Africa Transportation Tips by johnsakura Top 5 Page for this destination

Taxis in Western Sahara

Taxi are quite faster than buses. Some places dont even have buses. Prices here usualy are not over charged.

Agadir-Layoune 150dirhams
Lauyoune-Dakhla 150dirhams (+-15euros)

I know there are taxis that will take you from Dakhla to the last Police check point in Bir Gandus. They will drop you off in the border as you can see on the picture (taxis are those red mercedes). i also know that a taxi will cost around 100euros, cos you have to pay the taxi driver back to Dakhla. From the border to Dakhla (if you're coming from mauritania) can be cheaper if you make a good deal.
be careful with taxis, these region is know to have people getting kidnapped or robbed.

Mode: AROUND

Type: Car/Motor Home

Bring your own car to Western Sahara

You can easily go with your car. be careful not to hit a landmine. after the first moroccan police cheackpoint you have 7km with bombed road and sand. as sson as you get to the first mauritanian police checkpoint you have even worse deseert tracks to get to the second police control house and "duane". from there to enter Nouadhibou you'll need a guide cos you dont know the way into the sand. even with GPS it will be hard to pass due to the large amount of landmines.

Mode: TO

Type: Car/Motor Home

Dakhla border with Mauritania (Bir Guenduz)

I know there are taxis that will take you from Dakhla to the last Police check point in Bir Gandus. They will drop you off in the border as you can see on the picture (taxis are those red mercedes). i also know that a taxi will cost around 100euros, cos you have to pay the taxi driver back to Dakhla. From the border to Dakhla (if you're coming from mauritania) can be cheaper if you make a good deal.
be careful with taxis, these region is know to have people getting kidnapped or robbed.

Mode: TO

Type: Car/Motor Home

Hitching to Mauritania-Western Sahara

If yo ugo to KM 40 after dakhla in Western Sahara, where the police checks for peoples ID, you can get a ride from tourist going south. many people sleep in dakhla to leave in the morning to mauritanian border. I got a ride to this moroccan point and from here got another different ride. Be careful with rides from local people. there are news that some tourists, backpacking were killed while hitch hikking in western sahara towards mauritania.
remember that from dakhla to the border is almost 400km.

Mode: TO

Type: Car/Motor Home

BUS Tinerhir->Tamtettoucht, Todra Gorges-Morocco

You can get the bus from Tamtettoucht to Ait Hani -15 dirhams

and Tamtattoucht-Tinerhir 15 dirhams (1.5euros)

Why went on top of the roof of the Mercedes van? Inside I counted more than 25 people and also on top of the roof with 3 people, there were 14 goats...

It was very cold. I remember you this is the Atlas and it also snows here.

Mode: TO

Type: Bus

Europe->Africa Ferry-Boats

This is the fastest way of going to Morocco. The Boat just takes half hour. When i go by car I always go to Ceuta cos gas is half the price than in Spain and Morocco. Ceuta is an independent city that belongs to Spain. Tax-free zone.
The boats going from Algeciras to Africa are quite different depending if you're going to Ceuta (Autonomous spanish city in North Africa) or to Tangier (First Moroccan city on the North). Boats going to Ceuta are good quality, fast, clean and the ones going to Morocco directly are 3 times slower, not dirty of course (sometimes the bathrooms stink), but built maybe 30 years ago. instead of actually spending 30 minutes inside the boat you can spend up to 3 hours. Its up to you. If you're going by car you should avoid tangier because is much quite easier to enter from Ceuta, but if you're going walking and public transport you should go to tangier. price to tangier is a bit cheaper also.

Prices Algeciras-Ceuta:
1 car+2 people=179euros roud trip
1 person=30euros round trip

Mode: TO

Type: Ship/Boat

Boat Dakar->Goree Island-Senegal

This is the boat that takes you from the port of Dakar to the UNESCO Island of Goree. The ticket costed in 2004 5,000.00 XOF (CFA)
Communauté Financière Africaine Francs=7.62245Euro .
There are boats living every 30 minutes to a 20minutes journey to the Island.

Mode: TO

Type: Ship/Boat

Train Dakar->Bamako

There is a very well known and legendary train in West Africa, it is called the Dakar-Bamako train or the Eastern Ocean-Niger service via Thies, Diourbel, Tambacounda and Kidira until it reaches the capital of Mali, Bamako.
Trains from Bamako leave 10am Wed and Sat. The journey can take 36hours up to 70h... Fares to Dakar from Bamako are about 25,000CFA 2nd class. Once you're on the train you can upgrade your ticket to have a sleeping vagon. If you ask you'llmaybe have a student discount (in case you're a student).

Mode: TO

Type: Train

Hitching to Mali

This is the border crossing of Senegal to Mali in Kidira. On the city you have dozens of cargo trucks getting their douane ready to pass mali and maybe go all the way to Niger and Burkina Faso. I bet these drivers will be more than glad to give you a ride on their truck for free, but they will even like it better if you offer some money up front. Check if you already have your visa done, or if you dont need visa before just a stamp on the border just not lo let the truck driver waiting for you to take care of formalities. Usually trucks stay on the border up to 2, 2 days until papers are ready. You would have to wait in the city or just get a truck going already with papers done.

Mode: TO

Type: Car/Motor Home

Bush taxis and Buses-Senegal

Most public trasnport in Senegal is by bush taxi or taxi brousse in french. You have different veicules making themselves as buses or little buses. They are: Peugeot 504, a van with 7 seats; normal cars usually white like old mercedes minibus or Saviem; a camion (truck like the one on the picture) that carry dozens of people on the back cargo part. You will travel faster and more confortable in the Peugeot 504. Minibuses are better for shorter journeys and give you the change of getting to know the people. You will get to know people on longer journeys.
Autogares or gares routieres are well organized and you cant miss the bus no way. any way you should always ask to many different people as the normal senegalese person wil not tell you he doesnt know, prefereing giving you the wrong direction.
Big Buses 40 sits operate between bigger cities but they are hard to et. Dakar has great bus system.
From the norther border with Rosso you have taxis to Saint Louis.
Inside cities you have an excelent bus system, its the Trasnporte commune. You can go everywhere inside towns and cities with this kind of buses you can see on the picture. This should be an easy way for shorter journeys and youl have a great opportunity to see local people interacting.
For bigger trips you should choose bush taxi or taxi brousse.

Mode: TO,AROUND

Type: Bus