The Extra Mile
Yes, you can travel from SA to Europe by cargo ship
It is possible to hitch a lift on a freighter, but it's pricey
Image: www.langsamreisen.de/
Q. I would like to travel from Cape Town to the UK or Europe by sea. Is this possible by cargo ship? For medical reasons, I am unable to travel by air. — Eloff Snyman
A. A few shipping companies offer passenger berths on freighters serving the route between SA and Europe, mostly, it seems to either Antwerp in Belgium or Hamburg, Germany.
A handful of travel agencies specialise in freighter travel, such as Frachtschiff-Touristik Kapitän Zylmann and International Freighter Voyages Pfeiffer. These agents will handle your bookings.
Voyages are on standard container ships with one-way trips taking about 27-31 days, depending on the number of ports of call and how long each call takes.
Accommodation is in private, two-berth cabins with en-suite facilities. You will eat with the senior officers.
Rates are from around €95-€110 per day so expect to pay at least €2,945 (R48,000) for a 31-day trip.
There is also useful information on cargoshipvoyages.com and langsamreisen.de/en/freightertravel.
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