Francistown
Francistown is a city in the east of Botswana, near the border with Zimbabwe. In our division of Botswana into regions, it is in Southeast Botswana.
Get in
Francistown is a major transportation hub in Northeastern Botswana and is the gateway to northern Botswana.
By car
A1: Connects Francistown to Gaborone in the south and to Zimbabwe in the north.
A3: Connects Francistown to Nata and Maun to the west.
By bus
Buses about every hour from Gaborone and the trip takes 5-7 hours.
Because it is a transportation hub, Francistown connects to most other villages and towns in the northern part of the country. Direct buses travel to tourist destinations like Maun and Kasane.
There are also several buses that arrive daily from Bulawayo and Harare in Zimbabwe.
Mahube Express bus service to Francistown via Gaborone from Johannesburg in South Africa.
By plane
Francistown has its own international airport which is undergoing a P500 million expansion.
The airport is only served commercially by Air Botswana.
Air Botswana offers two daily flights from Gaborone, and flights from Johannesburg, South Africa on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
By train
Trains run nightly from Lobate, next to the border with South Africa, via the capital Gaborone. Journey time is about 10 hours, arriving in Francistown early next morning. Additionally, there is an daily cross-border train from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Botswana Railways offers timetables and online booking.
Get around
There is a daily night train each way between Francistown and Lobatse using refurbished trains from South Africa.
See
Do
Buy
Prices are comparable to the U.S.
- The "Hype" store and "Game" are similar to a Sam's Club or Costco and Wal-Mart.
- Pick & Pay and Shoprite supermarkets.
Eat
- Barbara's Bistro (at the Sport Club), ☏ +267 241 3737.
- Calabash Coffee Shop (on the corner of Baines and St Patrick), ☏ +267 240 3360.
- Nando's Chicken. The chicken at Nando's is excellent with Caribbean flavors.
- Spur Restaurant. Spur has decent burgers and steaks.
Drink
Sleep
Camping with your own tent is the most low-cost way.
- [formerly dead link] Woodlands Stop Over (10 km north of town.). Camping with own tents. Has a swimming pool. P115 per person per night.
- Metcourt Lodge.
- The Nest.
- The Enclave.
- Adonsonia.
- Cresta Thapama Lodge. One of the first hotels in modern Francistown, it has 3 lovely pools in the backdrop of geen grass, palm trees and a stocked bar. The pool table usually has a ball missing, but it adds to the character of the place. Watch out for bees with your sugary drinks! The rooms nice and simple, but the facilities are more attractive than msot hotels in Francistown, with the pools, a gym and a squash court. Prices however, reflect the added benefits.
- Tati River Lodge. A lovely hotel on the banks of the Tati River - It has lush greenery surrounding a swimming pool and bar. The rooms are varied to suit your price range, from a basic room to an executive room with a balcony. There is also the option of camping if you are so inclined, with water and open fire facilities. It's a lovely place to stop off and the restaurant at the far end of the hotel does lovely food. camping with own text P100.
- Emoyo Villa (A Francistown Guest House), Plot 21616, Tati River South (Molapo Estates 8oo metres after Adonsonia), ☏ +2672406854, emoyo.villa@gmail.com. Check-in: 19:00, check-out: 10:00. Emoyo Villa offers 7 en suite rooms in a serene neighborhood. All rooms are air conditioned with Satellite television. Contact us for additional services provided on site. Emoyo.
- Marang Hotel, 2 km from downtown. The biggest hotel in Francistown. camping with your own tent is P70 per person..
- Dumela Lodge. camping with own tent P70.