Cote d'Ivoire Travel Tips

Social Conventions
One of the most striking features of Côte d’Ivoire, distinguishing it from many other African countries, is the extreme ethnic and linguistic variety. The size of each of the 60 groups – which include the Akar, Kron, Nzima, Hone, Voltaic and Malinke peoples – varies widely and the area they occupy may cover a whole region. With very few exceptions every Ivoirian has a mother tongue which is that of the village, along with traditions, family and social relations within their ethnic group. French has become the official language of schools, cities and government and therefore has an influence on lifestyle even at a modest level. Handshaking is normal.

Small tokens of appreciation, a souvenir from home or a business gift with the company logo are always welcome. Normal courtesies should be observed and it is considered polite to arrive punctually for social occasions. Snakes are regarded as sacred by some ethnic groups.

International Travel:

Getting There by Air
Airlines serving Côte d’Ivoire include Air Burkina, Air France, British Airways, Egyptair, Kenya Airways, SN Brussels, South African Airways, Trans African Airlines and VLM. Côte d’Ivoire has a shareholding in Air Afrique, although the future of this airline, due to financial difficulties, is still under negotiation. It is recommended that visitors reconfirm returns flights 72 hours in advance.

Departure Tax
XOF3,000 for African destinations and XOF5,000 for all other departures (from Abidjan airport - prices differ according to airport flown from).

Main Airports
Abidjan (ABJ) (Félix Houphouët-Boigny) (website: www.aeria.ci) is 16km (10 miles) southeast of Abidjan. To/from the airport: Buses and taxis are available to the city (journey time - 25 minutes). Facilities: Duty-free shop, restaurant, shops, banks/bureaux de change, post office, pharmacy and car hire.

Yamoussoukro (ASK) (San Pedro) has been upgraded to international standard.

Getting There by Water
Main ports: Abidjan is the main port in Cote d’Ivoire; however, there are no regular passenger sailings. Cargo liners provide limited accommodation for passengers traveling from Europe.

Getting There by Rail
The Abidjan-Niger Railway extends to Burkino Faso. There are two through-trains with sleeping and restaurant cars from Abidjan to Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) daily (journey time – 25 to 27 hours). Those intending to travel should be aware that the Burkina Faso rail network is under constant threat of closure because of financial difficulties; check with the appropriate authorities before finalizing arrangements.

Getting There by Road
There are road links of varying quality from Kumasi (Ghana) and from Burkina Faso, Guinea and Liberia and Mali. Borders close at night.

Bus: Frequent services operate to Accra (Ghana) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). There is a service approximately once a week to Bamako (Mali); the journey can be very long (36 to 96 hours).

Bush taxis also operate on these routes.

Overview
The following goods may be imported into Côte d’Ivoire by passengers over 15 years of age without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars or 250g of tobacco or 100 cigarillos.
• One bottle of wine.
• One bottle of spirits.
• 0.5l of toilet water.
• 0.25l of perfume.

Note: Duty must be paid on video cameras, which may be imported for personal use only. A deposit must be paid on entry and is refundable on departure. Sporting guns can be imported under license. Limits are placed on certain other personal effects; contact the Consulate prior to departure.

Internal Travel:

Getting Around By Air
Air Ivoire (VU) (website: www.airivoire.com) no longer runs domestic flights. Check with a travel agent for new options.

Getting Around by Rail
The Abidjan–Ouagadougou railway is one of the most efficient in Africa and runs trains daily from Abidjan to Bouaké and Ferkessédougou. Children under four years of age travel free. Children aged between four and 9 pay half fare.

Getting Around by Road
Traffic drives on the right. Côte d’Ivoire has a good road system by West African standards, with 68,000km (42,250 miles) of roads, 5,600km (3480 miles) of which are surfaced. However, drivers should be aware of potholes and poorly lit vehicles. Petrol stations are frequent except in the north.

Bus: Small private buses and bush taxis operate throughout the country; they are efficient, although often extremely overcrowded. There are also larger coaches for longer journeys.

Taxi: These are available in main cities, although often of unsound mechanical condition.

Car hire: Cars may be hired in Abidjan, main towns and at the airport.

Documentation: Insurance is compulsory for the driver. The driver requires a UK or most other (applicable) national driving licenses, accompanied by attestation from the embassy of the issuing country that it is genuine.

Getting Around Towns and Cities
Extensive bus and boat services are operated in Abidjan by SOTRA on a two-tiered fare structure. Taxis are usually red and metered; rates are doubled from 0000-0600.

Journey Times
The following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from Abidjan to other major towns in the Côte d’Ivoire.

	Air	Rail
Bondoukou	1.20	-
Man	0.50	-
Odienne	2.20	-
San Pedro	1.00	-

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