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From EWR airport to Johannesburg
Reaching Newark Liberty International
NJ Transit AirTrain + Path train from Penn Station: $15.50 total, 35-45 minutes, runs 24/7, most reliable option. Uber/Lyft from Midtown Manhattan: $28-42 (surges hit 7-9am and 4-6pm), 25-40 minutes depending on traffic. Taxi from Penn Station: $15-18 flat rate to Newark, then $15 tack-on for EWR itself (total ~$33-38), but expect 40+ minutes. Rental car pickup: available at all terminals, prices start $35/day for economy.
Getting from JNB into Johannesburg
Gautrain is the best option for most travelers: R200 (~$11) from OR Tambo International to Sandton Station, takes 15 minutes, runs every 12 minutes from 5:30am-8:30pm, and is safe and reliable. For Rosebank, ride to Sandton and take a short Uber. Uber from the airport to Sandton costs R250-350 (~$14-19) and takes 25-40 minutes depending on traffic — only book via the app, never accept offers from drivers at the terminal. Airport shuttles run by Intercape and similar operators go to various Sandton hotels for R150-200 (~$8-11) but require booking in advance and can take 45-60 minutes with multiple stops. Taxis from the metered rank are technically an option at around R400-500 but Uber is safer and cheaper.
Planning Newark to Johannesburg
Johannesburg is not what most Americans expect. Forget the safari-camp brochure version of Africa — Jo'burg is a raw, electric, genuinely world-class city of 6 million people where you can eat tasting-menu food in a refurbished mine shaft, buy contemporary African art for a fraction of what it'd cost in New York, and walk the streets of Soweto with someone who lived through apartheid. It's Africa's financial capital and its cultural engine, and it moves fast. This is not a city you visit passively.
Local basics
Best-month weather in Johannesburg
April
50–72°F · 5 rain daysAutumn arrives and it's genuinely lovely — crisp mornings, warm afternoons, almost no rain. This is when Jo'burg starts to feel like a Mediterranean city.
May
43–66°F · 2 rain daysDry season kicks in hard. Days are sunny and pleasant but mornings and evenings get genuinely cold — a fleece or light jacket is essential. Excellent weather for sightseeing.
The destination guide flags June and July and December as the least favorable months.
Two areas to consider
Sandton
luxuryJohannesburg's financial district and the wealthiest square mile in Africa — think midtown Manhattan energy with better weather. The Gautrain stops here, the Sandton City mall complex has every international brand, and most business hotels and corporate expats base themselves here. It's safe to walk during the day but generic; stay here for convenience and explore elsewhere for character. The Saxon Hotel is the best hotel in the city; Sandton Sun is solid value for the tier.
Rosebank
mid-rangeOne stop south of Sandton on the Gautrain and considerably more interesting — outdoor markets on weekends (the Rosebank Rooftop Market runs Sundays), galleries, and a good mix of restaurants and bars around The Zone and Mall of Rosebank. The Brazen Head is a reliable pub; Tashas does excellent upscale brunch. Safer and more walkable than most of Jo'burg and a good base for first-timers who want convenience without the sterility of full Sandton.
Local planning tip
Book your Uber rides *inside* the arrivals hall before you walk out to the pickup zone at OR Tambo — by the time the app locates you and assigns a driver, you'll be ready to walk out to the correct zone (Zone E for Uber pickups). More importantly, don't exchange money at the airport currency booths: the rates are 15-20% worse than what you'll get at any ABSA, FNB, or Standard Bank ATM in Sandton. Withdraw rand from a bank ATM in Sandton (use one inside a bank branch during business hours for safety), and you'll immediately have more spending money without doing anything else differently.
Visa and entry notes for US travelers
US passport holders get visa-free entry to South Africa for up to 90 days — no advance visa application required, just show up at OR Tambo with your passport. Your passport must have at least 30 days validity beyond your departure date and at least two blank pages. You'll get a tourist stamp on arrival. If you're also visiting neighboring countries (Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe), South Africa allows multiple re-entries on the same visit. Yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you're arriving from a yellow fever endemic country (e.g., certain parts of East Africa). No specific vaccinations are required but the CDC recommends being current on routine vaccines plus hepatitis A and typhoid.