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Cheap Flights from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth
Either spend 12 hours in the car on the beautiful garden route or book a cheap flight from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth : compare prices of FlySafair, BA Comair and SA Express. Use our flight price comparison tool on the left. It's sometimes cheaper to book the outbound and return legs with different airlines.
FlySafair is the only budget carrier operating on this route, you get cheaper prices but a little less legroom and have to pay for anything you consume on board. Mango stopped flying on this route on the 15th of October 2015. BA Comair and SA Express generally (but not always!) charge more but give you a more comfortable ride - over 1 hour this may not be an issue.
FlySafair launched their operations on this route on the 30th of October 2014. They follow the European low cost carrier model of charging you for checked luggage but in turn they offer customers very affordable base fares plus two pieces of hand luggage which you can take onto the plane free of charge. Hand luggage cannot exceed 7kg in total weight.
If the flights are too expensive, a budget option is the Intercape bus, a zany alternative is the Baz Bus (backpackers take this, and you can hop on and hop off along the route at backpacker lodges), and travelling by train offers a comfortable traditional alternative.
Airlines operating flights from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth
We carried out a snapshot survey of CPT-PE airfares and then sorted the airlines from cheapest at the top (this order will have changed since). Yes, BA Comair was cheapest...so it pays to always check the airfares of the full service carriers.
Airlines |
Airports |
Stops |
|---|---|---|
Cape Town International (CPT) to Port Elizabeth (PLZ) |
non-stop |
|
British Airways Comair |
Cape Town International (CPT) to Port Elizabeth (PLZ) |
non-stop |
Mango (No more flights from October 15, 2015). |
Cape Town International (CPT) to Port Elizabeth (PLZ) |
non-stop |
Cape Town International (CPT) to Port Elizabeth (PLZ) |
non-stop |
A flight from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth takes about 1h10m. The driving distance between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth is some 765km.
This is the one route in SA you may want to drive instead of fly, because of the natural beauty. For a road trip you simply travel along the N2 National Road passing Bellville, Strand, Mossel Bay, George and Plettenberg Bay. This is arguably the most beautiful stretch of national road in South Africa, known as the "Garden Route".
Top review
"I had the epic opportunity to tour South Africa's 'garden route.' The Garden Route is essentially a section of South Africa, along the southern coast that plays host to famous landscapes and activities. Five other girls and myself rented two automatic rental cars and drove the 500 mile route from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth (link deleted as it stopped working). Riding an elephant was undoubtedly the highlight...The most intriguing part about driving was the fact that people walk along the side of the highway here trying to pick up rides"
Also of interest, is this writeup by Ramachandra Guha of how a detour to the "the southernmost café in Africa" near Cape Agulhas, on a road trip from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, led to him thinking about Jacques Kallis (a famous South African cricketer, who Guha thinks of as cricket's Most Valued Player).
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth by bus
If you don't want to fly or drive yourself, another option is to go by bus from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. The time taken for the trip is shown on the right:
This is a hop-on hop-off bus tour which Baz Bus runs across South Africa. Most popular amongst backpackers, it has stops at 180 youth hostels en route. On your way from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth you can disembark at Stellenbosch, Swellendam, Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Buffalo Bay, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Natures Valley, Storms River and Jeffreys Bay. |
14h00m |
|
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth stopping at Belville, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Caledon, Riviersonderend, Swellendam, Slangrivier, Heidelberg, Riversdale, Albertina, Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Storms River, Humansdorp and Jeffreys Bay. |
12h05m |
|
The Greyhound bus operates a traditional bus service through the main centres of South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The route between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth stops in Belville, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Caledon, Riviersonderend, Swellendam, Heidelberg, Riversdale, Albertina, Mossel Bay, George, Wilderness, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Storms River, and Humansdorp. |
12h10m |
|
Intercape offers both its Sleepliner and Mainliner buses on this route. Stops are at Belville, Stellenbosch, Somerset West, Caledon, Riviersonderend, Swellendam, Heidelberg, Riversdale, Mossel Bay, George, Sedgefield, Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, Storms River, and Humansdorp. |
12h55m |
|
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth with stops at Mossel Bay, Knysna and George |
10h55m |
|
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth is only available on their TransLux bus |
12h50m |
Cape Town to Port Elizabeth by train
Shosholoza Meyl offers Premier Classe train trips from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth.
News
-
30 October 2014. FlySafair has taken off for Port Elizabeth from Cape Town for the first time today. The airline's on time performance has been impressive on the CPT - JNB route. Let's hope that they can bring the same performance to the CPT - PLZ route.
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29 Jul 2014. Breaking news! FlySafair are relaunching with extremely low airfares from R399*. Their first flight will take to the air on the 16th of October 2014.
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5 Dec 2012. Mango Airlines commences daily flights from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. Initially it runs a special on selected flights of R699* 1-way. Flight JE628 is scheduled to leave CPT at 15h30 and arrive in PLZ at 16h50.
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2 Nov 2012. 1time flies its last CPT-PLZ flight, as it applies for liquidation.
-
Apr 2012. Velvet Sky moves into provisional liquidation.
-
8 Nov 2011. Velvet Sky airline commences flights from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth on Tuesdays and Thursdays, leaving at 11h00. The initial one-way price is R409. The would stop flying the route early in 2012 and go into final liquidation in June 2012.
-
27 Mar 2011. Comair switches from offering Kulula flights from CPT to PLZ, to offering British Airways flights from Cape Town to PE.
-
5 Dec 2008. Shosholoza Meyl begins offering Premier Classe train trips from Cape Town to PE.
Hotels in Port Elizabeth
If you'd like to put your wallet on a diet, then enjoy the luxury of being pampered at the Kwantu Private Game Reserve. On the other side of the price spectrum there's the Poseidon Lodge. Highly rated accommodations are the Forest Hall Guest House and the Shamwari Townhouse.
List of Port Elizabeth places to stay |
PE Vehicle hire
PE Vehicle hire options are Europcar, Avis, Thrifty, Tempest, Budget Rent a car and First Car Rental.
