Any pointers for public transport in West Africa

We are in the preliminary stage of researching a 3-4 months long trip in West Africa, hoping to cover most things by public transport. Have been looking at some travel blogs or guides, but most people do West Africa as part of an overland trip with their own vehicle, so most info are only about driving.

So I wonder if anyone have come across any posts or articles or anything that talks about public transport in West Africa? Posts by traveller would be especially appreciated, as some of the 'official' websites we have come across look like they haven't been updated since the earliest days of the Internet.

Thanks all!

It's not really a problem to move around West Africa by public transports. It can be much more time consuming than expected but it's doable. It's more easy in some countries than other but you can do it.
Using a contracted lift can be also an option when you have some problem to find a public/shared one.

Michel

I have traveled extensively in West Africa by public transport, albeit not for about 10 years. I can't imagine a great deal has changed since then though. Public transport exists, and you can use it to get around. The quality of public transport varies enormously. Popular routes between larger cities - where reasonable roads exist - may be traveled by bus, minibus, or bush taxi - the latter is basically anything with 4 wheels that somehow manages to stay on the road. They usually move forward, but not always.

You need a lot of patience for getting around West Africa - some routes have regular buses which leave at regular times, and are about as reliable as anything is in Africa. Other routes only leave when the vehicle is full. You might have to wait a couple of hours. You might have to wait a couple of days. If the roads are truly despicable, jumping on the back of a motorbike might be your only option.

Note that hitchhiking - nearly always paid - often supplements public transport in places. Indeed, in many parts of West Africa, most vehicles on the road will happily accept paid passengers. This is a common way of getting around.

It does vary from country to country, but larger towns and cities generally have a bus station or bush taxi station of some sorts, from where public transport leaves from. In some cities, individual bus companies run buses out of their own depots, which might be spread around the city. There's always some way of getting from A to B. Worst comes to the worst, do what the locals do, and start walking....

Time can't be an issue when you are in Africa...
It's a part of the fun to be there.

Michel

If Senegal is one of the points on your itinerary, it’s worth pointing out that the new Bradt guide to Senegal does have very useful and recent information on public transportation.

Most of the Bradt guidebooks have good practical information regarding public transports.

Michel

I too have spent time in several West Africa countries, using public transport to get around.
As long as you don't expect comfort, or a timetable, no reason not to use it - it helps if you speak a little French.

Just home 30mins ago from my second trip this year to the region having been there regularly for the last 10 years or so.

Bradt guides: Senegal & Ghana are fantastic, Sierra Leone is just being updated but very good by all accounts as is The Gambia, the one to Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) has been described by friends as expensive tissue paper, having read it briefly one evening I'm inclined to agree

Generally transport is slowly getting better with investment into Chinese built buses. There are still exceptions such as Guinea. The new minibuses in Mauritania are making travelling easier there, Senegal is moving forward, the Dakar bus system Dem Dikk something has a website and provide a great service, the same can be said of Sotra in Abidjan and some of the long distance bus companies. Ghana can be hit and miss. Having said all this, the roads throughout the region are in varying states of repair. Notably the road through the park from 70km west of Tambacounda to 40 east of Kedougou through the park is in an appalling state, APPALLING!

As everyone says, do not expect the 10am bus to leave at 10am except in Burkina, or the bush taxi with 3 more places to fill will leave in 30m as the driver says. As a rule of thumb, if you're going a long distance, get up early and be at a bus station by 6-7am and you should find them filling fast.

It would help if you pointed out which countries you're considering to travel arround and how long??

Kira

It's all good info above.

As with the above posters, I've done plenty of West Africa travel by public transport. My travel in that region was mainly ten years ago and more. The following applies to the lower, bumpier, dustier end of things because you can likely deal with new buses on good roads just fine. Mainly generalities because you are not asking about specific routes.

Try to pick a dry time of year. Rainy season makes difficult roads impassable.

Arrive as early as possible, as suggested above. Use your common sense as sometimes (rarely) the kids at the gares routieres try to stick you on a vehicle that isn't optimal for you, etc. Most other travelers can be relied on to take your side regarding these issues, or (rare) attempts at price gouging, etc.

If you have a choice, check vehicles for roadworthiness--bald tires, etc. If the tires are bald and you won't be going faster than a few kph anyway, maybe it doesn't matter.

You may "leave" several times before you actually leave. First to stop for gas, then to visit various people before leaving town, or to pick up passengers and cargo. Patience is key.

Some drivers know quite accurately how long a trip will take, how many kilometers between towns along the route, etc. Others on the same route have no idea, but will tell you anyway.

You may need to switch vehicles several times to get to where you are going, as with a stagecoach. Sometimes your own driver will try to switch you, for helpful or selfish reasons. Sometimes it pays for you to switch because another vehicle appears in better shape, or seems likely to leave sooner than the one you're in. As with any other calculation, you may be very mistaken as to what is in good shape and what it not, when it will leave, whether the driver is competent, etc. Enjoy!

On arrival, if the place you'll be staying is on the way (and sometimes even if not), the driver may stop or even make a detour for you. On some routes this will cost extra. On some routes you must tell the driver where you will get off, as this is what everyone does. On some, it's just a favor from the driver.

I tend to stick everything in plastic bags inside my luggage. (I make sure to take the bags with me when leaving the region.) Plastic helps keep out the dust, and any water or livestock urine that may creep in through leaky roofs.

Your luggage may be strapped to the roof of the vehicle. There may be a tarp or there may not be. Consider a shell to cover your luggage against dust and rain. If you are susceptible to lung or sinus issues or have allergies, consider a homemade mask against the dust. If you dislike loud music--I mean bordering on (or actually) painful--consider earplugs.

Avoid night travel where possible. Bad roads, speedy drivers and imperfect headlight maintenance can make for frequent accidents. People get concerned about political/criminal incidents (which can also be more of a problem at night), but the likelihood of an accident is far greater.

If you expect and can roll with good and bad surprises and factor them into your overall travel experience, public transport can be a blast. You will meet and (with a bit of French, Portuguese, etc. as needed) have some conversation with a range of people you would never be exposed to on an overland trip or in a hired car. The sense of solidarity that develops on a long trip only increases with any adversity you may face. And the resulting stories will make friends and family laugh for years to come, especially if the roadtrip was especially horrible (Labe-Koundara, Agadez-Zinder, Dori-Tera, etc., etc.).

Thanks for all of this info! Very helpful. I'm a female solo traveler planning on overlanding using public transport from Senegal to Cameroon (September-November) and would love to know if anyone has taken a similar route and could tell me what options I have for feasible routes via public transport as it relates to road conditions, current political climate/safety, and of course nice places to stop along the way. I am a female solo traveler. Also, if there is anyone about to take a similar trip and is interested in a travel buddy, please reach out!

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