Following England to the FIFA 2010 World Cup

It’s finally here. Everyone’s writing about it, everyone’s talking about it, everyone’ll be watching it and some of you will be packing your bags for it; the World Cup has arrived. England have come a long way in the last few years and wallys under brollys are now a very distant memory. So, we’re feeling pretty confident and in the mood for a 4-0 routing of USA on the 12th of June. If you’re lucky enough to be joining the lads then here are some travel tips amongst other stuff that might come in handy when you stagger off the plane into the South African sun.

Before you go
Obviously England’s performance is out of our hands (unless you’re Mr Capello that is and if you are, then why the hell are you reading this? Get back to the team sheet!), but if you’re following England out there, you’ll be doing some preparation of your own. Let's be honest this trip isn’t as simple as organizing your drunken holidays to ibiza every summer. So, here's a checklist of some things to sort out before you travel to South Africa;

• You won’t need a visa if you’re in South Africa for less than 90 days; the tournament lasts a month so you shouldn’t need one


• Arrange your accommodation before you leave. There will be thousands of fans all over South Africa and hotels are filling up fast


• Get insured; the cost of medical bills could be huge and the high crime rate means it’s a good idea to get your valuables covered


• Let someone know where you’ll be and when you’re back. Not that that’ll be a problem, my mate hasn’t shut up about it since he got a ticket


• If you buy tickets, watch out for fakes; it’s worth checking with the FIFA ticketing centre if you’re not sure. A tell tale sign is a ticket being hand written on the back of a beer mat


• Check with your GP to see if you need any vaccinations or medication


• Dust off your lucky pants and give them an airing (we all know that cleaning them will wash away the luck)

Once you’re there
So, you land in South Africa. What now? Beer? Sleep? Kick about? We’ve put together some information and facts for your trip from the boring and obvious to outright dangerous. It’s useful if you want to know where to find a quick beer or how to ask a South African to put the telly on in Africkaans.

Safety First

• Don’t display your valuables whenever possible, especially not the Crown Jewels


• Avoid changing large sums of money in public, don’t want to be accused of taking a bung


• Don’t hitch-hike or accept lifts from strangers


• Consult reliable tour guides if you’re planning trips to townships


• Keep in groups but try to remember you’re not filming for Football Factory 2


• Watch how much you drink and stick together. As we all know, alcohol can affect our judgement


• Watch out for scams, especially at ATM’s or Bradley Wright Phillips trying to rob your watch


• As the Godfather said; ‘leave the gun, take the cannolis’

Travel and Transport in South Africa

• There are huge distances between World Cup venues so be prepared for lengthy road journeys


• If you’re planning to hire a car, choose a reputable hire company and be aware of the different road rules (there aren’t any)


• There are bus services providing transport to the various stadiums. Again, book with a company you trust; this may not always be the cheapest


• If you don’t fancy a long journey, it is possible to take domestic flights between some venues. Although some airlines might be a bit dodgy and aren’t recommended by the EU

Weather in South Africa during the World Cup
The weather in South Africa can become quite cold during the winter; as their winter runs from May to August. It may get cold in some regions whilst you’re out there for the football, this is where the trusted beer jacket can come in handy. Although the chill is nothing compared to British winters so the players won’t be prancing about in gloves or anything. At night the temperature can drop; cold for South Africa but an Indian summer compared to home.

What to do when England aren’t playing
There are a few days between each England game. Assuming a lot of these will be hazy alcohol fuelled celebrations of all things England, there should still be time to squeeze in a trip or two – they say experiencing new things is good for the soul, don’t they? See what else South Africa has to offer other than Castle lager and fairly new stadiums. Here are some things to do whilst you’re in South Africa for the World Cup; it might even feel like you're actually on holidays.

Kruger National Park
This huge national park has all of the African animals you’d expect to see on safari including lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and cheetahs (of course, they’re probably not as quick as Theo). Take a safari and see the sights this world famous reserve has to offer.

Drakensberg
Visit the spectacular landscapes of the mountain peaks at South Africa’s border with Lesotho. You can book accommodation in advance and visit the sweep of summits and buttresses of the Drakensberg. It might be worth getting a few photos that aren’t of sweaty, celebrating England fans or Stevie G taking corners.

Townships
A tour of one of South Africa’s townships is recommended in between the football. People were forcibly removed to these towns during the apartheid. Soweto near Johannesburg and the Cape Flats are the most popular to visit. There’s a great community spirit, you could probably even organise a kick about.

Cape Town
Cape Town has some great places of interest including impressive beaches, vineyards and most importantly, the iconic Table Mountain. There are a series of trails to explore in the Table Mountain national park including a new overnight hiking trip. If you’re feeling adventurous, go cage diving with a Great White shark, we wouldn’t suggest it on a hangover though.

Whale Watching
Whales migrate the south coast from June to September every year, sometimes so close to the coast that you can see them from your hotel window. Hermanus is the best place to see them; there’s even a whale festival. Go easy on the ‘is that your mum’ jokes though.

Watch some Rugby
We all know the South African’s aren’t the best at football, but they’re not too bad a rugby if the last Rugby World Cup is anything to go by. Catch a game if you get a chance (if you fancy watching a lesser sport).

Where to go
If you don’t know the area it’s sometimes a nightmare trying to find a good bar or area to drink. So, here are the best places in each city to find one a Castle beer.

Durban
The beach front in Durban is a popular location with loads of bars and restaurants, whilst a lot of visitors head to the suburbs due to the city’s reputation for crime. You’ll find accommodation, shops, high quality restaurants and enough bars to quench an elephant’s thirst.

Johannesburg
The English pub in Norwood is bound to be heaving when the England fans start turning up. This pub is good for some focused drinking and football banter. Johannesburg’s Gauteng region is full of bars, restaurants and nightclubs so head there to celebrate England’s victory.

Cape Town
England play Algeria in Cape Town so you’ll need to find a watering hole to wet your whistle before the game. The city centre has some good bars and nightlife so you can enjoy the friendly Cape Town locals whilst trying not to look too smug about an outstanding victory (or ranting about yet another average performance).

Nelson Mandela Bay
We’ll be qualifying here for the World Cup after a win against Slovenia. So, luckily you won’t struggle to find a celebratory drink in Nelson Mandela Bay with English pubs, bars and restaurants all over the place. A lot will have live bands who’ll be happy to join in on an England song or two.

Beaches
If you’re not too keen on whale watching, how about WAG watching? Capello might not be their biggest fan but we are. Why not keep them company on some of South Africa’s best beaches. Although it might be too dangerous to swim because of the sharks; that means no Freddie Flintoff pedalo antics or skinny dipping after a night out – this is no joke, we’ve all seen Jaws.

Boulders Beach
Sunbathe with the penguins at this Cape Town beach. It’s well worth the entrance fee to watch these birds waddle about on the sand. The swimming’s pretty good fun too.

Clifton
Models and film stars come down to this impressive beach, so suck in your beer belly and mix with the celebs. The Cape Town locals love this beach too so you won’t have to walk the red carpet to find a bit of sand and there’s beach bars nearby for an afternoon beer if you want to get out of the sun.

Kings Beach
This is a favourite of visitors to Port Elizabeth. There’ safe swimming and surfing, and if you need to add a little danger to your beach trip, go to the Snake park round the corner.

Where to go
I know you don't want to hear it but let's be honest, with England likely to be scaring the hell out of us during most matches and a lot of alcohol, late nights and road trips; South Africa is not going to be that much of a holiday. In fact you'll probably need a holiday to get over the holiday. So, if you need a some time away to mend your broken heart after World Cup disappointment or to recover from the week long celebrations after England lift the World Cup; make sure you check out some of the cheap holidays on offer at lowcostholidays.com

Useful phrases in Afrikaans
Good Morning - Goeiemore
Good Afternoon - Goeiemiddag
Good Evening - Goeienaand
Thank You - Baie Dankie
No Thanks - Nee Dankie
Please - Asseblief
I don’t speak Afrikaans - Ek praat nie Afrikaans nie
Very Drunk - GesuipHangover - Babbelas
Where is the ...? - Ek is opsoek na die

- Airport - Lughawe
- Train station - Spoorwegstasie
- Police station - Polisiestasie

Rooney - Rooney - Rooney - Rooney - Rooney - Rooney

World Cup Travel Advice with lowcostholidays.com

• Watching the FIFA 2010 World Cup abroad


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