On Wednesday, England qualified for the football World Cup finals in South Africa, so the scramble for tickets and hotel beds is on. Already, fans are finding independent travel near impossible. First, you have to get your ticket through a ballot (you enter at fifa.com), so you won't necessarily get a ticket for an England match. Second, most accommodation has already been block-booked (Fifa has taken hotels as far away as Mauritius), and the remainder is hugely expensive, as are flights. Third, the final draw, to decide which match is in which of the 10 stadia, isn't until 4 December, so if you book accommodation now you may have to arrange transfers come December.

Instead, tour operators are proposing packages of tickets and accommodation, using a "base camp" strategy. The two largest official companies selling packages are Thomas Cook Sport and Thomson Sport. Book with Thomson Sport (0845 1212018; thomsonsport.com) and you'll be based in Cape Town, from where you'll either fly or take a coach transfer to the stadia where England are playing. Prices start from £2,560 for a five-night package including flights, B&B accommodation in central Cape Town, match transfers and a ticket to one England match.

Thomas Cook Sport (0870 752 0924; thomascooksport.com) has chosen Johannesburg as its base, from where seven of the stadiums are within four hours' driving distance (if a flight is required there will be a supplement). Packages start from £2,499, including flights, five nights' room-only accommodation, road transfers and one England ticket.