Free State Travel Forum

Hi me and my mate are arriving in Jo'burg international airport in June and are wondering the different ways of getting to Bloemfontein from here? How hard is it to travel on trains, buses, etc, or is it best to get a flight? How much would it be to rent a car?

Also what would people recommend doing here?
cheers

Mate, you can fly, go by bus or self-drive. I'd avoid the trains.

For example, you can catch the Greyhound in Midrand at the Caltex Star Stop, M1 Highway at 1635 or in Johannesburg at the Park City Transit Centre, Johannesburg Station at 1800. Bus arrives in Bloemfontein at 0005. They do have other route timetables though, so I'd check with them to see if there is a better and safer arrival time. Other buses include Translux, Intercape Mainliner and SA Roadlink.

If you self-drive, you can take the N1 for about 400kms, which'll spit you out in Bloem. This is a toll road.

Things to see:

Naval Hill and Franklin Nature Reserve, to give you a bit of a birds-eye view of the surroundings; the nature reserve has antelope, zebra and giraffe.

Oliewenhuis Art Museum, with garden and outdoor art, 16 Harry Smith Street.

Anglo-Boer War Museum, Monument Road, and the Women’s Memorial (in commemoration of the 26 370 women and children who lost their lives in the concentration camps during the 1899-1902 war) and the Bittereinder Monument. View at http://www.anglo-boer.co.za/

Free State Stadium, if you want to catch a game of rugby, or Seisa Ramabodu Stadium to see the Bloemfontein Celtics kick the round ball.

Armour Museum, west of Bloem on the Tempe Military Base.

National Botanical Garden, Rayton Road off Dan Pienaar Drive, with 124 species of birds, 54 species of reptiles and 50 species of mammals. Check http://www.sanbi.org/freestate/mainpage.htm

Choet Visser Rugby Museum, privately owned and by appointment only at 3 Innes Avenue.

Hope this helps.

I agree with Johan, avoid trains.

I drove, great drive. My car rental company is on my South Africa page. HAve a great time.

ah nice one... yeah thinking about renting a car. We are arriving in Jo'berg on 22nd june morning and basically are watching a football match at the free state stadium on the 24th. We aren't sure what we are doing for the next few days (possibly Lesotho) but basically we will be in somerset west for 4 weeks from that sunday for medical work. Would people recommend renting at joberg airport straight through for the 5 weeks or for the one week until i get to somerset west? The reason i ask this is im not sure how easy/hard it is to get to places around somerset west when touristing that area.

Cheers for the advise on activities around Bloemfontein as well, it is much appreciated!

Cheers

Hi I have decided to rent a car for the first week only so driving from jo'burg to bloemfontein on 23rd june. I have to be in cape town for sunday around 3pm so am wondering if anyone has suggestions on a half way stop from bloemfontein and cape town?? I have seen a town called Beafort west is on the highway on the way... does anyone know anything about this place or would anyone recommend anywhere else to stay?

Cheers