Guinea — Travel Tips
Social Conventions
Although Muslim customs are less strict than in the Arab world, beliefs and traditions should be respected by tourists. Casual dress is acceptable. Street crime is relatively common. It is important to greet people and ask them how they are before starting a conversation. Guineans always use titles when addressing others, so the visitor should do likewise (Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle etc). Photography: A permit (applied for in advance) has to be obtained from the Ministère de l’Intérieur et de la Sécurité when photographing Government buildings, military and transportation facilities or public works. It is inadvisable to photograph buildings at present, and visitors should always ask local people if they want to photograph them.
International Travel
Getting There By Air
Air France (website: www.airfrance.com) flies regularly from London to Conakry, via Paris. KLM (website: www.klm.com) and Brussels Airlines (website: www.flysn.com) also fly direct from Europe. Air Afrique (www.airafrique.com) operates from New York to Dakar, from where connecting flights to Guinea are available.
Departure Tax
None.
Main Airports
Conakry (CKY) is 15km (10 miles) southwest of the city. To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the city. Facilities: Bank and car hire.
Note: Foreigners at Conakry Airport are particular targets for pickpockets and persons posing as officials who will offer assistance and then make off with bags, purses and wallets. Being met at the airport by travel agents, business contacts, family members or friends lessens the risk of this.
Getting There By Water
The fast hydrofoil service along the coast from Conakry to Freetown in Sierra Leone has been stopped due to the civil war, but will resume once Freetown is rebuilt. There is also a ferry to Mali which operates when the river is high enough.
Getting There By Road
There are road links with Danané (Côte d’Ivoire), Bamako (Mali) and Tambacounda (Senegal). Bus services are available to the neighboring countries, but services can be unreliable and timetables may be purely theoretical. Visitors should also note that political instability is persisting in some neighboring countries – notably in Guinea-Bissau. Check with an embassy or relevant organization for up-to-date travel advice.
Duty Free
Overview
The following goods may be imported into Guinea without incurring customs duty:
• 1000 cigarettes or 250 cigars or 1kg of tobacco.
• 1 bottle of alcoholic beverage (opened).
• A reasonable quantity of perfume.
Internal Travel
Getting Around By Air
Guinee Airlines operates internal services to some of the main towns, such as Boké, Conakry, Labé, Kankan, Kissidougou, Koundarg and Siguiri. Schedules are erratic.
Getting Around By Rail
Despite the existence of rail lines and plans to upgrade them, there are currently no rail services in Guinea.
Getting Around By Road
Traffic drives on the right. The roads between Conakry (via Kindia) and Kissidougou and from Boké to Kamsar are both paved. However, many roads are in poor condition and the minor roads are often overgrown with bush. Livestock and pedestrians create road hazards, so extra caution is to be taken while driving at night. Travel by road is often impossible in the rainy season (June to November). In an effort to counter urban crime, the Guinean government maintains roadblocks from 2200-0600.
Bus: The government bus company, SOGETRAG, operates services from Conakry to most other towns.
Taxi: These are available, although fares should be negotiated in advance. Bush taxis usually cover smaller distances than buses and can take up to seven passengers.
Getting Around Towns and Cities
Guinea has no public transport but there are local vans which pick people up along many routes. Buses and taxis operate cheaply within Conakry, but are poorly maintained and tend to be overcrowded.
