WORLD CUP, SOUTH AFRICA, 2010: the inside scoop from the NY Travel Expo!

Only 101 days, 21 hours, 32 minutes, and 28 seconds… to the WORLD CUP!

Straight from Friday's NY Travel Expo...

Here's what you need to know:

RESERVATIONS:

• There is still time and space to get on board! Match tickets are still available, in Stage 4 of the ticket lottery, which runs through April 7, 2010. Here is a link to purchase: http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organisation/ticketing/index.html (For an explanation of ticket policies and procedures, feel free to give me a call… 609.923.0304)
• Prepare yourself for sticker shock but, yes, flights ARE still available! South African Airlines (SAA) has chartered 34 extra planes and added flights, around the clock, to accommodate all World Cup travel from June 11-July 11!

AIR TRAVEL TIPS:

• Keep your carry-on items to UNDER 18 pounds! For people like me, who like to travel exclusively with carry-on luggage, beware! SAA will be weighing carry-on bags, and forcing check-in for any bag over 18 pounds. (that’s about a laptop, one book, and a large wallet)
• Make sure you have at least 2 blank Visa pages in your passport. (don't count the cover pages).
• Go to the airport AT LEAST 3 hours in advance for international flights, and 2 hours in advance for even domestic flights. South Africa is expecting over 10 million visitors in 2010

FANPARKS:

• During the 2010 World Cup in South Africa fan parks will be set up in every host city. Based on the success of the fan parks in Germany in 2006, they will aim to create a party- like fun and festive atmosphere. The matches will be shown live on big screen TVs and there will be all day entertainment in-between.

• See sidebar for a full listing of locations and schedules!

LEARN THE DISKI DANCE

• The Diski-dance is based on South Africa's unique way of playing soccer – it's rhythmic, showy, energetic, and above all, great fun. There was a Diski dance contest…learn the Diski dance moves, feel the rhythm of South Africa, tape a dance, and upload the video to www.southafrica.net/dance. The contest ran through Sunday, December 13, 2009, and while only the winners earned free trips to the World Cup, all World Cuppers can join in the fun… so be ready!
• The winner was….. drumrooooll… Falls Church, Virginia's, 97 Fusion Soccer team! South African Airways will fly the U-12 girls travel squad to South Africa for their trip of a lifetime -- an adventure-filled 8-Day, 7-Night trip to South Africa, where they will visit Johannesburg and Cape Town, and even play a soccer match against a top South African youth soccer team.

THE ONLINE FOOTBALL QUIZ

• There’s a FIFA-sponsored Futbol quiz: prove you are a real football expert! Just answer the five questions on the monthly quiz, type in your email address, and send it to FIFA. This quiz is not for lightweights! Tough questions include “Who is the SA National football coach?” and “What nationality has Switzerland’s national coach?”, but if you’re a lucky winner, you get a pair of pop-up-goals including a bag… not to mention the respect of your fellow futbol fans! Here is the link to this month’s quiz: Online Football Quiz

NEW STUFF TO LOOK FORWARD TO:

• The new Durban stadium looks like a big basket, like this:

Not only can you walk up the “handle” as well as ride a tram to the top… you can even BUNGEE JUMP from up there!

• There’s wonderful infrastructure, new for the World Cup: a super-convenient train in Sandton (Joburg), a new Terminal B and a special VIP lounge at Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, and a brand new airport in Durban… the state-of-the-art King Shaka Airport