How much is the Intercape bus from Pietermaritzburg to East London?

Bus ticket prices have ranged from R306 to R3,300 this year. Currently, the cheapest available one-way ticket is R450.

How long is the bus ride from Pietermaritzburg to East London?

The average journey by bus takes approximately 9 hours and 52 minutes.

Do pensioners get a discount on Intercape buses?

Yes, senior citizens (60 years and older) qualify for a 15% discount on Intercape Flexi and Full Flexi tickets. Note that Saver tickets do not qualify for this discount.

Intercape Bus Tickets from Pietermaritzburg to East London

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Intercape offers bus tickets from Pietermaritzburg to East London, with 1-way prices having ranged from R306 to R3,300 during 2026:

The current cheapest one-way Intercape bus ticket from Pietermaritzburg to East London is R450 in Saver class on a Big Sky Intercity coach; taking Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-MTH-EL scheduled to depart Pietermaritzburg at 23:25 on Sun 10 May 2026 and scheduled to arrive in East London at 09:15 on Mon 11 May 2026 (duration of 9 hours 50 minutes).
- For pensioners (60 and older), the current cheapest one-way ticket is R404 in Flexi class (with a 15% discount applied); taking Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-MTH-EL departing Pietermaritzburg at 23:25 on Sun 10 May 2026 and arriving in East London at 09:15 on Mon 11 May 2026 (duration of 9 hours 50 minutes).
Average one-way ticket prices are Saver: R633, Flexi: R684, Full Flexi: R745. Lower Flexi and Full Flexi fares may be achieved if any discounts are applicable.
- For pensioners the average 1-way prices are: Saver: R633, Flexi: R581, Full Flexi: R633.

The journey takes on average 9 hours and 52 minutes.

7-Day Fare Heatmap: Pietermaritzburg to East London

Select a date block below to view the full schedule for that day. Green indicates the lowest fare.

Sat 9 May R468 Sun 10 May R450 Mon 11 May R450 Tue 12 May R500

Wed 13 May N/A

Thu 14 May N/A

Fri 15 May N/A

Intercape Ticket Classes Explained: Saver vs Flexi vs Full Flexi

Understand the exact differences in allowances, amendment fees, and cancellation policies before making your booking.

Feature	Saver	Flexi	Full Flexi
Price Level	Cheapest	Standard	Premium
Luggage Allowance	15 kg (2 pieces max)	20 kg (2 pieces max)	25 kg (2 pieces max)
Seat Reservations	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Qualifies for Discounts? (e.g. Pensioner, Student)	❌ No	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Ticket Amendment Fee (Changes up to 15 min before departure)	25% Fee	15% Fee	10% Fee
Cancellation Policy	75% refund (Must cancel 48h before)	85% refund (Must cancel 24h before)	90% refund (Must cancel 12h before)

Intercape Prices & Schedule from Pietermaritzburg to East London

Prices last checked and verified on: 2026-05-03 11:51:23

All prices in South African Rand (ZAR).

Route	Coach Type	Depart (PIETERMARITZBURG - Intercape Office, Burger Street (opposite McDonalds))	Arrive (EAST LONDON - Intercape Office, Moore Street (Windmill Park))	Full Flexi (ZAR)	Flexi (ZAR)	Saver (ZAR)
Mainliner DBN-PE-CA	Mainliner	Sat 09 May 2026 08:25am	Sat 09 May 2026 7:20pm	640	560	500
Mainliner DBN-PE	Mainliner	Sat 09 May 2026 6:10pm	Sun 10 May 2026 03:25am	680	600	540
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-MTH-EL	Big Sky Intercity	Sat 09 May 2026 11:25pm	Sun 10 May 2026 09:15am	520	494	468
Mainliner DBN-PE-CA	Mainliner	Sun 10 May 2026 08:25am	Sun 10 May 2026 7:20pm	750	670	610
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky DBN-PE-CA	Big Sky Intercity	Sun 10 May 2026 5:10pm	Mon 11 May 2026 02:25am	740	703	666
Mainliner DBN-PE	Mainliner	Sun 10 May 2026 6:10pm	Mon 11 May 2026 03:25am	680	600	540
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-MTH-EL	Big Sky Intercity	Sun 10 May 2026 11:25pm	Mon 11 May 2026 09:15am	500	475	450
Mainliner DBN-PE-CA	Mainliner	Mon 11 May 2026 08:25am	Mon 11 May 2026 7:20pm	640	560	500
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky DBN-PE-CA	Big Sky Intercity	Mon 11 May 2026 5:10pm	Tue 12 May 2026 02:25am	740	703	666
Mainliner DBN-PE	Mainliner	Mon 11 May 2026 6:10pm	Tue 12 May 2026 03:25am	660	580	520
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-MTH-EL	Big Sky Intercity	Mon 11 May 2026 11:25pm	Tue 12 May 2026 09:15am	500	475	450
Mainliner DBN-PE-CA	Mainliner	Tue 12 May 2026 08:25am	Tue 12 May 2026 7:20pm	640	560	500
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky DBN-PE-CA	Big Sky Intercity	Tue 12 May 2026 5:10pm	Wed 13 May 2026 02:25am	740	703	666
Mainliner DBN-PE	Mainliner	Tue 12 May 2026 6:10pm	Wed 13 May 2026 03:25am	660	580	520

Price Statistics per Intercape pay class (Year 2026)

Ticket Type	Lowest Price	Highest Price	Average Price
Saver	306	2,100	633
Flexi	323	2,700	684
Full Flexi	340	3,300	745

Intercape Routes from Pietermaritzburg to East London

Mainliner DBN-PE-CA
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky DBN-PE-CA
Mainliner DBN-PE
Big Sky Intercity Big Sky PTA-MTH-EL
Mainliner PTA-MTH-EL

Travel Time Scheduled (Year 2026)

The quickest bus takes 9h 15m, slowest 10h 55m, average 9h 52m.

Departures vary from 12:45am to 11:25pm. Arrivals from 2:25am to 7:20pm.

Travelling for a major life event?

If you are relocating to the Cape or travelling to manage family affairs, ensure your legal requirements are in order.

Passenger Reviews: Pietermaritzburg to East London

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Bus Route Map

Intercape Bus Route Locations & Safety Ratings

From: Pietermaritzburg

Address: Intercape Office in Burger St (opposite the McDonalds and next to the Big Sky Intercity offices)

Province: KwaZulu-Natal

Safety Rating: 4/10

Generally safe with 24/7 staff, good lighting, and often CCTV. Standard travel precautions apply.

Contact: Phone Intercape at 021-3804400 or phone Big Sky Intercity at 087-8218218

Latitude: -29.6045515

Longitude: 30.3817751

Uber Availability: Available.

Need a safe ride from the station?

Get a ZAR 50 Discount Off Your First 5 Trips

Location: View Pietermaritzburg on Google Maps

To: East London

Address: Intercape Office, Windmill Park, Moore Street Beach Front

Province: Eastern Cape

Safety Rating: 4/10

Generally safe with 24/7 staff, good lighting, and often CCTV. Standard travel precautions apply.

Contact: Phone Intercape at 021-3804400 or phone Big Sky Intercity at 087-8218218

Latitude: -33.01174328

Longitude: 27.91942768

Uber Availability: Available.

Need a safe ride from the station?

Get a ZAR 50 Discount Off Your First 5 Trips

Location: View East London on Google Maps

General Safety considerations

Please check the specific safety ratings for your departure and arrival stations above. Many bus stops have safety issues; it is better to arrive at bus stops while the sun is still shining (nighttime is always riskier), with weekdays generally being safer than weekends. Do not display valuables, keep them safe and out of sight. Plan in advance how you will get from your final Intercape bus stop to your destination so as to minimise time at the bus stop.

Why so slow?

You may be wondering why the journeys take so long. Part of the reason is that Intercape have a self-imposed speed limit of 95km/h on national roads and 40km/h on mountain passes - this is for safety reasons. Speed kills.

Intercape Bus Tickets from East London to Pietermaritzburg

What about the return journey? View prices and departure times for Intercape buses travelling from East London to Pietermaritzburg.