Getting to Botswana by Land

Borders

Botswana shares borders with four countries: South Africa (1,969 km), Namibia (1,544 km), Zambia (0.150 km), and Zimbabwe (834 km).

Geographically, Botswana could have been part of the world's only "international quadripoint" if Namibia hadn't been just a few hundred metres away from Zimbabwe, where Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia already meet. Still, with just 150 m in common, Botswana shares one of the shortest borders in the world with Zambia.

From Neighbouring Countries

There are quite a few land border crossings between Botswana and its neighbours, with at least one good road and quick, easy crossings for each.

Public Transport

While there are no longer passenger trains (for now?) to get there from South Africa, it's still possible to travel between Bulawayo (Zimbabwe) and Francistown.

Otherwise, several international bus routes exist. Among the companies operating, Intercape, well-established across much of Southern Africa, offers Johannesburg-Gaborone trips for around twenty euros on average, taking 6-7 hours. They also run other routes that, while not crossing Botswana directly, can be useful, such as services to Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) or via the Caprivi Strip (Namibia), providing access to northern Botswana's parks, including the Chobe. Alternatively, there’s the (more budget-friendly) option of a series of local buses or shared taxis to cross between countries, or the (much pricier) "shuttles" run by agencies on tourist routes or on demand (e.g., Kasane-Vic Falls).

Also worth noting is a "barge-ferry" on the Zambezi River, connecting the two banks between Botswana and Zambia near the small town of Kazungula.