TRAVEL TO ZAMBIA:-
By Air
AIRLINES FLYING TO LUSAKA: (DIRECT FROM SOUTH AFRICA)
South African Airways
Precision Air of Tanzania
Emirates Airline
Royal Dutch KLM
OTHER AIRLINES FLYING TO LUSAKA:
Air Botswana
Iberia
Egypt Air
British Airways
KLM
Kenya Airways
TAAG Angola Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines
American Airlines
Air Malawi
AIRLINES FLYING TO LIVINGSTONE: (DIRECT FROM SOUTH AFRICA)
South African Airways
British Airways
FROM LUSAKA:
Proflight
AIRLINES FLYING TO NDOLA: (DIRECT FROM SOUTH AFRICA)
South African Airways
Royal Dutch KLM
OTHER AIRLINES FLYING TO NDOLA:
Kenya Airways
Proflight
AIR NOTES:
Zambia currently has no national airline. It is an ambition of the current president, Michael Sata, to address this by supporting the launch of a Zambian service but for the present it’s unclear when this might take place.
POINT OF SALE TERMINALS:
The Ministry of Finance and National Planning has introduced Point of Sale (POS) terminals, for ease of payment of visa and other fees, at the following entry points:
Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka
Harry Mwanga International Airport in Livingstone and
Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola
These POS terminals have been configured to accept the following bank cards:
VISA
MasterCard
Maestro and
American Express
FLIGHT TIMES:
It takes around 13 hours to fly from London to Lusaka (excluding stopovers, if any).
DEPARTURE TAX:
US$25 for international flights and US$8 for domestic flights. This is usually included in airline ticket prices; if not, it is payable at the airport in US dollars. Transit passengers and children under two years are exempt. A recently introduced additional airport tax (Airport Development Infrastructure Fee), about K60 (approx $7) per person for international flights, payable in cash on departure
BY TRAIN
Tanzania-Zambia Railways Authority (TAZARA) (tel: 286 2406; www.tazarasite.com) operates trains from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Kapiri Mposhi in central Zambia. The train, the Mukuba Express departs Tanzania on Tuesdays and Fridays, arriving in Zambia two days later. There are 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class berths, with a dining car on board. Tickets should be booked in advance.
By Train note:
Zambia’s railway lines and trains are in poor repair and services are often suspended. It is advisable to check at the tourist office in Lusaka before travelling. There are currently no scheduled passenger trains between Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Livingstone in Zambia.
BY BOAT
There is a ferry service to Mpulungu in northern Zambia across Lake Tanganyika from Kigoma in Tanzania and Bujumbura in Burundi which runs twice a month. It’s provided by the MV Liemba, is a historic steam ship. It is often subject to long delays.
Ferry operators:
The MV Liemba (+255 280 2811) runs every 2 weeks from Mpulungu in northern Zambia along the eastern shore of Lake Tanganyika to Kigoma in Tanzania and Bujumbura in Burundi.
River routes:
A pontoon ferry crosses the Zambezi River from Botswana to southern Zambia at Kazungula. It runs daily but departure depends on how full the ferry is and there is no strict departure schedule.
BY ROAD
The easiest overland routes into Zambia are to and from Zimbabwe, which in turn is well connected to South Africa. It’s also straightforward to drive to Livingstone from the Namibia’s Caprivi Strip, northern Botswana, Malawi and southwest Tanzania. Border crossings are generally open 0600-1800 except for the Victoria Falls crossing which closes at 2000.
By Road note:
Zambia’s land borders with Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique are open, but border controls here can be slow. There is a risk of landmines on the Angola side of the Zambia/Angola border and on the Zambia/DRC and Zambia/Mozambique borders.
BY BUS
There are buses from Dar es Salaam and Mbeya in Tanzania to the border, where Zambian buses can be caught to the Copperbelt and Lusaka. From Malawi, a private bus company runs the Lilongwe – Lusaka Route. Booking in advance is essential. (See listings section for Buses.)
The Intercape Mainliner and Translux have services to and from Johannesburg in South Africa. Their combined timetables make possible daily departures.
INFORMATION
If one is not a citizen of a country that is exempted from having to apply for a Zambia visa, then one must obtain a visa either at the port of entry or at a Zambian Mission abroad.
