Train times, fares & information
Johannesburg & Pretoria to/from Maputo by train
Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) to/from Maputo by train
Other train
routes in Mozambique
Useful country information
South Africa to Maputo by train
It's possible to travel between Johannesburg or Pretoria in South Africa and Maputo in Mozambique by train once more. Although Shosholoza Meyl discontinued their Jo'burg-Komatipoort train in December 2014, it resumed in March 2015, and it's back with Tourist class sleepers as well as Economy class seats.
Johannesburg to Komatipoort is 530km (331 miles). Ressano Garcia to Maputo is 88km (55 miles).
Johannesburg & Pretoria ► Maputo
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Step 1, travel from Jo'burg to Komatipoort by South African train. This train is the Komati, run by Shosholoza Meyl, www.shosholozameyl.co.za with Economy seats and Tourist class sleepers.
Important update 2024: In 2019 it was reported that this train wasn't running until further notice. It may still not be running in 2024.
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Step 2, walk across the border from Komatipoort to Ressano Garcia. It's only a few kilometres, see below for advice. The CFM train used to cross the border, but this proved to difficult for the customs authorities, so now you must walk across.
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Step 3, travel from Ressano Garcia to Maputo by train. This train is run by CFM, the Caminhos de Ferro do Moçambique. It runs daily and has 3rd class seats which are comfortable enough with some padding. You can check times at www.cfm.co.mz, though you may need to use the Portuguese language version.
Maputo ► Pretoria & Johannesburg
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Step 1, travel from Maputo to Ressano Garcia by train. This train is run by CFM, the Caminhos de Ferro do Moçambique. It runs daily, with 3rd class seats, which are comfortable enough with some padding. You can check times at www.cfm.co.mz, though you may need to use the Portuguese language version.
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Step 2, walk across the border from Ressano Garcia to Komatipoort, it's only a few kilometres, see below for advice. The CFM train used to cross the border, but this proved to difficult for the customs authorities, so now you must walk across.
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Step 3, travel from Komatipoort to Johannesburg by South African train. This train is the Komati, run by Shosholoza Meyl, www.shosholozameyl.co.za. Economy seats and Tourist class sleepers.
Important update 2024: In 2019 it was reported that this train wasn't running until further notice. It may still not be running in 2024.
How much does it cost?
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Johannesburg to Komatipoort costs around R 170 (about £14 or $21) in a seat, R 250 in a sleeper berth in a 3 or 6 berth compartment.
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Ressano Garcia to Maputo costs 80 meticals (about £1 or $1.50)
How to buy tickets
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To buy tickets for the South African train, buy at the station or try contacting an agency called African Sun Travel, website www.southafricanrailways.co.za.
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To buy tickets for the Mozambique train, simply buy at the station at Ressano Garcia or Maputo.
Travellers' reports
A request: Feedback or photos would be appreciated if you use this route, please drop me a line!
Traveller Hubert Horan reports from 2016: "This train now has modernised equipment (see the picture above). It is exclusively 3rd class, there don't seem to be any active 2nd class cars although the timetables show a 2 class option. Trains came close to filling up 15-20 minutes west of Maputo, but we were never crowded or uncomfortable. Seats have some padding, and trains ran late in both directions. The fare to Ressano Garcia was MZM15 (US$0.60). The suburban trains still use older coaches."
Traveller Andy Spencer reports: "Coming from South Africa, arriving at Komatipoort: The Shosholoza Meyl trains are perfectly safe and all classes are patrolled by security throughout the night, but try and sleep with your head on your bag. I was in with the locals and felt quite safe, the busier the coach the more chance you have the locals shield you from the occasional unsavoury individual. Sitting alone leaves you vulnerable to approaches from chancers. While on the train overnight there will be lots of ladies offering Mozambique Meticais (currency), get yours here their as rates are good, but hold on to some Rand as you will need this if you are going to get a Chappa bus later.
When you arrive at Komatipoort, there are no taxis that go direct to Ressano Garcia station, but you can get a Mozambique-bound chappa (bus) and get out just over the Mozambique border (you may have to negotiate the fare just to the border). To find the chappas, walk out of the main station entrance gates and 40m up on the left, behind a hardware store, is the Chappa base.
The bus drives out to the border which is about 5 km by road. The Border itself is a large compound about 700m long in total. You will be let out of the Chappas at the first gate. From here take the path to the left that runs along the compound to the South African immigration hut just along the path. Once you have passed through this building carry on up the path and it brings you back into the main compound, walk along the road and into the Mozambique Immigration hut, which is in the middle of the road. Here go to the first window and buy your entry tax (60MT) step left to the next window and the immigration will then stamp your visa. ( I bought mine in advance so not sure how it works if you need to buy one of these at the border) Walk out of this hut and you will find your Chappa just outside waiting for everyone else. When you rejoin the Chappa as you drive out of the compound you will need to show your passport to the security guards. The locals without passports pay R10 to cross the border, passport free, and this is where the cash is collected. Once clear of the final border gate you will see a road leading back on your left down the hill. Follow this road down for about 600 metres then turn left at the first substantial path. After a further 70 metres turn right, carrying on down the hill, to the station which is another 100m further on. If in doubt the station is at the very bottom of the hill and its location is obvious.
The train experience is similar to the trip from Maputo I describe below. Your train to Maputo is the return working of the 07:45 Maputo to Ressano Garcia and will hopefully be in the station from about 11:20. If you have any problems with the train, you can take a chappa all the way from Komatipoort to Maputo, the fare is around R45 plus R15 for any big bags.
Departing from Maputo, bound for South Africa: The ticket window at Maputo Station is open about 30 minutes before departure or the day before. The train appears about 15 minutes before the off if you're lucky! The carriages are very old and dilapidated; there wasn’t a single door inside or out on our coach. Get in and get settled, the train will seem full when it leaves but this is nothing compared to the crowds that join the train about 2km out of Maputo main station. Here the train quickly becomes a village. At its busiest there were 24 people across our bay of 8 seats, so if you want a window seat get it as soon as you get on and keep you bags either on you lap or directly under your seat. Also keep your ticket handy as searching your pocket isn’t easy in the cramped conditions. The train then becomes a social gathering. The locals will test their English on you and they were very warm and welcoming, even offering me cans of drink and food that was being bought direct through the windows. The situation is a little unsettling at first but rapidly becomes comfortable due to the friendly nature of your intimate neighbours. Just enjoy it and be prepared to be stared at all the way by the kids.
At Ressano Garcia there is heavy security and they don’t like pictures, but a couple of cigarettes and smiles can get you anything these days. Follow the crowd out of the station about 100 metres up the hill turn left and a further 70 metres and you reach the main road/path out of the village, turn right up the hill. You will reach the main road after about 600m and turn right toward the border compound. Walking through is easy, into the immigration hut in the centre of the road you will get your passport stamped then walk down the road and into the RSA immigration on the right hand side of the road. From here walk along the road and out of the compound into South Africa.
You can hang around at the South African end of the compound and see if any of the Chappas will drop you in Komatipoort but this is off the main road and most aren’t going that way. So I carried on walking into South Africa and about 1 km further on is “Komati Oasis”, a roadside petrol station area with shops, ATM and Bureau de Change. Here you can also get rid of the last of your Mozambique Meticais by changing them with the ladies (usually sitting on chairs with fists full of cash). Their rates compare very well for the times I used them and they will negotiate. You could try and get a lift to Komatipoort from here but because the town is off the main road you will probably end up walking along the road and once over the Komati River (2.5 km from Komati Oasis) take the first right towards the town and stick you thumb out. Once on this road the main station is about another 2 km further.
I felt perfectly safe, but avoid small groups on the road and if the locals appear to be keeping pace but not interested in engaging, just stop and wait for them to walk on. There are so many people about when you walk away from Ressano Garcia station that I felt quite safe. When walking through South Africa just be wary of individuals. I was only approached once on the road for some food, and handed over a couple of biscuits to a hungry local. Smile and don’t hide behind sunglasses are my hints, but be vigilant of the mood around you, relax and enjoy it. The Shosholoza Meyl trains are perfectly safe and all classes are patrolled by security throughout the night, but try and sleep with your head on your bag. I was in with the locals and felt quite safe, the busier the coach the more chance you have the locals shield you from the occasional unsavoury individual. Sitting alone leaves you venerable to approaches from chancers."
Zimbabwe to Maputo by train
Important update 2024: Zimbabwean trains are still not running post-pandemic.
The Zimbabwean train has 1st class 2 & 4 berth sleepers, 2nd class 3 & 6 berth sleepers and Economy class seats.
The Mozambique train has air-conditioned 1st class 2 & 4-berth sleepers, 2nd class 6-berth sleepers & 3rd class seats.
* In Chicualacuala, the Zimbabwean train uses a station on the Zim side of the border known as Sango Halt. The Mozambique train uses Chicualacuala station on the Mozambique side, you walk between the two stations across the border.
A request: Feedback would be appreciated if you use this route, please drop me a line.
Bulawayo to Chicualacuala is 500 km. Chicualacuala to Maputo is 534km.
There's a second train per week between Maputo & Chicualacuala, but this doesn't have connections to Zimbabwe. You can check times at www.cfm.co.mz, though you may need to use the Portuguese language version.
How much does it cost?
Bulawayo to Chicualacuala costs $9 in economy or $14 in a 1st class sleeper. Chicualacuala to Maputo costs 900 meticals ($15) in a 1st class sleeper.
How to buy tickets
Buy tickets for each train at the station when the train starts. It's not possible to buy online and it's not necessary to book in advance.
Traveller's report
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Chinese-built 1st class 2-berth sleeper on the train from Maputo to Chicualacuala. Photo courtesy of James Beard. |
Traveller James Beard took the train from Maputo to Bulawayo in late 2017: "I travelled on train 515 leaving 12:00 on Wednesday 27th December 2017 (train 513 on Saturdays doesn’t connect with a Zimbabwean train) from the well-maintained station in Maputo. Train 515 is a modern Chinese train, similar in overall design to the Zambian TAZARA train, with 1st (2 berth) and 2nd class (4 berth) sleepers and also seating. 1st class (900 Meticais, about USD15) has A/C, and power sockets but no bedding. A/C was too cold for me without my jacket. Toilets (western style in 1st class) had water and were clean. It was possible to buy drinking water, soft drinks, beer and simple food in the buffet car. The train arrived at Chicualacuala station at around 08:30 Thursday morning.
It's necessary to walk from there to the border post, this is less than 1km and cross on foot to Zimbabwe. There is almost nothing on the Zimbabwe side - just a bus waiting to go to Harare (an overnight journey) and a few ladies selling local food, cold drinks and biscuits from under a big tree. I made the mistake of crossing the border as soon as I could, because I wasn't sure when the Zimbabwean train left, and one of my fellow passengers told me the train had already arrived. I don't know what facilities there are in Chicualacuala, but they can't be any less than on the Zimbabwean side. The town on the Mozambique side seems to have a number of different names - Wikipedia says it’s officially Vila Eduardo Mondlane, its colonial name was Malvérnia, but it’s commonly called Chicualacuala. The Zimbabwean border post is called Sango. The Zimbabwean train stops on the Zimbabwean side of the border to drop passengers, and then proceeds to Chicualacuala empty (apart from any freight), to refuel (someone told me), as diesel is cheaper in Mozambique.
The Zimbabwean train is scheduled to leave Chicualacuala at 15:00, and stops just inside Zimbabwe to be inspected and for passengers to get on. The ticket seller sells tickets just by the train, but 1st class passengers (USD 11) are allowed to board after the inspection is complete and buy their tickets later. I had a compartment to myself. It leaves at 15:20. The train had a buffet car, which had beer and soft drinks, but no drinking water. Food was being prepared, but I gave up waiting at about 21:00. Coffee was offered in the morning. The rolling stock is mostly very old and dilapidated (one passenger told me there are plans to discontinue using the very old rolling stock), and there's neither bedding in the sleeping compartments nor water in the toilets. Savvy passengers brought along containers of water for washing etc. There was at least one security guard on the train.
The train arrived at Bulawayo more or less on time (one passenger told me it's often early). A security man at Bulawayo station helped me get a taxi, but if there are none around, taxis wait near the junction of 13th Avenue and Lobengula Street (~300m, by the corner of the power station) and by the PicknPay supermarket (~400m further on). Bring enough USD in cash to Zimbabwe, as getting money from ATMs may not be possible (and anyway would be very time-consuming) and not everywhere accepts cards. Both trains were absolutely fine, felt safe and people were friendly. More people than I expected spoke English in Maputo, including the ticket seller at the station and on the train. On the other hand, the guy at Chicualacuala station selling tickets for the Harare bus tried to convince me that there was no train to Bulawayo that day, and (more seriously) the police in Maputo have a reputation for hassling people, and may claim that it is illegal to take photographs of/at the station. It is required to carry your passport (or a certified copy, including the visa) in Mozambique. Both Maputo and Bulawayo have railway museums that are worth a visit."
Other trains in Mozambique
Besides the lines to Maputo in the south, there are various rail lines leading inland from Beira in the north of Mozambique. There are a couple of other lines out of Maputo, see www.cfm.co.mz for details.
Beira - Moatize (15km from Tete)
The trains has 3 classes: 1st class air-conditioned 4-berth sleepers, 2nd class seats & 3rd class seats.
Fares: 1,282 meticals in 1st class, 801 in 2nd class, 345 in 3rd class.
Buy tickets at the station the day before travel, Beira ticket office opens at 08:30. There is one car of 1st class, so get to the ticket office early.
Nampula - Cuamba
This line is run by CDN, a separate company from CFM. The train consists of one Executive class car and six 2nd class cars.
One-way fare in air-conditioned Executiva class is around 670 meticals, less than $10. Tickets must be bought before 17:00 the previous day.
More information
If anyone has any more information. photos or travel reports that would be useful for this page, please e-mail me!
Hotels in Mozambique
Other hotel sites worth trying...
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www.tripadvisor.com is the place to find independent travellers' reviews of all the main hotels.
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www.booking.com is my own preferred hotel booking system (Hotels Combined being a search/comparison system). It has a simple interface, a good selection in most countries worldwide, useful online customer reviews of each hotel, and decent prices, usually shown inclusive of unavoidable extras such as taxes (a pet hate of mine is systems that show one price, then charge you another!).
Backpacker hostels...
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www.hostelworld.com: If you're on a tight budget, don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelworld offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in backpacker hostels in most cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & other tips
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Always take out travel insurance
Never travel overseas without travel insurance from a reliable insurer, with at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover. It should also cover cancellation and loss of cash and belongings, up to a sensible limit. An annual multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip policies even for just 2 or 3 trips a year, I have an annual policy with Staysure.co.uk myself. Here are some suggested insurers. Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these links.
www.staysure.co.uk
offers enhanced Covid-19 protection & gets 4.7 out of 5 on
Trustpilot.
www.columbusdirect.com
is also a well-know brand.
If you live in the USA try
Travel Guard USA.
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Get an eSIM with mobile data package
Don't rely on WiFi, download an eSIM with a mobile data package for the country you're visiting and stay connected. Most newer mobile phones can download a virtual SIM card so you don't need to buy a physical SIM, including iPhone 11 & later, see device compatibility list. Maya.net is a reliable eSIM data retailer with a 4.5 out of 5 Trustpilot rating and a range of packages including unlimited data.
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Get a Curve card for foreign travel
Most banks give you a poor exchange rate, then add a foreign transaction fee on top. A Curve MasterCard means no foreign transaction fees and gives you the mid-market exchange rate, at least up to a certain limit, £500 per month at time of writing. The money you spend on your Curve card goes straight onto one of your existing debit or credit cards.
How it works: 1. Download the Curve app for iPhone or Android. 2. Enter your details & they'll send you a Curve MasterCard - they send to the UK and most European addresses. 3. Link your existing credit & debit cards to the app, you can link up to two cards with the free version of Curve, I link my normal debit card and my normal credit card. 4. Now use the Curve MasterCard to buy things online or in person or take cash from ATMs, exactly like a normal MasterCard. Curve does the currency conversion and puts the balance in your own currency onto whichever debit or credit card is currently selected in the Curve app. You can even change your mind about which card it goes onto, within 14 days of the transaction.
I have a Curve Blue card myself, it means I can buy a coffee on a foreign station on a card without being stung by fees and lousy exchange rates, just by tapping the Curve card on their card reader. The money goes through Curve to my normal debit card and is taken directly from my account (in fact I have the Curve card set up as payment card on Apple Pay on my iPhone, so can double-click my phone, let it do Face ID then tap the reader with the phone - even easier than digging a card out). I get a little commission if you sign up to Curve, but I recommend it here because I think it's great. See details, download the app and get a Curve card, they'll give you £5 cashback through that link.
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Get a VPN for safe browsing. Why you need a VPN
When you're travelling you often use free WiFi in public places which may not be secure. A VPN encrypts your connection so it's always secure, even on unsecured WiFi. It also means you can select the geographic location of the IP address you browse with, to get around geoblocking which a surprising number of websites apply. See VPNs & why you need one explained. ExpressVPN is a best buy with a 4.7 out of 5 Trustpilot ranking which I use myself - I've signed up as an ExpressVPN affiliate, and if you go with expressvpn.com using the links on this page, you should see a special deal, 3 months free with an annual subscription. I get a small commission to help support this site.
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Carry an Anker powerbank
Tickets, reservations, vaccination records and Interrail or Eurail passes are often held digitally on your mobile phone, so it's vital to keep it charged. I always carry an Anker powerbank which can recharge my phone several times over if I can't get to a power outlet. Buy from Amazon.co.uk or from buy from Amazon.com.