Namibia overland...
 Boarding a StarLine train at Windhoek. Photo courtesy of Ishizaki, Naoichi |
South Africa - Namibia by
train+bus
Zimbabwe or Zambia - Namibia
by bus
Useful country information: currency,
dial code...
On other pages
Train travel in Tanzania & Zambia
Useful country information
International links
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Windhoek station at night, with the overnight 'Starline' train to Keetmanshoop about to depart. Photo courtesy of Rashid Khan. |
There are no international trains to Namibia, but it's possible to travel between Namibia and South Africa, Zimbabwe or Zambia by bus.
South Africa ► Windhoek
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There is a daily overnight bus between Upington in South Africa & Windhoek, run by Intercape, www.intercape.co.za. Intercape offer bus connections between Upington & Kimberley (which is on South Africa's rail network), so run an enquiry between Kimberley & Windhoek at www.intercape.co.za for times, fares & tickets.
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For train service between Kimberley and Jo'burg or Cape Town, see the South Africa page.
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe ► Windhoek
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Travel from Vic Falls across the border to Livingstone as shown here, then travel from Livingstone to Windhoek as shown below.
Livingstone, Zambia ► Windhoek
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Intercape (www.intercape.co.za) run a bus from Livingstone to Windhoek on Wednesdays & Sundays. It runs from Windhoek to Livingstone on Friday & Sunday.
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A bus run by The Oasis bus company allegedly links Livingstone in Zambia with Windhoek on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays & Sundays (no bus on Friday or Saturday), they don't have a website, but see some information at tiketi.com/en_gb/oasis-bus and ask locally.
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Alternatively, there are several buses every day from Livingstone to Katima Mulilo across the border in Namibia run by Mazhandu Family Bus Service, journey time 3h15. Daily buses then link Katima Mulilo with Windhoek in around 16 hours, see www.intercape.co.za.
More information
If you have any more information. photos or travel reports that would be useful for this page, please e-mail me!
StarLine passenger trains
Important update 2024: All TransNamib StarLine passenger services were suspended in early 2021. They were allegedly about to resume in December 2022, but a report in February 2023 said they were still not running, a report in July 2023 suggested they will never resume. The times shown below are the pre-pandemic times.
Regular passenger trains marketed as StarLine are run by TransNamib on the following routes:
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Windhoek to Swakopmund & Walvis Bay, ran Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, departs 19:15, arrives next day at Swakopmund 05:02 & Walvis Bay 07:15. Currently suspended.
Fare N$86 in Economy seats rising to N$131 at peak periods. Business class N$33 more. Couchettes are available on this train, 6-berth in Economy, 4-berth in Business, costing a bit more than a seat.
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Walvis Bay & Swakopmund to Windhoek, ran Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, departs Walvis Bay 19:00, Swakopmund 20:45, arrives Windhoek 07:00 next day. Currently suspended.
Fare N$86 in Economy seats rising to N$131 at peak periods. Business class N$33 more.
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Windhoek - Keetmanshoop, ran Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, departs 19:40, arrives at 07:00 next day. Currently suspended.
Fare N$99 in Economy seats rising to N$139 at peak periods. Business class N$30 more.
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Keetmanshoop - Windhoek, ran Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays, departs 18:50, arrives 07:00 next day. Currently suspended.
Fare N$93 in Economy seats rising to N$131 at peak periods. Business class N$33 more.
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Keetmanshoop-Karasburg, ran from Keetmanshoop on Wed & Sat, leaving at 08:50 and arriving Karasburg at 14:30. Currently suspended
Fare N$77 in Economy seats, N$106 in Business class.
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Windhoek-Tsumeb & Windhoek-Gobabis trains were cancelled indefinitely in January 2009 and still not running.
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There were daily trains running between Tsumeb & Ondangwa. Departure from Tsumeb was at 08:50 Mon-Sat, 11:20 Sundays, journey time 5h30. Departure from Ondangwa (Nehale Lya Mpingana) was at 11:20 Mon-Sat, 13:20 Sundays, journey 5h20. Currently suspended.
Fares: As shown above. Children under 2 free, children 2 but under 12 half fare. Over 60s get a 33% discount.
How to buy tickets: Call central reservations at Windhoek on +264 (0) 61 298 2032.
Business Class & Economy reclining seats: StarLine trains have Business Class & Economy Class reclining airline-style seats in relatively modern, air-conditioned cars, complete with TV entertainment (but don't expect too much of the latter!). There are vending machines but no restaurant or buffet car, so take your own food and drink. These passenger trains also include freight wagons.
Sleepers: There are generally no sleepers on these StarLine trains, with one exception. The Windhoek-Keetmanshoop train has a basic sleeping car. This sleeper has 6-bunk couchette-style compartments in Economy class and similar compartments used with only 4 berths folded out in Business class, prices are a bit more than for a seat. No bedding is provided, so bring your own as it can get cold in the desert. See Rashid Khan's account of StarLine sleepers in the travellers reports section.
The Desert Express
TransNamib also operate a weekly tourist-orientated train between Windhoek & Swakopmund called the Desert Express, see www.desert.express . The train has sleepers (with en suite shower/toilet), a restaurant, bar & lounge. As well as www.desert.express you can try www.namibweb.com/desertexpress.html.
Update 2024: After being suspended for several years, the Desert Express resumed in June 2019. However, it was suspended during the pandemic and is still not running in 2024.
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When running, it leaves Windhoek 12:00 on Fridays, arrives Swakopmund 10:00 next day.
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When running, it leaves Swakopmund 15:00 on Saturdays, arrives Windhoek 10:30 next day.
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Fares: Around N$1,850 (£115 or US$230) sharing, N$2,400 (£150 or $300) single occupancy.
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Buy tickets: www.desert.express.
Traveller's reports
Traveller Catherine Albers reports: "My StarLine train (on a Thursday night) from Windhoek to Walvis Bay was busier than I had expected probably because it was during school holidays and it was Heroes Day the following Monday. There were quite a few families on board. There is still a vending machine and, much to my surprise both ladies and gents toilets. Old but clean even at 3.30am on a busy train. The person who checked the ticket as I went onto the platform also fulfilled various roles on the train - checking tickets, showing the videos, getting people down from the luggage racks, and generally keeping order! After the two videos were finished he reorganised the first class passengers so that there was a row of empty seats in front of everyone. He folded the backs of these down onto the seats to act as foot rests. He then reclined our seats to around 140 degrees so we had some semblance of a bed. In the middle of the night the East and Westbound trains pass and stop alongside each other briefly. The ticket collectors/guards swap trains and return to their home towns. We arrived at Walvis Bay at around 9am an hour or so late. It was a great journey and the ticket collector we had for the first half of the journey was fantastic."
Traveller Luke Addis reports: "Despite many of the locals not knowing the existence of Namibian Starline night trains, we headed off to the charming German station at Windhoek to get tickets. Open from 3pm on a Sunday. Tickets easily bought for 116N$. Pretty amazed when we turned up that night to find that only one solitary carriage would take us to Swakopmund. A DVD player was brought 5 minutes before scheduled departure and we headed off into the night after a lot of shunting onto our freight train we would adjoin. The business class seats were ripped out of the Air Namib plane's first class section and come complete with 1989 In-flight magazines which is a quirk. Toilets are clean, a DVD shows and a vending machine provides snacks. Not many people on and the journey was slow but we arrived on time and well-rested. The Business class seats have an arm-rest in-between so if you don't think your service will be busy ( few are) then in economy you will get two seats to lie down on (adjustable armrests!). Our return was only 66N$ from Walvis Bay. Different seats in business but we opted for economy this time and got a better sleep. Very friendly ticket attendants and doors can be opened for air as you pass through the mighty sand-dunes. Some Christian hymns were playing on the TV loudly but it put me to sleep eventually. Service arrived into Windhoek about 40 minutes late which isn't too bad. Some points - the waiting rooms at Walvis Bay and Windhoek are sheltered and safe, offer charging facilities as well as a place to rest if your trains arrives at an anti-sociable hour. Namibia is fortunately still enthusiastic about its railway heritage, and it's staff are friendly and its full of little quirks ( two trains per night with one carriage each on a freight train!). If you enjoy the experience, a visit to the Windhoek Rail Museum (top floor of station) is thoroughly recommended!"
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Traveller Rich Perkons used StarLine from Walvis Bay to Windhoek: "Although there is only one train a day, Walvis Bay ticket office is open all day, but closes a couple of hours before the train leaves. My train was a single coach attached to 22 petrol tankers, a few box cars and a couple of flatbed trucks. Despite the slow speed, a two-hour delay in leaving and clunky-ness, the journey was fine and we arrived 30mins early. Tickets get collected around 3am after the train crew switches so don't loose your ticket."
Traveller Alexander Bradley used StarLine from Windhoek to Swakopmund in June 2008: We called the reservation line and they told us they couldn’t take our reservation and that we needed to go to a station and book. Arriving at the German-inspired Windhoek Station we booked our ticket from Windhoek to Swakopmund for the following day and were told to arrive half an hour before departure. Arriving at the platform there were three individual carriages lined up on the platform, the first to Walvis Bay and last to Keetmanshoop, the middle one had the lights switched off. We climbed onboard the Walvis Bay carriage and walked down the aisle past the economy class seats, past the drinks and snacks machine and the toilets to the business class section. There were 12 business class seats in the section; we occupied two with another lady behind us, the economy section was half full. The seats were 4 across in both business and economy, but the business seats were larger, higher and more padded. The engine coupled to the train at 19:45, ten minutes before departure. The conductor came on board and checked our tickets before switching on the DVD player. They showed two films before we all fell asleep, although the speakers were a little too soft with the clickety-clack of the train and it became too soft to hear, and too loud to not watch. The lights were out for the DVD, but I could turn on my reading light. The train departed at 20:05, ten minutes after the scheduled time and we were full steam ahead for five minutes before the train turned around and spent half an hour coupling to about 15 wagons including box cars, steel pipes and petrol between us and the engine. There was space above our seats for our baggage and the conductor sat in business call behind us so we felt quite safe. The seats were comfortable and the air con/ heater were keeping us at a good temperature during the night, although we brought out our own blanket to be extra warm. We woke at about 06:00 and became very worried that we had slept in and missed our stop at 05:20 and that we were continuing onto Walvis Bay. We were relieved when we found that our train was running late. We arrived at Swakopmund 06:35, 1h15m late. The sun rose just as we arrived in Swakopmund and we were able to see the landscape for the first time during the trip. Photo courtesy of Alexander Bradley.
Traveller Rashid Khan has used the Keetmanshoop-Windhoek train on many occasions: "I've taken the Keetmanshoop-Windhoek "Starline" train close to 20 times now. Pricing ranges from $N80 up to $N130 depending on class (business is $N20 extra) and time of year, off peak, peak and peak peak. School breaks are peak. There is indeed a sleeper scheduled to be on that train every Monday, Wednesday & Friday. In general, the Keetmanshoop to Windhoek train should have a sleeper every Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday. I say "in general" because this schedule, although printed on posters, is definitely not adhered to. There will be often be no sleeper when there should be, and be one when there shouldn't be. The likelihood of a sleeper seems to follow the school break schedule aka more likely around peak time. If you want a sleeper, and make no mistake, you definitely do, ask and then ask again, scheduled or not.
A bit about the sleeper: A sleeper bunk is the same price as a seat. All compartments are the same size, with 6 berths arranged 3 bunks per side. None of the sleeper cars are air-con, no bedding is provided. The middle bunk folds down to become a back rest, with the lowest bunk being the bottom of the seat. The top bunk is fixed and always available for sleeping. The bottom bunk is flat with no real falling-off protection. The middle bunk, when raised, slopes in slightly, with a small bump of lip to keep you in. The top has a board to keep you in - I could see this being quite uncomfortable for a larger person. There are no assigned seats/bunks in the sleepers, only an assigned cabin, its first-come-first-serve from there. My favourite bunk in any cabin is the top bunk closest towards the front. The bottom bunks get a very cold breeze. A blanket or sleeping bag is required on the train ANY time of year. Desert nights are cold. There are a number of different sleeper cars that run, they're all similar, however there are 2 different classes of car. Economy sleepers: These have padded bunks with a vinyl covering. In general the cabins do not have doors, though sometimes they do, but don't count on it. The doors in economy class are not maintained and can be difficult to open/close. Business class sleepers: N$20 extra. These have slightly thicker padding and a fabric covering. Business class has a small table and a ladder to reach the top bunk. The doors for these cabins are in better working order. Note that a door does not mean privacy. Staff does not knock before using the key to enter, and I've had security guards come in just to hang out, eat and talk at 3am when I'm trying to be fast asleep. The main benefit of the door is to keep out the noise and cigarette smoke from the hall. While there are lots of "No Smoking" signs the rule is not enforced. Even if there isn't a sleeper you are welcome to "go upstairs" in the standard cars if there's room. Upstairs you say? Luggage rack. I've done this a few times, and while it isn't padded it is flat and sturdy. The staff suggested it and I find it more comfortable than the chairs. Only business class, the front section of a chair car, is air-con. The movies shown in the chair cars tend to be really really bad kung fu flicks, but if you bring your own DVD they'll put it in for you! Fun fact: They once showed a movie called "Lasko: Death Train".
More information
If anyone has any more information or travel reports that would be useful for this page, please e-mail me!
Hotels in Namibia
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.