Hello
I have been to Africa many times at least a dozen but have all but one time flown to Joberg from the US.
Beibs and I are headed to Victoria Falls in June to hunt Jumbos with Karl S again. I see many flights going thru Heathrow. I have heard its not good besides you have to overnight there I guess. I just dont know the hassel with guns, hotels and transportation there.
I have contacted Kathi to see what she has for us.
Thanks for any input.
I dont want to stop in Amsterdam might loose Biebs in the Blinking Light District.
Larry

elk

There is no problem traveling through London. You check you bags on to your BA flight here Stateside all the way through to Joberg. There is a layover in London but not an overnight. BA just doesn't loose your luggage and guns. They are my preferred carrier and the one I recommend to my clients.

Mark

The issue with London both at Heathrow and Gatwick is that the flights from the US land there early in the morning and the majority of flights leaving there for Africa leave at night.

I was in Gatwick for a 14 hour layover on the way to Windhoek.

As long as your luggage and firearms are checked right through to SA, then you will not even see your stuff until you arrive in Jo'berg.
Chill, it should be OK

quote:

Originally posted by elk88101:
Hello
I have been to Africa many times at least a dozen but have all but one time flown to Joberg from the US.
Beibs and I are headed to Victoria Falls in June to hunt Jumbos with Karl S again. I see many flights going thru Heathrow. I have heard its not good besides you have to overnight there I guess. I just dont know the hassel with guns, hotels and transportation there.
I have contacted Kathi to see what she has for us.
Thanks for any input.
I dont want to stop in Amsterdam might loose Biebs in the Blinking Light District.
Larry

Larry,
I'm trying to decide somthing similar for our tusker safari with Karl S in November (God willing that May 5th goes well).

One choice was SAA from JFK to Jo'burg (15h) to Windhoek (3h).

The other was Lufthansa (they are the best in my experience) to Frankfurt (8h) then Air Namibia to Windhoek (10h) with am 11h overnight layover in Frankfurt.

I did the latter on our last trip to Zimbabwe and pop and I enjoyed the chance to sleep in beds, shower and eat.

Just another consideration to go through Frankfurt.

I'm still trying to decide myself between the "near continuous" SAA flights and the layover...

Did the Houston/Frankfurt/Windhoek thing...great way to adjust to the time difference.

Didn't sleep...taxi ride to the zoo, ate on the little square outside the zoo, taxi ride back to the airport.

Wife says she's going next time and will not be that long w/o a shower. Guess we will get a hotel room at the airport long enough for that, I told her no sleeping, that's what the plane ride is for!!

I went last July.

SWISS INTERNATIONAL TO ZURICH was great. Day room at the airport for about $70, with a shower. Plane got in at 9 AM, I napped, and got up early afternon. The train to the main station downtown is 10 minutes, I got out, walked a bit, saw the sights, had something to eat, and watched the World Cup on a widescreen while enjoying a good beer.

I went back to the airport, left at 11 PM, arrived the next morning in JNB, fully acclimated to the time zone.

BTW--(a) the Swiss are VERY gun/hunting friendly and (b) the folks at the day rooms were very helpful too..let me slide back in after my tour for a 2nd shower before I got on the plane.

We are doing the Dallas-Frankfurt-Windhoek route in July. As explained, there is a layover during the day,, we will sight see,, eat drink and be merry then try and sleep on the last leg to Windhoek. I think eyedoc is doing the same route may 1st or about then lead us back on the same route in July. It will elp to put us in the right time zone and un jet lag us before we get to the field.

quote:

Originally posted by RVL III:
Did the Houston/Frankfurt/Windhoek thing...great way to adjust to the time difference.

Didn't sleep...taxi ride to the zoo, ate on the little square outside the zoo, taxi ride back to the airport.

Wife says she's going next time and will not be that long w/o a shower. Guess we will get a hotel room at the airport long enough for that, I told her no sleeping, that's what the plane ride is for!!

quote:

Originally posted by drwes: We are doing the Dallas-Frankfurt-Windhoek route in July. As explained, there is a layover during the day,, we will sight see,, eat drink and be merry then try and sleep on the last leg to Windhoek. I think eyedoc is doing the same route may 1st or about then lead us back on the same route in July. It will elp to put us in the right time zone and un jet lag us before we get to the field.

That's the way we did it, too. Took the train from the Frankfurt airport to downtown and enjoyed all of the goings on, food, sightseeing, and shopping (it was a Saturday and lots of vendor tents selling beer, sausages, and applewein were set up.) Staying awake during the day allowed us to sleep better on the overnight to Windhoek and we were virtually without jetlag when we arrived at our hunting destination.

I think that sleeping during the day at Frankfurt would prevent you from adjusting to the time and cause lingering jetlag problems for an extra day or two. As it was, we hunted the same afternoon of the morning we landed and had a warthog hanging on the meat pole by dinner time. Take the money you would waste giving yourself jetlag in an expensive day room in Frankfurt and shoot an extra springbok!

Transiting through Paris with hunting rifles presents almost zero problems. I have never heard of a problem, from either hunters on AR or any others (for non-military calibers). In fact, some people take their rifles to the hotel with them if they decide to layover for a few days and visit Paris.