Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Do the winelands route in style
Tram-buses convey vinology fans on odyssey between estates
A FULL day in the winelands is not for the delicate or faint of heart.
City Sightseeing’s latest Cape Explorer tour is in partnership with the Franschhoek Wine Tram, and runs from early in the morning till late afternoon, three days a week.
The eight or so hours do require commitment but at least it’s all done in comfort and style.
The air-conditioned luxury red bus is not open at the top – something you’ll be most grateful for in the summer heat.
Joining the bouquet of tours which include day trips to Cape Point, as well as Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, this new offering takes you to Groot Drakenstein station just outside the town where you transfer to either the new-ish double-decker tram or a bus.
You have a choice of two hop-on hop-off routes – purple or orange – each visiting eight wine estates.
The tram or tram-buses pass each stop once an hour, so you can explore at your convenience and leisure. The finer details can be a bit confusing when planning your stops and how long you want to spend at each, as the transport works on predetermined loops.
Obviously we wanted to do things differently to the operators but they did accommodate our requests (or should that be demands?).
The staff on board the tram will explain everything and make sure no one is left behind.
While it’s quite possible to fit in all the stops, it’s not such a great idea; it will be incredibly rushed and your head will be spinning by the afternoon.
Not necessarily because of all the wine, but it’s so much information overload.
Of course, you’ll want to factor in somewhere nice for lunch too, so the highest comfortable and realistic aim should be no more than five.
Each farm on every route offers something different, and almost all of them (to my knowledge) have a special offer of some kind for Wine Tram guests.
One of the things you’ll definitely want to do is buy wine.
Board the Cape Explorer at the V&A Waterfront (from where it departs at 9am), or get a free shuttle from City Sightseeing HQ in Long Street, Cape Town, at 8.30am.
It’s about an hour to Franschhoek, and the bus leaves there at 4pm to get to the V&A about 5pm. Visitors to Cape Town can take advantage of a complimentary pick-up from or near certain hotels on the Atlantic seaboard.
The purple line Wine Tram route goes to Allee Bleue, Boschendal, Zorgvliet, Plaisir de Merle, Vrede & Lust, Noble Hill, Babylonstoren, Backsberg and Glen Carlou; the orange line includes Noble Hill, Babylonstoren, Backsberg, Glen Carlou, Vrede & Lust, Plaisir de Merle, Allee Bleue, Boschendal and Zorgvliet
The Wine Tram tour is on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
It includes transport to and from Franschhoek in a luxury coach with free wi-fi, Franschhoek Wine Tram ticket, and complimentary wine tasting on the tram. Adult tickets are R540 with a R20 discount if bought online.
For more information, go to https://www.citysightseeing.co.za/destinations/cape-town/products/franschhoek-wine-tram