Getting around in Pretoria
Getting around in Pretoria can be accomplished with relative ease once you know which method of transport is best suited to you.
If you plan to spend much of your visit sightseeing, you may want to leave your car at the hotel and use public transportation.
If making use of public transport and if in any doubt about the safety of an area, phone a police station for advice or assistance.
Gautrain
The Gautrain is an 80-kilometre mass rapid transit railway system in the Gauteng Province, constructed to relieve the traffic congestion in the Johannesburg–Pretoria traffic corridor and offers commuters a viable alternative to road transport in both cities.
There are nine Gautrain stations in operation, two of which are situated in Pretoria. One being Pretoria Station (located adjacent to the existing Pretoria Main Station) and the other, Hatfield Station (located within the Hatfield Business Node east of the Pretoria CBD).
First time Gautrain users? Visit ShowMe’s Guide to using the Gautraink. You can also visit Gauteng tourist attractions for more information on all the Gauteng tourist attractions easy accessible by making use of the Gautrain or its bus routes.
Taxis
There are many taxi & shuttle companies operating all over the city, who provide a reliable and safe door-to-door service.
Mini-bus taxis are the most popular mode of transport in urban areas for the majority of South Africa’s population. Mini-bus Taxi’s operate in Pretoria from 5h00 to 19h00 every day from different pick up and drop off points known as a “taxi rank” or a “taxi stop”. Mini-bus Taxi’s operate on a strictly cash basis.
Busses
The Tshwane Bus Services’ main office is situated at Church Square. Bus fares are cheap, and routes are extensive. All bus stops are signposted and easy to find. Services usually stop running early in the evening, and there aren’t many buses on weekends.
Trains
Travelling on the Metro network is easy. There’s a range of tickets designed to suit your needs – single, return, weekly and monthly tickets.
Metrorail routes spread out across the city from the Pretoria railway station, located between Pretoria’s central business district and Salvokop, in a 1910 building designed by Herbert Baker.
The Metrorail services operate from Pretoria west to Atteridgeville, north to Soshanguve and Ga-Rankuwa, east to Mamelodi, and south to Johannesburg Park Station.
Purchase your tickets at either the station ticket office or from Metrorail Ticket Officials with portable ticket machines.
Coach Travel
Major bus companies like Greyhound, Translux, Intercape Mainliner and the BazBus offer connections to all big cities in South Africa.
Related article: Coach Services
Air Travel
When air travelling, most Pretoria residents commutes to Johannesburg to catch a flight.
Related article: Flying to Pretoria.
For more information, or to find the contact details of companies you could use during your visit in our city, visit our Pretoria Travel Services page.