Getting around Johannesburg
Lanseria to Sandton:
the quieter way in
Lanseria is smaller, faster to clear and closer to the northern suburbs than OR Tambo — but it has no train. Here is how to get from Lanseria to Sandton, and what it should cost.
5 min read · Updated August 2026 · GoLula
Lanseria International sits north-west of Johannesburg, about 35 km from Sandton. Travellers who use it tend to keep using it: it is small, you clear it quickly, and you are on the road within minutes of landing rather than walking terminals.
The trade-off is ground transport. Lanseria has no Gautrain station, so the cheap rail option that exists at OR Tambo simply is not available here. Every route into Sandton is by road.
What the drive is actually like
Via the N14 and M71 you are usually looking at 30 to 45 minutes into Sandton. It is a more forgiving run than the OR Tambo corridor for most of the day, but it stiffens badly during the weekday afternoon peak around Fourways and William Nicol.
Your options
E-hailing works, but supply at Lanseria is thinner than at OR Tambo. On a quiet mid-morning that is invisible; on a Friday evening after a delayed regional flight it is not. Waits of fifteen or twenty minutes are not unusual.
Shuttles operate, but generally on schedules built around the busier flights.
A pre-booked chauffeur removes the availability question entirely, which is the specific weakness of this airport. GoLula charges a fixed R849 between Lanseria and Sandton — slightly less than OR Tambo, because it is a shorter run.
Lanseria ⇄ Sandton from R849
Fixed fare, flight tracked, one hour of free waiting from landing. Your car is allocated before you take off.
Which airport should you fly into?
If your business is in Sandton, Rosebank, Fourways or Midrand and the schedule suits you, Lanseria is usually the easier arrival — less terminal, less queue, and a shorter drive at most times of day.
OR Tambo wins on flight choice, international connections and the Gautrain. If you are travelling alone with hand luggage in the middle of the day, that train is hard to argue with.
How far is Lanseria from Sandton?
About 35 km, typically 30 to 45 minutes by road via the N14 and M71.
Does the Gautrain go to Lanseria?
No. Lanseria has no Gautrain station, so all transport to and from the airport is by road.
How much is a transfer from Lanseria to Sandton?
GoLula charges a fixed R849, agreed at booking and unaffected by traffic or demand.
Book this transfer
Fixed fare, flight tracked, one hour of free waiting time.
Ready when you are.
Fixed fare, silent cabin, a chauffeur already watching your flight.