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Be On The Ball For The 2010 World Cup In South Africa

If you’re travelling to South Africa this summer, for the world cup, you could be forgiven for forgetting a few things, after all it’s hard to be sensible when you are imagining an England victory!

So we’ve been in touch with our friends from the FCO. In collaboration with the South African authorities and travel industry partners, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have produced a dedicated world cup advice page on their website (fco.gov.uk/worldcup) with information from rules of the road to accommodation issues and transport advice. Here are their top tips!

The top ten tips for travelling fans

  1. Accommodation – make sure you have confirmed accommodation before travelling. Plan where you need to stay and book it early. Take into account your personal security when choosing your accommodation options, and remember it will be winter in South Africa so expect cold temperatures at night.
  2. Travel Insurance – not having insurance could leave you having to find tens of thousands of pounds for medical bills or air ambulance in the event of an accident so ensure you are covered. With high crime levels, you’ll also want to think about insuring any possessions you take with you.
  3. Road Safety – check the local rules of the road. For example, at four way intersections the car that arrives first has the right of way, and be vigilant about any car-jacking scams including faked-accidents. Be aware that traffic lights are often only situated on the opposite side of a junction.
  4. Transport – there are only so many hire cars in South Africa, so ensure that you book early and if you miss out use only licensed taxis or official public transport. If the latter, try and travel as a group and stay vigilant at all times particularly if travelling during peak times.
  5. Health – check which vaccinations and medication you need before you travel by visiting nathnac.org. There is a much higher incidence of HIV/Aids in South Africa than in the UK, so avoid putting yourself at risk.
  6. Ticketing – fake or invalid tickets are likely to be prevalent. If you do purchase a ticket in South Africa you can check whether it can be used at fifa.com. Tickets are likely to be ID specific, so be prepared to produce photo ID and the credit or debit card used to purchase the ticket.
  7. Entry documents – you will not need a visa to enter South Africa unless you are staying longer than 90 days. However, make sure your passport is valid for at least 30 days from your return travel date and that it has at least two blank pages. Once you have your documents, photocopy them all and store separately to the originals.
  8. Match Day – arrive early at matches to avoid problems at the gate. If there are too many fans turning up late it could jeopardise your entry for kick off.
  9. South African laws and customs – understand that there are different laws and policing in South Africa and no tolerance of racist or xenophobic material. Fans deemed too intoxicated may be refused entry to the stadium.
  10. LOCATE – register your details with the FCO’s online LOCATE system which informs the FCO where you are going so it can provide help more quickly in an emergency - fco.gov.uk/locate.