Durban King Shaka (DUR): shuttles and metered taxis, booked by phone
There is no rail link and no municipal bus at the terminal. Airports Company South Africa lists the shuttle and taxi operators that work from arrivals.
- There is no train to King Shaka and no municipal bus route at the terminal.
- The airport publishes a list of licensed operators, and using one off that list is the safe way to leave.
- Shuttle buses work from outside International Arrivals: Airbus Shuttle Service, Margate Shuttle Service, Skyways Shuttle Service and Southern Shuttle.
- Shuttles are booked by phone with the operator, not bought at a counter, so arrange it before you land if you can.
- Margate Shuttle covers the South Coast and Skyways the Midlands and Pietermaritzburg direction, which is why several operators exist rather than one.
- Metered taxis work from the arrivals terminal. The airport's own list includes A Hassan's Taxis, Cabz4U, Checker Radio Taxi, City Cabs, Eagle Radio Taxi and Rikki Cabs.
- King Shaka is about 35 km north of central Durban, at La Mercy, so this is a half-hour drive rather than a short hop.
- Umhlanga and Ballito are much closer than the city, which matters if you are choosing where to stay.
What is not here
- No rail. Durban's commuter rail does not reach La Mercy, and the Gautrain-style link that gets discussed has not been built.
- No city bus at the terminal. There is no equivalent of Cape Town's MyCiTi airport route.
- So the answer is a shuttle or a taxi, and the airport authority publishes exactly who is licensed to do it.
The shuttles
- Airbus Shuttle Service, Margate Shuttle Service, Skyways Shuttle Service and Southern Shuttle all operate from outside International Arrivals.
- They are phone-booked. Each is listed by Airports Company South Africa with a landline and a mobile number, and the sensible move is to book before you fly.
- They exist because the region is spread out. Margate Shuttle runs the South Coast, Skyways the inland route, and between them they cover destinations no single airport bus would.
The taxis
- Metered taxi companies work from the arrivals terminal and the airport lists them with phone numbers: A Hassan's Taxis, Cabz4U, Checker Radio Taxi, City Cabs, Clives Taxis, Eagle Radio Taxi, Phola Taxi, Rikki Cabs, Sikelela Taxi and others.
- Use the rank or a listed number. Accepting a lift from someone in the arrivals hall is the thing to avoid.
Where you are
- King Shaka is at La Mercy, roughly 35 km north of central Durban. It replaced the old Durban International, which was south of the city, when it opened in 2010.
- Umhlanga Rocks and Ballito are both far closer to the airport than Durban itself and are where a lot of visitors stay. If you are booking a hotel, that changes the transfer cost noticeably.
- The Dube TradePort agricultural and cargo zone shares the site, which is why the approach roads look more industrial than the beaches suggest.
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