Domestic flights. Proflight Zambia is the main domestic airline, with scheduled flights from Lusaka to Livingstone, Mfuwe (for South Luangwa), Lower Zambezi, Ndola, Kasama, and Solwezi. Flights are not cheap but save enormous amounts of time on what would otherwise be long, rough road journeys. Mahogany Air offers charter flights and some scheduled routes. For safari lodges in remote areas, light aircraft transfers are often included in the package.
Buses. Long-distance buses connect major cities and are the cheapest way to travel. Mazhandu Family Bus Service and Power Tools Bus Service are among the more reliable operators on the Lusaka-Livingstone and Lusaka-Copperbelt routes. Express buses are a significant step up from the crowded minibuses that ply shorter routes. The Lusaka-Livingstone run takes about six hours by express bus. Book a seat on the day or the day before at the Intercity Bus Terminal in Lusaka.
Minibuses. Within cities and on shorter routes, minibuses are everywhere. They are cheap, frequent, and leave when full -- which means cramped. They are fine for getting around Lusaka or between Copperbelt towns, but for longer journeys the express buses are worth the small extra cost.
Self-driving. Main roads between cities are paved and in reasonable condition, though potholes are a constant companion. The Great East Road to Chipata, the road south to Livingstone, and the road north to the Copperbelt are all manageable in a regular car. However, getting to national parks and rural areas requires a 4x4, especially in the wet season when many roads become impassable. Drive on the left. Fuel stations are found in all towns but can be far apart in rural areas -- fill up whenever you can.
Trains. The TAZARA railway runs from Kapiri Mposhi (two hours north of Lusaka) to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, a 1,860-kilometer journey that officially takes 48 hours but often stretches to 60. It is an experience more than a practical transport option -- scenic, social, and unpredictable. Express trains depart on Tuesdays, ordinary trains on Fridays. First class sleepers are the way to go. There is also a domestic rail service on the Zambia Railways network, but it is slow and infrequent.