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Later this year, I intend to spend 2-3 months in Europe, then want to go to Capetown, South Africa to visit a friend there. Keeping costs down is important. Travel time is not--in fact, a longer travel time could actually be enjoyable (assuming there are things to see along the way)!

My order of priorities when selecting a travel method (or methods) would be:

  • Safety I'm not interested in hitch-hiking through a war zone, for instance.
  • Cost The cheaper the better
  • Scenery/travel experience Flying would probably be the least attractive option by this criteria

I will not have a vehicle, but that doesn't mean renting a vehicle would be out of the question--assuming a rental can be driven through the requisite countries.

EDIT
As I must eat the same quantity of food, and sleep the same number of hours whether I am traveling or not, I do not consider normal food or lodging expenses part of the travel expense unless they are more costly than they would be while staying in another city.

If I were to travel by train, for instance, where my only option for food was over-priced diner car food, I would consider that a relevant travel expense.

Flimzy
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2 Answers2

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The cheapest way to get from Europe to South Africa is, easily, flying. Booking and flying at the right time can easily get you a roundtrip for under 800 USD, sometimes even less.

Not taking into account safety, nor taking into account additional costs for simply being in transit (that is, food and accommodation), just the sheer cost of all the visas you'd need for traveling overland through Africa will already make up a significant chunk of that 800 USD. And, if you're from the 'wrong' country, the total visa cost could even exceed 800 USD.

Then, the distance you'd have to travel overland is, at best, some 10000 kilometers each way. Even with the cheapest forms of transport, this will cost you several hundreds of dollars, in each direction.

So, the total cost of flying will be less, if not much, much less, than traveling overland.

MastaBaba
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I strongly recommend flight, which is usually via Johannesburg. Cape Town is safer than other places in South Africa, and in general South Africa is safer than other countries in Africa. Don't put your trip in risk in favor budget. Africa can be safe and dangerous, and there is no guarantee for neither.

Googlebot
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