The 2010 FIFA soccer (or football) world cup is almost around the corner now.  Even I, clueless as I am about the sport, have noticed this fact. I believe that it will be during June and July 2010. Given the that the stadium in Green Point  / Mouille Point (top left on the map in the previous link) can seat 68 000 people, I imagine that the Mother City is going to be a little full with an influx of soccer fans around that time.

So the big questions are: Where should all these visiting soccer fans stay? Where will they find accommodation in Cape Town during the FIFA 2010 world cup? Will Cape Town be prepared to accommodate them? Will the Cape Town public transport system be adequate? Will there be enough car rental agencies? Will the Cape Peninsula train system be functional?

Here’s my personal view on all of this. Yes, there are a number of initiatives underway to allow the City of Cape Town to be ready for the thousands of extra visitors. Personally, I’ve witnessed the Cape Town International Airport upgrade. It looks like it is on track. I’ve heard about the new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system being put in place. In theory everthing should be fine.

The one major consideration though, is that if you look at the map of Mouille Point  / Green Point, you’ll notice something very specific. There is really only one major road leading to the stadium from town. Yep, that’s it. And that road gets jammed up every day at rush hour so that it can take 25 minutes just to get about 2 kms.

Looking in the other direction towards Sea Point from Mouille Point, I can tell you that there are only suburban roads, and no major thoroughfares.  Which lead out of Sea Point towards Camps Bay. And the Sea Point – Camps Bay roads are also pretty narrow suburban roads. One can’t really drive faster than 45 kms per hour on them.

Now imagine an influx of an extra 68000 people. It’s going to be manic.

Accommodation Near the Stadium – Sea Point, Mouille Point, Green Point V&A Waterfront

My suggestion for any football tourist looking for accommodation in Cape Town during the 2010 FIFA World Cup, is to stay as close as humanly possible to the stadium. Seriously. Find yourself a hotel, B&B, guesthouse, self-catering flat, hostel or whatever you can. Aim to stay in Mouille Point, Green Point, Sea Point, the Waterfront or even the Cape Town Foreshore.

Get best rates and visitor reviews for Sea Point hotels right here – only a single click away

Or try these nearby hotels in De Waterkant & Green Point

Although I’m also perfectly sure that the residents of these suburbs have woken up to this fact, so I wouldn’t be surprised if accommodation this close to the World Cup Stadium will be pretty pricy.

I’ve done a few checks to see how full the accommodation is at the moment (27 November 2009) and have found that there are still vacancies in hotels this close to the stadium. But I won’t be surprised if they get booked up quite soon. In particular once the FIFA draw happens on the 4 December 2009, people will know where their teams are playing and will start to make bookings quite seriously. So book early if possible otherwise you’ll struggle to find accommodation.

Accommodation on the Atlantic Seaboard

If you don’t plan on staying this close, I would imagine that Camps Bay, Bantry Bay or Clifton would be OK. Although there’s only one road in via Clifton and Bantry Bay from Camps Bay, these suburbs are pretty contained, so you won’t be competing with the rest of the world like on the road in from the City Centre side.

Get best rates for Camps Bay hotels right here.

Get best rates for Bantry Bay & Clifton hotels right here.

The Atlantic Seaboard is quite luxurious but if the hotels here fit your budget you will be located in paradise with easy access to everything – the FIFA stadium, Cape Town beaches, shopping, nightlife and restaurants!

Accommodation in the City Bowl

The City Bowl would be your next option. Although it is physically quite near, I think it may be trickier to get to the stadium without having to tolerate heavier crowds than the Sea Point side. Anyway, it’s still near enough to present no really major headaches.

Get best rates for City Bowl hotels right here.

Proximity to Cape Town  Shopping,  Nightlife &  Tourist Attractions

Oh and know that if you stay in any of the areas I’ve just recommended, you’ll be right on the doorstep of some of the best nightlife, shopping, restaurants, and sea-frontage that the Cape has to offer. You’ll be within striking distance of the Cape Quarter (an eclectic, trendy mixture of exclusive shops, gay bars and nightclubs, and up market restaurants), the V&A Waterfront (some excellent shopping), Long Street for night life, Green Market Square for African Crafts,  the Camps Bay Strip for great sundowners,  restaurants, cocktail bars and uber-trendy nightclubs as well as an awesome beach, and Clifton with its world renowned beaches.

Here’s a Handy Accommodation Rates Comparison Tool

If you’ve clicked on the links in the right sidebar, you’ll already be familiar with Hotels Combined, which searches for the cheaper rates across about 30 booking engines. Here is a search box that may help you find accommodation for the World Cup.

Still Struggling to Find Cape Town Accommodation?

And…. If you’re still stuck, drop me a mail (lizette@my-cape-town-south-africa.com) with your questions, and I’ll do my best to help.