I am considering a day trip from Cape Town to Simon's Town to see the penguins at Boulders. Is the train a convenient and safe method of travel? We prefer not to be on an organized tour, so other than renting a car, I'm not sure if there are any other good options. What are your thoughts?

I will be interested in the replies to your question. We were told that this train is not safe even in the daytime..and so we did not take it but drove to Simonstown instead..(had a car and driver and visited Simonstown on the day that we drove to Cape Point)..

..I meant to add that we were told that is was not safe but that I suspect that sometimes locals are a bit overprotective of tourists and therefore dissuade them from certain acticities although there is actually very little risk..and so I am interested in hearing what locals have to say about this train trip..

Hi there,
Took the train with no problems when there last year. The station was very slightly intimidating, but the journey was very pleasant with great views. Very easy to catch a local cab to see the penguins. I don't think I'd like to be on the train or in the station after dark though.

Hi misterA,

there is supposed to be a special carriage on the train for tourists, at least at some times of day. [but not mondays].

it's called "biggsy's restaurant car" [named after Ronald biggs, one of the great train robbers, for some obscure reason]. there are aparently 28 stops on a track only 22 miles long and the Simonstown train station [the end of the track]is about 3km from boulders beach.

I got all this info from a great little book by Michael and Sue Scott called "walk and eat capetown" pub. by sunflower books, and available through amazon.

we drove our hire car down to the cape and had no problems at all, and I suspect you could get a car and a driver quite reasonably.

the penguins are great - we spent a good hour looking at them and their rather smelly nests. if you were on the train, you could alight at other stations as well along the way, but simonstown is as far as you can go.

with the car, after boulders beach, we went onto the cape, walked out to the point, had lunch, drove back up the west coast along chapman's drive, and ended up on Signal hill to watch the sunset.

IMO it would be difficult to fit all that in using public transport. a hire-car or car and driver/guide would be better. but the train might give you more opporutinites to see the east coast in detail and SA life.

regards, ann

My ongoing research uncovered this article, linked directly on the Metrorail website!

http://www.capemetrorail.co.za/Commu...s_Stranger.pdf

Hi, again, MisterA,

the line described here is, i think, a different line, which goes to the township visited by Selwyn with his guests.

regards, ann

I was told, yesterday, by cape town tourism that the restaurant carraige is not in operation anymore.
Furthermore, if you read the metro-rail report on the crime situation it says that that route used to have the highest level of crime. The fact that the carraiges are still covered in grafitti indicates to me that there is still an element of crime along that line.

I will post the details of some-one who does tours on the southern line,soon. I should have his details by tommorrow.

There is so much to see along that route, so it is always wise to be accompanied by a local guide. You could take a private excursion with a guide and dictate your own agenda. You need not take a scheduled tour.

Taking a trip on the train is one way of breaking away from the typical "touristy" way of getting to see the Cape.

MisterAviator,

I concur with AfricanJ in that I think the Biggsbys carriage has been closed down. I heard about this about a week ago and at this stage I would suggest that you wait for AfricanJ's confirmation mail. If negative then I would say travelling in the carriage would be safe mode of travel.

Personally I would not take the train ride as I would not feel too safe doing so. Let me however add that as far as I am concerned the train ride only really has value on the sector from Muizenberg to Simonstown which is about 40% of the total journey as this is the sector that you travel flanking False Bay. The initial part of the ride between Cape Town and Muizenberg is a train ride through suburban terrain and does not really have much to offer.

As much as the latter sector of the train ride is a wonderful journey if you hire a car and travel from Cape Town to Muizenberg and then opt to take the "bottom road" between Muizenberg, Kalk Bay, Fish Hoek, Glencairn and Simonstown for 95% of the way you drive right next to the railway line and obtain the same wonderful views that you would if you were on the train. Obviously the driver of the car will have better views from the train as he/she wont be driving but at least you can stop whenever you want to so as to admire the scenery and most important is the fact that you can after the penguin colony travel on to the Cape of Good Hope Nature reserve as well as return to Cape Town via the amazing drive taking Kommetjie and Chapmans Peak into your route. In my opinion Chapmans Peak on its own, scenery wise, outstrips all else on the aforementioned route inclusive of the False Bay section. Make no error the total drive is a wonderful experience, it is just that I personally think that the Chapmans Peak sector is best when it comes to adventure and scenery.

If you travel with a tourguide I am sure that many facts that you would not have found out yourself will come to light however the total drive is very easy to navigate and can be accomplished on your own with the greatest of ease.

In your opening request mail in this thread specified that you like travelling on your own and that safety is of concern to you. Thus I would suggest that you forego the train ride, hire a car and spend a wonderful day self driving through an area taking in some of the very best scenery and travel experiences in the world at your own pace. In doing so you will cover the most important part of the train ride anyway and to top it all will also take in so much more of the wonderful visuals that Cape Town has to offer. Oh may I add that you might even meet a baboon or two as well as some other animals like Bontebok along the way.

Talking about baboons you might want to not do the above but simply travel to the penguin colony and enjoy some time there. Thereafter you could join Jenny Trethowan at Baboon Matters for an amazing baboon walk. http://www.baboonmatters.org.za/index.html Between the penguin colony and the Baboon Matters walk you certainly will be in for an exciting and enjoyable day.

Hope the above helps and that you enjoy your stay in our great city to the full.

Very proudly part of the wonderful nation of South Africa

Thanks for your replies everyone! I am looking forward to any additional comments.

yep, Biggsey's restaurant closed about a year ago.

Check with CAPE TOWN TOURISM. There is a guided tour available from Cape Town to Simonstown. Their tel. no. from a local tel. is 0214264260 and enquire from Henry.

A poster on another travel forum who is a Cape Town resident and who uses the Simonstown train (for part of the distance) to travel to work weekdays, said in answer to a question three days ago; "The Biggsy restaurant carriage is not running at the moment as it is being refurbished." I don't know her source for that.