microlight flights over the falls. The next day we had scheduled activities involving elephants, cheetahs, and lions. In the afternoon we took a stroll across the bridge and entered Zimbabwe.
Check it out in Google Maps Street View:
While everything is true about South Africa in general, most does not apply here because you are in the airport.
You do get approached by ‘helpers’. Try not to use them. Don’t get into an airport elevator without a good number of people on it. Leave all jewelry at home, even if it is fake. Try not to look like a rich American. Look confident as if you know where you are going. Signage definitely not wonderful.
I’m always saying how much I love backpacks as carry on….another reason is that you are more likely to have ca free hand to push people away from you if necessary if you just have to deal with a retrieved checked bag.
Last tip…Cape Town and Johannesburg airports are strict at security and with overweight bags.
There is a transit hotel within the airport. You can purchase blocks of time for 6 hours or 12 hours. The Protea Transit Hotel. We stayed there, but it was a number of years ago. Nothing fancy, but it was clean. We also didn't want to leave the airport.
I also meant to add -- we only travel with carry on luggage. Easy to do on this trip. That way you don't have to be concerned about where your checked in luggage is.
@AlanS nailed it. His advice is spot on and exactly what we did when we went in 2022. Use the Intercontinental at the airport. Its just a great solution to this transit issue. No need to go anywhere near Johannesburg city. Walk the 250 ft with the other travellers who will be heading in the same direction. Avoid the "helpers" who may be there. We did not receive any offers, but others have. You can do this on your own easily. We flew Delta and had to claim our luggage and then recheck it the next day for the flight on SAA to Livingstone. The only thing I would add to @Alans comment is that I found the check in desk for SAA to be a bit elusive so you might want to do some homework on where that is located in the airport so that you can go there directly and not be wandering around displaying the "Lost American Tourist Syndrome" like we did. This is still our favorite Tauck tour. It will change your life. Enjoy!
We stayed at the Protea, but there are two
I can’t recall which is which, one is attached to the airport and one is a little further away.
HooHeel, you will fall in love with Botswana. This is an amazing tour. I, too, was a solo female traveler. I never check any luggage so I just walked off the plane, passed through customs and crossed the street to the Intercontinental. It was a piece of cake, and I did not feel at all unsafe or uncomfortable. I landed around 5:45 PM, and it was close to dusk when I exited the hotel. I did not feel the need for any escort, and a car service would be ridiculous. I will second what everyone else posted about the JNB airport. Never accept help from any porter who is not wearing an orange vest. My advice is to do it right and travel light. Pack a smile, learn a few words in the local language and have a great time!
While answering your questions I forgot to say- this is a fantastic tour! For us it was a toss-up with K&T for our # 1!! I think Botswana actually won out.
(now my all-time #1 is Jordan & Egypt 
)
It sure is high up on my list. Planning on taking it again in the future. I could do without the Victoria Falls part, it complicates flights and I’ve been there three times….yes, I know I’m lucky, it’s different every time..twice on the Zimbabwe side and once in Zambia
We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel and it is very close and an easy walk. Also, it is safe around the airport. The Protea hotel you would need to get their van and wait around until it shows up where you can be harassed by "helpers". Do not use them! You cannot walk to the Protea hotel.
When we stayed at the Protea, it was not with a Tauck tour. It was with another company, that was the hotel they used as a start point. We would never use that company’s again, but that’s another story. It is a very short ride from the airport indeed. If the Intercontinental hotel was not available, it is perfectly acceptable for an overnight before a flight the next day. Once you have been thorough Johannesburg airport, you understand how and where to be careful. We last flew through there in December. It’s a good place to buy last minute souvenirs
Thank you so much for the help and guidance everyone. And @AlanS --over the top! I know that took some time to put together that response, and it is extremely helpful. I've confidently booked my room for the night at the InterContinental.
Next up.. deciphering luggage restrictions. I'm business class on United, but economy on the small Airlink plane (Embraer 190). Carry-on baggage is limited to one piece of 17 pounds or less. United shows no availability for those six business class seats that would give me another carry-on bag... I'm not too worried about the weight of the checked bag, although United shows 50 pounds as the limit for the Airlink flight on my ticket info, but Airlink shows 44 pounds on their website. Looks like I have a couple of phone calls to make. It sure isn't easy getting to the Falls, is it?
You'll be at the mercy of the class restrictions of whichever carrier you fly for each leg.
We've discussed your screen name before, but 20 years ago, we moved to 'little' Washington, NC from N. VA. Our daughter graduated from UVA.
No it isn’t easy getting to the Falls, even before Covid. 44 lbs will be your limit. It’s a while ago we took this tour, but don’t you have to use a duffel during the tour that Tauck provides, that has an even smaller weight limit? Which, by the way is plenty.
I agree with British. One doesn’t need all those pounds and pounds of clothing for Tauck safari trips. You’re just allowed the duffles that they will send between the destinations. What is the point of taking so much only to end up at the last hotel or resort. Less is more for this trip.
Does anyone have any thoughts about booking your flights roundtrip to Cape Town and spending the night in Cape Town instead? Airlink flies from Cape Town to Victoria Falls once a day as well and the flight leaves a little earlier at 0945.
We were on a non-Tauck tour of South Africa and took that Airlink flight from Cape Town to Victoria Falls, departing at 9:45am. No problem with luggage weight. For carry-ons, they took your bag when you reached the aircraft and had it on the tarmac when we arrived at the Victoria Falls airport. There was a $30 visa for Zimbabwe which we paid inside the airport on arrival. Paid in USD,
Smaller aircraft, Embraer E-135, with 1-2 seating. Nice airport in Zimbabwe.
You might want to double check those flights from Cape Town (CPT) to Livingstone (LVI). According to Google Flights there is only one non-stop 2:50 hr flight on Kenyan Airways from CPT to LVI where your tour starts. It departs CPT at 2:30 pm. All other flights are 1 stop or more and the quickest one of those is 5:50 hrs!!! (Many are MUCH longer).
For that matter, I did not see a 0945 am Airlink flight to LVI. There is a 0945 non-stop Airlink flight from CPT to Victoria Falls (VFA) which is on the Zimbabwe side. As far as I know Tauck still does not and will not provide transportation from VFA to the hotel which requires a rather awkward border crossing.
@British and @OurTravels34 I'm with you in that I tend to pack on the lighter side. I've done carry-on only for two weeks in Italy, but not with a 17-pound limit, and I don't do the planning gymnastics to allow me to accomplish that level of efficiency on every trip. I'm a DSLR girl, so there's space & weight I have to dedicate to the camera & padding in the backpack I use as my personal item/carry-on, plus a change of clothes, some toiletries... This little Airlink plane is complicating my usual packing formula.
I do see that Tauck limits me to 44 pounds in their rolling duffel bag for the safari portion, so that will probably be that for the checked bag. Does it lock?
Although... I was a bit attracted to the plan of stuffing the duffel in a large roller bag with some "city clothes" for the Falls at the beginning and Cape Town at the end. (Transported by Tauck for a fee.) A few new pieces of clothing after being gone for almost two weeks is definitely appealing, but now that I see the duffel is large with wheels & handle, that may be more of a challenge than I'd want to deal with. Has anyone done this with the heavier/more structured wheelie duffle bags that are being used these days? Perhaps I'll stuff some clothes in a dedicated packing cube in the duffle that I ignore until the end instead.
You do not need anything other than very casual clothes for Vic Falls. In fact, depending on the time of year, waterproof clothing for possibly being drenched at the Falls 😀 I’ve been to Vic Falls three times, you can be totally casual at the hotel. In fact, when I was there in December, the hotel I was at was much nicer than the hotel Tauck uses and there was no dress up. I call these type of tours Adventure trips, my favorites, so easy to pack for.
AlanS thanks for the comment. I should have specified in my post - we are doing the WIldlife Odyssey tour. It starts in Zimbabwe which is why I was looking at flights to Victoria Falls. I anticipate we will have to spend the night in either Johannesburg or Cape Town. I imagine it is a common issue for both tours.
Got ya. The 0945 am flight from CPT to VFA should be fine, then. Also check the aircraft size- it could be a smaller, slower, turboprop. For us the layover at JNB worked great. We arrived at JNB about 5:30 pm via Delta from Atlanta, long after the last connecting flight to LVI, so we had no choice which we already knew. We had stuff planned for the next day. We were rested after a good night's sleep at the InterContinental and the short, mid-morning flight and arrival time at LVI allowed us to fully enjoy our plans! Also, we had plenty of time to get to the airport and re-check our bags necessitated by separate ticketing and flying on different airlines (different PNRs). With only one suitable flight per day for most options, I would book early- due to layovers/times none of the other flights are acceptable
Unless you plan to go a few days early and stay at and check out the V&A Waterfront (12.5 mi / 18 min. from the airport) in Capetown, you'll want to stay at a hotel near the airport. There appears to be a decent one (Hotel Verde) about a 1/4 mi. south of the terminal that provides shuttle service.
A lot depends on your long haul flights. For those, don't forget to check out some of the non-US carriers, e.g. Qatar, Emirates, Turkish, Ethiopian, etc. for flights with and without overnight layovers. We usually fly Delta, but some years ago we flew to K&T out of Dulles on Ethiopian- only one stop both ways- IAD - ADD - JRO and NBO - ADD - IAD. It looks like Ethiopian has a 19 hr. one-stop flight (IAD - ADD - VFA) on relatively new 787 - 787 aircraft for your itinerary going over and a 24 hr. two-stop return flight (CPT - ADD - FCO - IAD) also on relatively new 787 - A350 - A350 aircraft coming back.
Alan and rwilso15 - do you recall how long before the Airlink flight you arrived at the airport for the flight to Livingstone? And how long the security and check-in process took? We will also be staying at the Intercontinental the night prior to our flight and will have had claimed our luggage on arrival.
Lotusgirl, I ate breakfast in my room at the Intercontinental as dawn was breaking. Can’t remember the exact time of my departing flight for Livingstone, but I always allow at least two hours for a domestic flight. I remember the check in and security as being easy breezy because it was so early in the morning. The airport felt deserted, and I had fun wandering around all the shops devoid of people. It was a pleasant experience and not at all stressful.
Regarding the flight from CPT->VFA, you can see some information about the aircraft at https://www.mikeandjudytravel.com/2023-1RiversAndRails-02.htm#Airlink
Thank you, SandyFeet. I have been thinking of this as an international flight because it is going to a different country, and therefore have been contemplating 3 hours, but wanted to hear from some folks that have already done it.
Lotusgirl, you are correct. I think I did allow 3 hours. I probably got to the airport around 7 AM for a 10ish AM flight. Maybe I can find it in my journal…if I can find my journal!
@Lotusgirl our flight out of JNB for LVI was at 11am. I remember having a comfortable breakfast at the Intercontinental and then strolling over to the check in after 8am. There were no big lines at check in or security. We even had time to do some window shopping. All in all after going through the formalities I remember sitting for for more than an hour waiting for the flight to board. No stress travel!
Thank you!