The chance to see John Terry lift the World Cup in Johannesburg on Sunday, July 11, will have an expected 20,000 England supporters rushing to make travel plans, but they should be warned that attending South Africa 2010 presents more obstacles than previous tournaments.

It will be a journey into the unknown for most and fans are advised to wait until the draw on December 4 to know the location of matches before finalising any trip.

Even if you can book a flight today to, say, Durban, you will still have to travel to at least two matches and the distances are vast, while public transport is poor to non-existent.

For those who can afford it, a package bought from an official operator will guarantee the chance to see every minute of England’s campaign. But the majority who travel independently should expect a challenging trip.

How to get tickets No announcement about allocation to supporters will be made until after the draw. Members of the official England supporters’ club, englandfans, can expect priority, but the number of tickets given to the FA by Fifa will be only about 10 per cent of stadium capacity per match.

Tickets are already on sale through the Fifa website, fifa.com, but the present phase began in May on a first-come, first-served basis and the next phase, which begins in December, involves a ballot. You can apply for individual match tickets, or teamspecific tickets to follow the national side of your choice — a series of three to cover the group games costs between £320 and £160 and a seven-match series that will take you all the way to the final £1,650 down to £750.

If that fails, there will be touts — there always are — but forgeries will be more common than ever. If you can’t get in, the host cities are expected to have Fan Parks where spectators can watch the games on big screens.

How to get there British Airways flies direct to Johannesburg from Heathrow. A flight in on Thursday, June 10, the day before the first match, returning on Monday, July 12, costs £1,049.70. If you involve a change in Nairobi, Kenya Airlines will get you there and back for £811.57.

How to get around This could be the tricky part. Moving from city to city in 2010 will involve more of a trek, probably by hire car. Venues are up to 1,736 kilometres apart, involving drives of up to 17 hours and flights of more than four hours — if available. Rail is an option between some cities, but the daily 10am train from Cape Town to Johannesburg takes more than 26 hours.

Where to stay The Fifa website has a list of hotels grouped by venue. However, a shortfall is expected and many fans will have to be housed and flown in from other countries.

MATCH, a Swiss-British company that has been awarded the ticketing and accommodation contract by Fifa, is busy hiring coaches, chartering planes and acquiring rooms in bed-and-breakfast facilities and even game parks.

At the moment, rooms are still available in four and five-star hotels in various host cities at a little more than £100 per night, but expect these rates to change after the draw, depending on the teams playing at various venues.

Security The Foreign and Commonwealth Office website advises that most serious crime occurs away from the main tourist destinations, but that foreigners have been followed from airports and robbed at gunpoint. It warns about passport theft, the possibility of carjacking in certain areas, and points out that the standard of driving in South Africa can vary greatly and that there are many fatal accidents every year. The Football Supporters Federation will operate Fan Embassies in host cities.

Package tours If you want someone else to make all the arrangements for you, Fifa has licensed four official tour operators in the UK: Thomas Cook Sport, Thomson Sport (UK), Keith Prowse and BAC Sport. Everything is covered — but be prepared to pay, because these options do not come cheap.

Thomas Cook is offering a three-game package including flights, transfers and hotel starting at £4,150 for a single person and £8,300 for a couple. Packages to cover the knockout rounds will be available after the draw.