Posted on September 11, 2009 by Fiona Hilliard

With England’s World Cup qualification in the bag and the Republic of Ireland well on their way to a play-off or maybe even automatic qualification (fingers crossed), interest in trips to the host nation is peaking.

Already football fans heading to South Africa are being warned to steer clear of bogus travel packages and ticketing scams.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) is warning that some fans might fall victim to booking trips where tickets to matches don’t exist and recommends that all tickets be booked through official World Cup tour operators.

Meanwhile, on its website, the Foreign Office has also been advising travellers of the potential dangers to personal safety in South Africa, especially in big cities such as Johannesburg.

However they assure fans that the risk to those heading to the main tourist destinations is low, with security set to be stepped up ahead of the World Cup.

Planning on renting a car in South Africa? You might want to check out our tips:

• Carefully consider your car rental (and check the small print). Make sure you have enough room for everyone, their sporting equipment, and or camping equipment.
• A GPS system is more of a necessity than a luxury these days.  Make sure you reserve one when you book your rental car.
• If you have an iPhone or smart phone, make sure you download some useful travel applications.
• Car rental shouldn’t mean giving up on a celebratory drink.  When you’re travelling with a group, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t share the responsibilities of driving – draw straws or draw up a rota!
• Avoid sleeping in your car.  Not only is it uncomfortable, in some areas it can also be very dangerous.
• Always jot down the exact street name of where you parked either in your phone or in a notebook.  Rather famously, England fans at the World Cup in 2006 parked their rental car in Cologne, writing down Einbahnstrasse as the address, before making their way to a match.  Unfortunately for them, that’s a pretty common sign and the German for ‘One-Way Street.’  Eventually they had to call the police to help them find their car.