Johannesburg Airport (JNB)
O.R. Tambo Airport (JNB) is in Gauteng, and the Gautrain rapid rail runs into the city every 12 minutes, from 05:15 to 22:00. Buses and coaches leave from the multi-storey parkade, and the taxis and the shuttles from behind the hotels. The airport has 11 500 parking bays: the further you park from the terminal, the less you pay.
Morsilla Travel may earn a commission from its partners; it does not change the price you pay.
Updated 21 October 2026
The terminals at Johannesburg Airport
O.R. Tambo International Airport is South Africa's principal airport: more than half of the country's air passengers pass through it, and the airport says it is the biggest and the busiest in Africa. It sits in Gauteng, the commercial and industrial hub of the country, and it links to Johannesburg, to Pretoria and to the national road network.
The airport's own site publishes the pages of the airlines that fly from it, with the contact details of each one, so you can find the airline of your flight before you travel.
Getting to and from Johannesburg Airport
The Gautrain is a rapid rail system that runs daily from 05:15 to 22:00, approximately every 12 minutes. The airport's own site points you to the Gautrain's site for the details of the route and the timetable.
For the buses and the coaches, follow the bus and coach signs to the terminus, which is in the multi-storey parkade, behind the car-hire depots. For the taxis and the shuttles, follow the taxi and shuttle signs to the terminus, which is behind the hotels.
What happens when you arrive at JNB
Keep your passport and any form you filled in on the plane with you the whole way, from the aircraft door to the exit.
The airport has its own pages on the security, on the luggage guidelines, on the information desk and on the travel tips, so you can read what the airport asks of you before you fly.
Johannesburg Airport with children
The airport's own travel tips and luggage guidelines pages are where to look for what to carry and what the rules are, so you can pack with the rules in mind instead of guessing at the check-in counter.
Leave the passports and the children's documents in your carry-on bag, not in the checked luggage, so you have them at passport control. And keep a snack and water within reach: the walk from the aircraft to the exit is longer in a big airport.
Plan your stop at Johannesburg Airport
The airport has 11 500 parking bays and several new parking facilities, and the basic rule is the same: the further you park from the terminal, the more you save. Check the flight information and the road traffic pages before you travel, and check with the embassy or consulate about the documents your family needs for the entry rules of every country on your route.
Sources
- Official home page of O.R. Tambo International Airport, the operator's own site, with the airport information, the flight information, the security and the travel tips sections. — airports.co.za (checked 21 October 2026)
- Official page of the airport on the public transport: the Gautrain, the buses and the coaches, and the taxis and the shuttles. — airports.co.za (checked 21 October 2026)
- Official page of the airport with the list of the airlines that fly from it, and the contact details of each one. — airports.co.za (checked 21 October 2026)
Frequently asked questions
How do I get from Johannesburg Airport to the city by train?
The Gautrain, a rapid rail system that runs daily from 05:15 to 22:00, approximately every 12 minutes. The airport's own site points you to the Gautrain's site for the route and the timetable.
Where do the buses and the coaches leave from at O.R. Tambo?
From the terminus in the multi-storey parkade, behind the car-hire depots. Follow the bus and coach signs to get there.
Where do the taxis and the shuttles leave from at JNB?
From the terminus behind the hotels. Follow the taxi and shuttle signs. The airport also says that the surrounding hotels offer shuttle services to their facilities.
How much parking is there at Johannesburg Airport?
The airport has 11 500 bays and several new parking facilities, and the rule is that the further you park from the terminal, the more you save.
What do I do first when I land at JNB?
Keep your passport and any form you filled in on the plane with you the whole way, from the aircraft door to the exit, and leave the children's documents in your carry-on bag.