Countdown to the World Cup in South Africa

Thomson Sport, provider of sports travel, has announced that from Friday 22nd May official travel packages for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa will go on sale.

The packages, which have thus far only been available to members of englandfans, the English FA’s travel club, offer a range of competitively priced options with accommodation a stone's throw from the ocean and the mountains in the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town, which in their opinion is the best city in South Africa for England supporters to base themselves.

Prices start from £3,999 for an 18 night package including scheduled international flights, named accommodation, all transfers, plus a safari experience which will give fans the opportunity to see Africa’s famous Big Five. In addition Thomson Sport will be able to offer clients access to official match tickets, at face-value, as well as tailor made trips in the Western Cape area, which is renowned for its wines and national parks.

Nathan Wilson, managing director of Thomson Sport, said: “As there are a limited number of packages available to the FIFA World Cup we took the decision to launch early to the market so as not to disappoint fans and enable them to plan their holidays for the ‘must-see’ event of next year. The advantage of booking with Thomson, the leading fully bonded tour operator, is that our packages offer security, local representation and knowledge, plus the camaraderie of travelling as a group with fellow supporters.

“We have identified that the DIY approach is not going to be a practical solution for this World Cup as securing accommodation in South Africa on an individual basis is difficult, internal transportation is impractical with a lack of travel options between the nine host cities.

In the current economic climate Thomson Sport also offers fans the peace of mind of being part of Europe’s largest leisure travel company, all of whose travel packages are protected. Furthermore, in the unlikely situation that England does not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, Thomson Sport will be offering a full refund to those passengers that have already booked.”

For further booking information visit Thomsonsport.com.