Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
To Zimbabwe, take any bus going to South Africa, or Pioneer, Zupco or First Class
buses go directly to Harare (ZMW120, nine hours, one daily each).
For Malawi
,
there's no direct service to Blantyre, but there are three services a week to
Lilongwe (ZMW150, 12 hours, 5am), where you can change buses; try Kobs Transport.
Zambia-Tanzania and Takwa Bus Services both make the run to Dar es Salaam
(ZMW250, 27 hours, six weekly), Tanzania, but services can be haphazard (and the train
is a more interesting and adventurous experience). For the pathologically masochistic, you
can even board Nairobi- and Kamapla (Uganda)-bound buses.
Hitching
Although we can't necessarily recommend hitching, many locals do it and it is a chance to
socialise with Zambians from all walks of life. There are several recognised places to wait
for lifts: for Eastern Zambia, including Chipata, wait just beyond the airport turn-off; for
places to the south, go to the Chirundu-Livingstone junction 10km past Kafue town; for
the north, try at the junction north of Kapiri Mposhi.
Train
The
Zambezi Express
travelling to Livingstone (economy class ZMW40, 14 hours), via
Choma, leaves Lusaka at 11.50pm on Monday and Friday but has no 1st or sleeper class.
Tickets are available from the reservations office inside the
train station
(btwn Cairo Rd
& Dedan Kimathi Rd)
. Get there early and be prepared for hustle and bustle. Slow, 'or-
dinary' trains to Ndola (standard class ZMW25, 12 hours), via Kapiri Mposhi (ZMW17,
eight hours), depart Tuesday and Saturday at 1.20pm.
The Tazara train runs between Kapiri Mposhi and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
Getting Around
To/From the Airport
The international airport is about 20km northeast of the city centre. Taxis to and from the
airport to central Lusaka cost anywhere from ZMW110 to ZMW150. There's no airport
bus but the upmarket hotels send minibuses (usually for a fee) to meet international
flights, so you may be able to arrange a ride into town with the minibus driver (for a nego-
tiable fee).
