I know the airport taxes and cost of flights is horrendous. Safety wise it is fine to do the journey on the bus and the train.
However it is a bit of an ardous journey. The bus from JHB to Bulawayo is a good luxury coach but on that route the bus is normally very full. The border crossing at Beitbridge is not a pleasant experience as you normally arrive there in the middle of the night and then can queque for many hours, so depends on how tolerant your children are, but it is safe.
The train from Bulawayo to Vic Falls is an experience as well. The train is not in good condition and is fairly dirty and smelly, its a slow journey stopping many times along the way but it's also a bit of an adventure. The pathfinder bus service that operates daily from Byo to Vic Falls is a quicker and more luxurious way to get there. This is good and I would recommend it. Again no problems safety wise either on the train or the bus
Mar 12, 2013
Vic Falls by: Steve
Hi Polly, My family and I went to Vic Falls in January. There are plenty of bus companies that operate between Joberg to Bulawayo. It can take a long time to cross the border at Beitbridge. Stay safe by staying together. Pathfinder bus company operates between Bulawayo to Victoria Falls. The buses are great. In Vic Falls I would recommend a family of your size stay at Lokuthula Lodge, self-catering accommodation.
