Niger Travel Guide

Niger — Travel Tips

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Social Conventions

Handshaking is customary. Casual wear is widely suitable. Women should avoid wearing revealing clothes. Traditional beliefs and Muslim customs should be respected.

Photography: Permits are required for photography and filming, and can be obtained from police stations. Tour operators and tourist bureau are often able to make arrangements. Film is expensive and local facilities for processing film are not always good. Ask local people for permission before taking their photographs. Military installations, airports and administrative buildings (including the Presidential Palace) should not be photographed.

International Travel

Getting There By Air

Air France (website: www.airfrance.com) operates direct flights from Paris to Niamey. There are no direct flights from the UK or the USA.

Departure Tax

None.

Main Airports

Niamey (NIM/DRRN) is 12km (7.5 miles) southeast of the city. To/from the airport: Taxi services are available to the city (journey time - 10 minutes). Hotels have their own vehicles and provide free transport for their clients between the hotel and the airport. Facilities: Bars, shops, post office, currency exchange and car hire.

Getting There By Road

There are main roads from Kano (Nigeria) to Zinder, and from Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. The principal trans-Sahara desert track runs from Algiers to Asamakka and Arlit, with a paved road to Agadez. Desert driving can be difficult, marker beacons may not always be visible and petrol is not always available.

Bus: Services operate from Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali.

As of Februay 2010, Niger's borders closed due to a coup d'état.

Duty Free

Overview

The following items may be imported into Niger by passengers of 15 years of age or older without incurring customs duty:

• 200 cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 25 cigars or 250g of tobacco.
• One bottle of spirits and one bottle of wine.
• 500mL of eau de toilette and 250mL of perfume.

Note: A license is required for sporting guns. Customs must authorise their temporary admission. Apparatus for transmission or reception needs special authorization (as does photographic equipment, see Photography in the General Information section).

Prohibited Imports

Pornography is prohibited.

Prohibited Exports

Digging up or attempting to export ancient artifacts is prohibited.

Internal Travel

Getting Around By Air

At the time of writing, Niger did not have a national airline or any scheduled domestic services. Charter flights can be arranged; contact Niamey Airport (tel: 732 517/9).

Getting Around By Road

Note: It is essential that all visitors report to the police station in any town where they are making an overnight stop; see the Passport/Visa section.

Traffic drives on the right. Certain roads are permanently closed to tourists without special authorization. Principal internal roads are from Niamey to Zinder, Tahoua, Arlit and Gaya. Many tracks are impassable during heavy rain. The best season for road travel is from December to March. Petrol stations are infrequent and garages are extremely expensive. It is prohibited to travel by a different route than that entered in your passport by the police at the previous town. It is necessary to pay a toll on main routes. Travelers are advised against driving at night.

Bus: There are reasonable services between the main centers, and many roads have been sealed. Coach services operate from Niamey to Agadez, N’guemi, Tera and Zinder. The main operator is SNTV. Elsewhere, it is common practice to pay for rides in cross-country lorries; note that this can be an extremely slow and uncomfortable means of transport and that extra payment is expected of those who wish to ride in the cab.

Bush taxis: These are shared intercity taxis and are usually cheaper, but slower, than buses.

Car hire: Self-drive and chauffeur-driven cars are available, the latter being compulsory outside the capital. Much of the country requires 4-wheel drive vehicles, guides and full equipment.

Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required and is valid for three months. Minimum age is 23. Two photos are required.