The CFA franc is fixed against the French franc and is the principal currency for all of French-speaking West Africa. A bare minimum budget for travellers is US$15.00 a day for clean but simple accommodation and excellent street-stall food. Finding cheap restaurants isn't always easy, and if you insist on eating Western food and staying in fancier accommodation, you'll need closer to US$30.00 - US$40.00 a day. For top hotel accommodation and nights out on the town, budget about US$1oo.oo a day. Renting a car can cost as little as US$35.00 .

Endeavour to bring a Visa card and euros, otherwise you'll find obtaining CFA costly and time consuming in Abidjan, and nearly impossible most other places. Few business accept cards for payment (and there is a big risk of fraud at those that do) but SGBCI and BICICI banks have ATMs in Abidjan, San Pédro and Yamoussoukro that reliably provide holders of Visa cards with CFA. There are many banks for changing cash and travellers cheques, but it definitely pays to shop around for the best rates, as some banks offer excellent rates but also charge high commissions, while others charge no commissions but offer significantly lower rates. You can also change euros at most hotels and many Lebanese-owned stores, including Hayat supermarkets. Change as much as you can in Abidjan because rates are better than anywhere else. There is a black market for US dollars: however, you shouldn't use it unless a local friend makes the introduction because most of these guys are hustlers and there is a lot of counterfeit money floating around these days. The airport branch of COBACI bank offers decent rates, but only changes cash.

There are few clear rules about tipping. Tip about 10% at upmarket restaurants, but check the bill closely first to see if service is included. Travellers are expected to tip taxi drivers about 10%, except for rides in shared cabs.

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Disclaimer: We've tried to make the information on this web site as accurate as possible, but it is provided 'as is' and we accept no responsibility for any loss, injury or inconvenience sustained by anyone resulting from this information. You should verify critical information (like visas, health and safety, customs and transportation) with the relevant authorities before you travel.

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