Well the World Cup season is almost upon us. For some that thought will leave you excited, and looking forward to hours spent in front of the TV, yelling at the screen. Others of you may not be looking forward to the World Cup at all, and will be avoiding all reference to ‘the beautiful game’ until it is over.

But what about if you are lucky enough to actually be travelling to South Africa for the World Cup?

Well, as we often say on Globebloggers, the key to having a great trip, is preparation.

• Travel Insurance: Ensure you have comprehensive travel insurance all booked up, just in case of any unexpected circumstances. Health care is very expensive in South Africa so make sure your travel insurance covers you for everything that you want to do while you are out there
• Driving: If you’re planning to drive to World Cup matches in South Africa be aware of local traffic laws. Remember South Africans drive on the SAME side of the road as the UK.  South Africa is a vast country and the driving distances on straight roads can be lengthy. Journeys between World Cup venues can take up to 15 hours. You should aim to take regular breaks, and be prepared for driving in unfamiliar conditions
• Crime: South Africa has a high crime rate so always keep your valuables out of sight. Keep your football tickets in a zipped pocket until you reach the turnstiles. Tickets may be ID specific so be prepared with photo ID and the credit/debit card that you used to pay for the tickets. Always travel in groups and avoid walking around town after dark. Only take out as much cash as you need and only use cashpoints in busy places. Consider using travellers cheques as well to mitigate some of those problems.
• Timing: Turn up early on match day to avoid problems with overcrowding at the gate which could lead to you missing the kick off
• Weather: You might not expect it, but temperatures in South Africa in May to August will be cool with light showers, so you might want to pack accordingly. There is nothing worse than standing freezing cold watching a match!

 For more information, you might want to check out the FCO World Cup travel advice, travel advice for South Africa or information for football travellers. You might want to register your details with www.fco.gov.uk/locate so they can provide you help more quickly in the event of an emergency.

If you are going to South Africa, we hope that these preparation tips help you have a great time. Please think of us all back at home, watching the games on the small screen or packed pubs! Although one thing we can’t help you with is getting a ticket to the final if England make it that far!

Tags: AllClear, football travel, Travel Insurance, World Cup, worldwide travel

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 25th, 2010 at 11:38 am and is filed under Holiday Stress Buster. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.