Accommodation advice for the World Cup in South Africa

As with any country that hosts the World Cup the topic of accommodation is always an area of contention. Whether you are travelling alone, as a couple or in a group choosing somewhere to stay is always never as easy as it might be. South Africa is a vast country and fans will have to cope with travelling long distances between games. Choosing the right location at the right price is key. 

The great thing about South Africa is that there is a lot of accommodation located all over the country.  Depending upon how much you want to pay and what you want to do between games will largely dictate where you decide to stay. There is a vast established network of good quality guest houses, B&B’s, hotels, game reserves, lodges and self-catering venues all vying for your custom. The hotels will be targeted by tour operators looking to accommodate groups and locate them centrally in order to facilitate organising trips. Another option is the Private Home. Many South Africans own second homes or are looking to rent out their whole house/apartment or rooms during the World Cup. This is a real alternative and these can be found by searching on many of the accommodation websites such as www.where2stay-southafrica.com . If you are in a small group this could turn out to be a really cost effective accommodation solution.

I have even heard of someone that has brought in a load of tents for the event with a view to hiring these out to fans. I do have some advice on this and that is to remember that the World Cup is being held in the winter of South Africa and although it is still pleasant during the day nights will be cold if sleeping outside. In addition I am not sure what security arrangements will be put in place but you will have to think about what to do with valuables for the times when you are sight seeing or at the games themselves. To my mind this isn’t perhaps an option I would choose.  My suggestion would be to look to base yourself centrally between games and to reduce your travelling time. If you base yourself slightly outside of major towns you will find accommodation cheaper and also probably have a choice of activities nearby such as game drives, 4x4, hiking, mountain biking, surfing, diving and fishing.

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