The most convenient is Livingstone (LVI) in Zambia. Tauck provides transport from LVI to the hotel, sometimes it is via a combination of car from the airport and a boat on the Zambezi for the last bit to the hotel. Most likely you will be arriving from Johannesburg (JNB) on South African Airlines or British Airways the only non-stop providers from JNB. Depending on your routing you might have a long layover and possibly even a short overnight in Amsterdam's Schipol Airport (AMS), Johannesburg (JNB), Heathrow (LHR).
I am actually investigating arriving in Victoria Falls (VFA) in Zimbabwe, but that presents other problems - you must get transportation to the bridge and then go through border formalities before you may have to get different transportation to the Royal Livingstone Hotel which is not far away, but I wouldn't want to walk it with baggage.
We are taking this tour next month. We are flying from DFW to London, have a long (12 hour) layover, fly from Heathrow to Johannesburg, and then a short flight to Livingstone, Zambia. Returning we have a Cape Town to London flight and then connect to a DFW flight. Long flights but what I'm reading tells me it is absolutely worthwhile.
The most convenient is Livingstone (LVI) in Zambia. Tauck provides transport from LVI to the hotel, sometimes it is via a combination of car from the airport and a boat on the Zambezi for the last bit to the hotel. Most likely you will be arriving from Johannesburg (JNB) on South African Airlines or British Airways the only non-stop providers from JNB. Depending on your routing you might have a long layover and possibly even a short overnight in Amsterdam's Schipol Airport (AMS), Johannesburg (JNB), Heathrow (LHR).
I am actually investigating arriving in Victoria Falls (VFI) in Zimbabwe, but that presents other problems - you must get transportation to the bridge and then go through border formalities before getting different transportation to the Royal Livingstone Hotel which is not far away, but I wouldn't want to walk it with baggage.
Alan, I don't think this is doable. I don't recall a road of any size near the crossover bridge and I have been to both sides. The narrow path you go down from the hotel in Zambia is basically a National park and the gates close at night. Maybe others can chime in here in case I am mistaken, but I have been on the Zimbabwe side too,starting at the VICTORIA Falls hotel.
Alan, I don't think this is doable. I don't recall a road of any size near the crossover bridge and I have been to both sides. The narrow path you go down from the hotel in Zambia is basically a National park and the gates close at night. Maybe others can chime in hear in case I am mistaken, but I have been on the Zimbabwe side too stating at the VICTORIA Falls hotel.
What is not doable- walking across the bridge to the Royal Livingstone or getting a shuttle or taxi? As I said, I wouldn't attempt to walk it for just the reasons you mention, unless I was backpacking.
I am still researching, but it appears that it may take three taxis for the trip- one from VFA to the Zimbabwe border, one from Zimbabwe border to the Zambia border, and one from the Zambia border to the Royal Livingstone. There are shuttles that advertise one price for the entire trip, but I haven't been able to tell what is involved with those. I would need to get a Univisa at the airport.
The reason I am contemplating flying into Vic Falls vs Livingstone is that I can fly there on Ethiopian Airlines from Dulles with only one short 1hr.20min. layover in Addis Ababa (no AMS, no LHR, no JNB, and no 12 hr. or longer layovers!!!) and arrive in Vic Falls at a reasonable time 1215- all for a really good Business Class fare.
Another ET option is IAD-ADD-Lusaka on ET and Proflight to LVI.
What is not doable- walking across the bridge to the Royal Livingstone or getting a shuttle or taxi? As I said, I wouldn't attempt to walk it for just the reasons you mention, unless I was backpacking.
I am still researching, but it appears that it may take three taxis for the trip- one from VFA to the Zimbabwe border, one from Zimbabwe border to the Zambia border, and one from the Zambia border to the Royal Livingstone. There are shuttles that advertise one price for the entire trip, but I haven't been able to tell what is involved with those. I would need to get a Univisa at the airport.
The reason I am contemplating flying into Vic Falls vs Livingstone is that I can fly there on Ethiopian Airlines from Dulles with only one short 1hr.20min. layover in Addis Ababa (no AMS, no LHR, no JNB, and no 12 hr. or longer layovers!!!) and arrive in Vic Falls at a reasonable time 1215- all for a really good Business Class fare.
Another ET option is IAD-ADD-Lusaka on ET and Proflight to LVI.
Hello Alan, you are too adventurous for me. We like to be loyal to one airline if possible to maximize our points but Mr B likes to keep it simple and when we took this tour, we did fly via Heathrow. We were going to go business class, but when we called Tauck at the time they recommended to book flights, there were no business class tickets left. When we got to Heathrow, we were able to upgrade to business class for a really cheap 'teaser' rate. No such luck for the returning home, but it really was not too bad a flight in coach and we were glad to have saved all that money and it go to a future tour instead. Maybe we are just getting used to all these long flights. We are planning on taking the Botswana tour again in the next couple of years, but at a different time of year so we can observe the different water levels and changes in the vegetation. We realize because it is a popular tour, we will have to make up our minds soon about when we go.
Once we started flying business class we were spoiled. At our age, I don't think we could handle the 20+ hour flights to and from Africa. Yes, increased fare would pay for another tour, but what the hey.
Hi Cherej,
I think it depends on where you are starting. Friends of ours taking this tour with us are flying JFK to Amsterdam, then to Johannesburg and on to Livinstone. We are flying DFW to London, then Johannesburg and Livingstone. I am sure there are many options. A travel agent could assist you.
We are very excited to be going on this trip next May and thank you to everyone who have posted such terrific information. As we just booked our flights and for those in the US it may be helpful to know there are only three nonstop flights from the US to JNB. Two on SA from JFK and IAD and one on DL from ATL. The JFK flight arrives early enough to catch a flight to LVI the other two do not and you would have to stay overnight in JNB. Using miles we booked BA on an early day flight from BOS to LHR (the day flights are rare) connecting to JNB and then to LVI with reasonably short layovers in LHR and JNB. Returning we are on a KLM nonstop CPT to AMS then on to JFK. As others have said there are many different variations but almost all go through Europe. Good luck with your planning!
Taxare, you are not using the term nonstop correctly here. Indeed, day flights from the US are quite rare. Heathrow is crazy, you certainly need an absolute minimum of 2 hours there between flights to be sure you may not miss your next flight. In addition there are two national holidays in May in England, one at the beginning and one at the end, so it's extra busy with Brits traveling, check what those dates are for next year. Last year we had the twelve hour wait in Heathrow but were on the flight from there to Johannesburg and on to Livingstone without requiring an overnight stay.
This is great tour, enjoy.
Just to reinforce two points about leaving enough time to make connections. Leaving enough time is REALLY important if you are changing airlines to a non-partner flight and must collect and recheck your bags when checking in for your next flight. This situation can often happen when booking through Travelocity and similar services. Also, even if you are staying within an alliance (Skyteam- Delta to AirFrance, etc) you will still need to go through a second securing screening at places like CDG or AMS. "Normally" that does not take much time, however . . . . .
British, I know you and Alan S are very well travelled and again I am very thankful for yours and other insights. I do have 4 million miles under my belt and therefore do know what a nonstop is. Since this was my first travel to Southern Africa I thought it might help others to know there are very few nonstops from the US and they are to JNB. The SA JFK-JNB is 14 hrs and 15 min and is stated as nonstop. The DL ATL-JNB is 15hr 35min and is stated as nonstop. The SA IAD-JNB flight is indeed DIRECT not nonstop as they stop in either Accra or Dakar for an hour or so with a total flight time of 17 hours. Totally agree with both you and Alan S that leaving sufficient connection time is imperative.
British, I know you and Alan S are very well travelled and again I am very thankful for yours and other insights. I do have 4 million miles under my belt and therefore do know what a nonstop is. Since this was my first travel to Southern Africa I thought it might help others to know there are very few nonstops from the US and they are to JNB. The SA JFK-JNB is 14 hrs and 15 min and is stated as nonstop. The DL ATL-JNB is 15hr 35min and is stated as nonstop. The SA IAD-JNB flight is indeed DIRECT not nonstop as they stop in either Accra or Dakar for an hour or so with a total flight time of 17 hours. Totally agree with both you and Alan S that leaving sufficient connection time is imperative.
Ah, you meant non stop for the first part of your journey, not the entire journey.
An interesting point about the South African Airways flights is that some times they change their "non-stop" status to incorporate the stopover in Accra or Dakar. (It is short and sometimes amusing to watch out the window, but it is disconcerting when the plane lands and one is not expecting it.) The problem with getting to LVI seems to be the issue of layovers upon connecting. The Delta flight from AMS showed a long layover in NBO. Using South African Airways often means a long layover in JFK or IAD, but the connection in JNO to LVI is easy. To leave South Africa on SAA, one must return to JNO. I suspect that a "split ticket" will be the fastest way to go; maybe SAA to reach LVI and Delta to leave CPT.
An interesting point about the South African Airways flights is that some times they change their "non-stop" status to incorporate the stopover in Accra or Dakar. (It is short and sometimes amusing to watch out the window, but it is disconcerting when the plane lands and one is not expecting it.) The problem with getting to LVI seems to be the issue of layovers upon connecting. The Delta flight from AMS showed a long layover in NBO. Using South African Airways often means a long layover in JFK or IAD, but the connection in JNO to LVI is easy. To leave South Africa on SAA, one must return to JNO. I suspect that a "split ticket" will be the fastest way to go; maybe SAA to reach LVI and Delta to leave CPT.
I may be wrong but I believe the short 1 hr stops in Accra or Dakar are like the brief stops made by Ethiopian AL in Dublin when flying west against the jet stream from ADD to IAD- they are for fuel only, no deplaning. It is no guarantee, but one way to tell is if the flight number is the same. One hour is not enough time for a loaded transatlantic aircraft to turnaround- to deplane, fuel, be cleaned, reprovisioned, reboard and depart. Except for getting ground transportation from Victoria Falls (VFA) to the Royal Livingstone, Ethiopian is the most direct, fastest, cheapest. The return is problematic, however- flights don't leave from Capetown every day and though theoretically possible due the small terminal, there is only 25 min., not really enough time to make the connection to the next flight from ADD to IAD (25 min).
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I am actually investigating arriving in Victoria Falls (VFA) in Zimbabwe, but that presents other problems - you must get transportation to the bridge and then go through border formalities before you may have to get different transportation to the Royal Livingstone Hotel which is not far away, but I wouldn't want to walk it with baggage.
Alan, I don't think this is doable. I don't recall a road of any size near the crossover bridge and I have been to both sides. The narrow path you go down from the hotel in Zambia is basically a National park and the gates close at night. Maybe others can chime in here in case I am mistaken, but I have been on the Zimbabwe side too,starting at the VICTORIA Falls hotel.
What is not doable- walking across the bridge to the Royal Livingstone or getting a shuttle or taxi? As I said, I wouldn't attempt to walk it for just the reasons you mention, unless I was backpacking.
I am still researching, but it appears that it may take three taxis for the trip- one from VFA to the Zimbabwe border, one from Zimbabwe border to the Zambia border, and one from the Zambia border to the Royal Livingstone. There are shuttles that advertise one price for the entire trip, but I haven't been able to tell what is involved with those. I would need to get a Univisa at the airport.
The reason I am contemplating flying into Vic Falls vs Livingstone is that I can fly there on Ethiopian Airlines from Dulles with only one short 1hr.20min. layover in Addis Ababa (no AMS, no LHR, no JNB, and no 12 hr. or longer layovers!!!) and arrive in Vic Falls at a reasonable time 1215- all for a really good Business Class fare.
Another ET option is IAD-ADD-Lusaka on ET and Proflight to LVI.
Hello Alan, you are too adventurous for me. We like to be loyal to one airline if possible to maximize our points but Mr B likes to keep it simple and when we took this tour, we did fly via Heathrow. We were going to go business class, but when we called Tauck at the time they recommended to book flights, there were no business class tickets left. When we got to Heathrow, we were able to upgrade to business class for a really cheap 'teaser' rate. No such luck for the returning home, but it really was not too bad a flight in coach and we were glad to have saved all that money and it go to a future tour instead. Maybe we are just getting used to all these long flights. We are planning on taking the Botswana tour again in the next couple of years, but at a different time of year so we can observe the different water levels and changes in the vegetation. We realize because it is a popular tour, we will have to make up our minds soon about when we go.
I didn't make that clear.
Thanks!
I think it depends on where you are starting. Friends of ours taking this tour with us are flying JFK to Amsterdam, then to Johannesburg and on to Livinstone. We are flying DFW to London, then Johannesburg and Livingstone. I am sure there are many options. A travel agent could assist you.
This is great tour, enjoy.
I may be wrong but I believe the short 1 hr stops in Accra or Dakar are like the brief stops made by Ethiopian AL in Dublin when flying west against the jet stream from ADD to IAD- they are for fuel only, no deplaning. It is no guarantee, but one way to tell is if the flight number is the same. One hour is not enough time for a loaded transatlantic aircraft to turnaround- to deplane, fuel, be cleaned, reprovisioned, reboard and depart. Except for getting ground transportation from Victoria Falls (VFA) to the Royal Livingstone, Ethiopian is the most direct, fastest, cheapest. The return is problematic, however- flights don't leave from Capetown every day and though theoretically possible due the small terminal, there is only 25 min., not really enough time to make the connection to the next flight from ADD to IAD (25 min).