| Popular Airport | Marsa Alam International Airport |
|---|---|
| Popular Airlines | |
| Approximate Flight Duration | 7 hour 40 min |
| Approximate Travel Distance | 6121 Km |
Taking a taxi in the morning or evening outside of rush hours is probably the most reliable method of transport to the airport in densely populated Durban. It’s also possible to reach the airport with rented cars or shuttle company buses.
You can reach the airport by taxi from the city centre in around 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic conditions. It might be a good idea to speak with the taxi driver beforehand and let them know your time of departure to not have any bad surprises for your journey.
The shuttle buses that leave for the airport depart from Durban Station in the city centre, depart once every day at 8:00, 11:00, and 16:00 and reach the airport in around half an hour.
The traffic flows on the left side in Durban, so if you come from a country where you drive on the right it might be a better idea to hire a car with a driver rather than getting behind the steering wheel yourself. If you come from country where cars drive on the left side, you might be more at home with this option.
There is only one terminal in King Shaka Airport where there is an ABSA bank, which opens half an hour before the first flight and closes half an hour after the last flight. In addition, you can find financial services from the ATMs of First National Bank, Nedbank, and Standard Bank. There is a prayer room for Muslims, and a post office that offers services depending on the first and last flights of the day. There are baby and childcare rooms that mothers can use.
In addition to these services, the airport has many lounges. The most exclusive ones are the South African Airways Business Class Lounge, found near the entrance of the terminal, and BIDVest Premier Lounge. In these lounges you can order some food and rest on comfortable seating areas to read books or newspapers.
Airport restaurants include; Cape Town Fish Market, Cosmic Candy, Big Five Duty Free, Fego Coffee Shop, Kauai, KFC, Milky Lane, Mugg&Bean, Panarottis, Rhapsody’s, Spur, Steers, Sweet Treat, The Airport Cellar, and Wimpy. There is also a Yemaya Nail Express, Woolworts, Vodashop, Tie Stop, The Urban Retreat, The Scoin Shop, NWJ Fine Jewellery, Sneakers, Sunglass Hunt, Nike, MTN, Moda Luggage&Leather, Khasav, Jeep, EM Native, and Electro Electronics for your shopping needs.
From Marsa Alam Airport to the city center and resort towns nearby, people generally prefer private shuttle services for their transportation. It is more difficult to find other alternatives at the airport such as taxis and car rental services, compared to the shuttles. Apart from private shuttle companies, for a comfortable and cheaper option, you can contact your hotel and get information on whether they provide shuttles from the airport to the hotel. The cost of transformation from Marsa Alam Airport is generally not very pricey.
Those who want to reduce their transportation expenses can use said shuttles or share taxi fares with others. Before your flight, you can choose a vehicle and pre-book online and when you land at Marsa Alam Airport you can directly transfer to the city center.
You can also contact your hotel to get more information and make a reservation vehicle of your choice through your hotel beforehand, so you can directly go from the airport to the region with its magnificent beaches.
Taxi
At Marsa Alam Airport there is no designated permanent cab stand, but you can always make a reservation in advance for taxis which cost approximately 40 US Dollars for a ride. All of the locals do not know English so before your ride you can ask for an English-speaking driver or you can take a map and mark the place you want to go beforehand and show it to the taxi driver.
Shuttle
At Marsa Alam Airport one of the most preferred transportation methods are private shuttles. You can call in advance and make a reservation from the private shuttle companies and the pricing varies depending on the number of passengers and baggage. The average price range of shuttle services from Marsa Alam Airport is generally 45-60 US Dollars but you may have the chance of cheaper transportation by pre-booking or negotiating with the shuttle company personnel. Larger shuttles with the capacity of up to 15 passengers cost on average 90-100 US Dollars. If you need transportation from Marsa Alam Airport to the Luxor Airport, the shuttles cost approximately 120 US Dollars.
Hotel Shuttles
If your hotel provides shuttle services from Marsa Alam Airport to the city center, it would be more affordable or free of charge compared to taxis and other transportation options. If your hotel does not provide such services, you can contact the related personnel in your hotel and get information for other transfer alternatives.
