TRAVEL INFO

What time do I need to get to Cape Town to make it to the wedding?

The Friday dinner starts at 6:30 pm! Three free transport options will leave from Cape Town on Thursday and Friday, September 12 and 13:
(1) from the airport around 6 pm on Thursday,
(2) from the city center around noon on Friday, and
(3) from the airport around 4 pm on Friday.

So if you’re flying in, plan to land at the Cape Town airport by 5:30 pm on Thursday or by 3:30 pm on Friday.

Vehicles will run from Montagu back to Cape Town all day on Sunday, but you’ll be most comfortable if you book a flight that leaves Cape Town after 4 pm on Sunday.

What if I want to come earlier than Thursday or stay an extra day in Montagu?

There’s no train or bus from Cape Town to Montagu, although if you want to take an informal taxi, we’re happy to help you try. We recommend you rent a car. The two-hour drive from Cape Town to Montagu is scenic, safe, and easy. The major global car-rental agencies operate out of Cape Town International Airport and can be booked via Booking.com or drivesouthafrica.com, which is often cheaper.

Americans and Britons do not need an international driver’s license to drive in South Africa. But remember that South Africans drive on the left, and be careful to rent an automatic car if you don’t drive manual.

What are the best itineraries from the United States?

If you’re coming straight from the U.S., a direct United flight from Washington (IAD) to Cape Town (about $1,400) runs Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday, and a direct United flight from New York (Newark) to Cape Town ($1,400) runs Sunday and Wednesday. The flight is around 15 hours. If you’re not planning to add extra travel to your trip, to get to our wedding on time, we recommend taking either the Tuesday 9/10 United flight from Washington or the Wednesday 9/11 United flight from Newark.

If you’re coming from outside of Washington or New York, we recommend getting a train or flight to one of these two hubs and hopping the direct flight to Cape Town. You could also consider the direct United Flight from Newark to Johannesburg, which runs every day. You’ll have to add a connecting flight to Cape Town.

British Airways, Virgin Airways, KLM, and Turkish Airways also have longer but good routes, sometimes for under $1,000.

Please don’t book Egypt Air or Kenyan Airways. Sometimes the planes don’t actually fly.

Do places in Cape Town and Montagu take U.S. credit cards?

Yes, Visa and Mastercard. Tap-to-pay works!

Can I drink the tap water?

Yes.

How do I beat jet lag?

By far the best way to head off jet lag on an overnight flight is to drink a ton of water on the plane. A crap ton. Like three liters.

Do you have some other ideas for my trip?

The Little Karoo—a valley of rivers, caves, and wineries hemmed in by mountains—has the most floral diversity of any semi-arid desert on Earth. It hosts some of our favorite landscapes in the country: the sun-drenched roads on which Eve took her first (and thus far only) motorcycle trip; the desert town where we stayed on our first trip together; a rough-hewn peak Andreas has photographed (the image hangs over our fireplace); and a winding, cloud-bound mountain pass we especially love.

Some activities within Montagu—like rock climbing, abseiling, and mountain biking—are linked on our custom map. A terrific, though expensive, game lodge is a half-hour away. In Hermanus and Gansbaai, about an hour’s drive south, you can go whale-watching (peaking in September) and see African penguins. Mossel Bay, a two-hour drive southeast, has great beginner surfing.

Cape Town itself has to be one of the most—if not the most—beautiful and intriguing cities on Earth. It has a sea for surfing and kayaking, a mountain for climbing, and endless historical and cultural riches: art and history museums, jazz bars, botanical gardens, great food, unusual neighborhoods. Large parts of it are walkable: great neighborhoods include the Bo-Kaap, Gardens, Sea Point, and Simonstown. And it's affordable: $70/night can get you a double room at a lovely hotel (Booking.com is a good resource) or AirBnB (I’ve curated a selection of well-located ones here). If you really want to splash out, stay at the Twelve Apostles or the Tintswalo Atlantic.