Algeria-Niger border
 

Hello
I was succeed in obtaining Algerian visa. Next week I plan to start my African trip. I hope to get a Nigerian visa in Tamanrasset. Does anyone knows a firsthand information about situation at the Nigerian border? The information about Nigerian consulate in Tamanrasset will be a very useful for me too.

Alex

The Niger consulate in Tam is fairly easy to find (havent used it for years, tho).
Go south (actually SE) down the main tree-lined street from the town centre and it's on the left near some big sat dishes and next to the Mali consulate. Look out for the Niger flag.
Just off the bottom of this map I believe, and before 'teapot junction': Algérie : Carte - Tamanrasset - Quid.fr

Don't know about Niger at the moment. At Assamaka they may put you in a convoy to Arlit and more likely from Arlit along the road to Agadez.

Ch

Thanks Chris. I have 15 days in Algeria only. Do you have an info about term of obtaining Nigerian visa in Tam? What kind of visas are issued by them?

Alex

Hi Alex, all I know is it was cheap and same day or maybe overnight service last time I tried it (for a one month visa) but that was many years ago.
Maybe someone else has more recent experience.

The alternative is to get it in Amsterdam, Bruxelles or Bonn - and maybe Geneva.

Ch

Alex, I had been planning on doing similar route next March.

I got in contact with guides (Bienvenue sur le site d'Agadez Tourisme Sarl) about the crossing into Niger from Algeria and apparently it doesnt look good:

"sorry but it's really not the time to travel in those area regarding to insecurity, northern Niger remains " in emergency state", so no tourism is allowed there, we don't travel any more in these area. Our hotel remains open for people going there mainly on work purpose."

This pretty much put an end to me traveling the length of Algeria, I'd been advised by my Algerian guide to take this route as it was considered safer than crossing from Algeria into Mali.

In fact, Northern Niger and northern Mali are not safe actually.
Niger Artlit - Agadez is preferable for a single car because it is easyer to team up with other locals to form a convoy. Both borders are not closed for tourists though and I know of of several who did the crossing successfully.
But I would not recommand any of them. If I had to, I would do Bordj Mokhtar Gao with a serious guide (expensive).

Kind regards, Yves

Thanks guys. I rate highly your concern. But I have not a choice. It is a real luck to obtain an Algerian visa and I can not lose this chance. I think to ride with convoy from Arlit. And another question, where I can get a Nigeria visa in Niger? Is it possible to get it at the border? Or somewhere else except Niamey.

Alex

Going on friday
 

Hi Alex, we are two bikers from Denmark currently in Barcelona waiting to go to Almeria to take the ferry to Oran in algeria, then we plan to go to Algiers to get a visa for Nigeria and then we meet up with our giude for the trip down to Niger. We will arrive in Oran on saturday the 25 of october and meet up with the guide some days later. If it fits your plans you are welcome to join us so we can share the, expensive, price of the guide. Please let us know here or write to supervaca@hotmail.com

Gunnar and Sigurd
www.BannedFromSudan.com

Hi Gunnar, glad to hear you. I plan to take a ferry from Genova to Tunis November, 1. As soon as possible I want to reach Algerian border. Hope it will take me a couple of days. Next I will take a easiest way to Tam. It looks like you will go in advance of me. What is your route in Algeria? Please keep in touch. rubtsov_alex@mail.ru +37259878335

Alex

I would not count on getting a visa for Niger in Tamanrasset, athough you might be lucky. Due to the problems in Air the Nigeriens are now making it more difficult to get visa. On the border with Burkina they are not iussued any longer, for example. In The Hague you can get one very easily, within one hour (but phone first).

niger visa
 

We just got our Niger visa here in Tam today, took us 4 days and 50 euros a piece, according to the lady at the embassy we should have no problem on the road to Arlit so we have declined to be escorted by our guide, guides are expensive here and it gets a bit tiresome not to be allowed to make your own decisions.

That said we have had the most amazing guide, Mohammed from taranezouft voyages, great guy.

Oh and Alex you can message me on my sat phone, the link is on BannedFromSudan , maybe we can meet up

Gunnar

Tam-In Guezzam without guide ?
 

Are you sure you can do this route without guide ? I believed guide is mandatory until the border post .
RR.

Now in Niger
 

We have now made it to the first bastion of civilisation in Niger after spending 40 hours at the Assamaka border station with the authorities being absolute DICKS. We were finally allowed to depert after waiting a day and a half and handing over our passports, camera, laptop, map and FM radio for safe keeping.. we were supposed to get the item back in Arlit, but here the authorities were even bigger çocks and just acted like baboons. we are now in Agadas where the police are friendly but very sorry thet they have to keep out things and send them to Niamey !! they even gave us our map and passports back as a show of good faith.

on the upside the people of Niger who dont have a badge and a gun are real friendly and welcoming and we havent been asked for any bribes from the police at all..

Supervaca

Was it clear precisely what the problem was? Was it the lack of a compulsory guide or the problem of the conflict in N Niger?

Something similar happened to us in 2001. Passports were taken in Dirkou (eastern Tenere) and only returned to us in Niamey about 7 days later. We never found out exactly why.

Algeria without guide
 

I am in Tam. I passed the Tun-Alg border at Ghardimaou. Noone asked me about the guide. I was stopped by police every day a lot of times. It took me the time, but I did not have a problems with the authorities. Unfortunately I dont have enough time for the posting.
My Niger visa will be issued in Nov. 13. It takes 3 days and 50 euros.

Gunnar, if you will read this post, let me know please. I hope it is possible to meet in Niamey.

Alex

Algeria without guide !!
 

So , it seems now possible to visit Algerian desert without guide ?
I can't believe that !
Let me know where is Ghardhimaou ...
RR.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Location in Tunisia Coordinates: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._world.svg.png36°27′N 8°26′E / 36.45, 8.433 Country http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...unisia.svg.png Tunisia

Ghardimaou (Arabic: غار الدماء‎) is a small town in the north-west of Tunisia about 192 km from Tunis. It belongs to the Jendouba Governorate. The town has about 70,000 inhabitants ((67,955 in 2004). The rail line from Tunis passing along the Medjerda river ends at Ghardimou; it was built in 1878, and formerly crossed eastwards the border into Algeria. Souk Ahras, the first stop in Algeria, is 16 km away.
The museum of the "common Tunisio-Algerian Remembrance" ("mémoire commune tuniso-algérienne") was opened in 2005 and describes the national stuggle for independence.

Hi,
I was told by friends in Algeria that the biker had to stop at an army checkpoint 90km from In Salah were he was permitted to continue the next day with a passing agency 4x4 traveling with other tourists.
I don't know anything about the rest of the trip.

Yves

hi there!
it's a great news that no guide is necessery to enter Algeria;
but are you sure that it's also "guide free" from Tam to In Guezzam?
we'll try to get from Poland to South Africa on January next year (all the way by Mitsubishi L300 4WD), and we'll "invade" Algeria from Tunisia;
please, let me know how is the situation up there;
greetings and regards!

90% of overland tourists enter Algeria at Taleb Larbi (the Algerian side of the border near Nefta in Tunisia). At this border post, immigration will not let you pass without a guide. We arrived at 11pm the night before our Algerian guide reached the border. We wanted things to move quickly and so tried to pass through the border without the guide being present, so that when the guide arrived (as planned) in the morning, we would have saved some hours. But the officials would not let us pass - as we expected. We spent the night next to the border post. Only when the guide appeared the next morning were we allowed through.

It is probably the case that there are some quieter border posts where you could pass. But you will be picked up somewhere in the northern part of the desert and kept there until they have a plan for you. Going south from Algeriers this is likely to be El Golea. In the case of the biker making the report, it was In Salah. He got lucky, I think. Going through the eastern side it would surely be Hassi Messaoud.

I would guess that the authorities would start getting very strict if several parties tried this.

Thanks Rich for your reply;
the situation seems to be inscrutable;
in that case which one travel agency do you recommend?

Tanzerouft (Tanezrouft Voyage: Accueil) provided compulsory guide and additional cars for me in Algeria in Dec07/Jan08. They are good people.

ALEX i tried to message your phone but cant get through.. We are in Niamey.. message me on +4526808005

Gunnar

Dear Alex Rubtsov!
 

I am also planning a journey from Tunis to Tamanr. without guide if possible. Did you use local buses or your own car? Has anybody asked you about a guide during everyday police controll? Was the immigration process simple on Alg-Tun border? Are you in Niger now? How is the bordercontroll in Assamakka? Did you also have to wait a lot? Did they take your passport, camera, etc? What kind of transportation have you found from Tam to Niger?

Thank you for your help and wish you safe journey,
Krisztian

Dear Supervaca!
 

Have you already got back your camera and laptop? How long did you have to wait for it? Did they give it back in Niamey?

Thanks for your help!

Niger visas in Tam
 

I was in Tamanrasset just over a week ago leading a fly-in commercial tour. Talked to head of the local agency which arranged our trip. He confirmed that the Niger consulate in Tam issues visas as always, no problem. Submit in the morning receive in the afternoon, or submit later in the day and pick up the following day.

He also confirmed the situation with crossing the border and joining convoys from Assamaka onwards, in similar words to what Supervaca and Alex are describing here. Also, he said that the Alg consulate in Agadez is issuing Algerian visas without problems - as always an invite from an agency is necessary, and a guide to pick you up at In Guezzam.

Alex, greetings from St Petersburg! I am back home now, pity we never caught up in Tam this time. Say hi to Vlad, an I hope to see you guys soon, somewhere in the world.

Peter

Algeria-Niger Info
 

Guides, roads etc
Suck Akhras - Tam guide is not required
Tam - In Guezam you can ride without guide, but there are about 100 km sandy pist and a tuareg will be useful. The price is 150 - 400 euro for the trip.
In Guezam - Assamaka guide is not required. There is a very, very sandy road to Algerian border.
Assamaka - Arlit guide is required. The police takes away your passport ONLY. You can not go to Arlit without tuareg guide. Really dangerous places. There are no roads. We rode through the desert about 200 km. A lot of soft sand, dunes and stones. The Price for the guide is about 75-150 euro.
Arlit - Agadez military escort only. Very slow speed 30-50 km\h. Dangerous road. Noone go without escort. 50 km from Arlit gravel and very dusty road. We got the passports in Agadez police commissariat, but no entering stamps was there! We got the entering stamps in Agadez without problem.
Agadez - Niamey a very fast military escort about 200 km, 30 km gravel and dusty road. The speed is about 100-120 km\h! It looks like a rally! after you can will be free.
About things (photo, laptop, camera etc) never make video and photo from Assamaka to Agadez. Do not take out a laptop with people. Otherwise you will see your things only in the Niamey.

Gunnar, I am in Niamey now in Chez Tataui Hotel. But my AT was broken in the meddle of desert between the Assamaka and Arlit! I am waiting for the CDI unit here in Niamey. I left my bike in Agadez and I should come back there and replace the CDI. I hope to obtain a Nigeria visa in Monday or Tuesday and go back to Agadez by bus. Also I hope to get a CDI unit from DHL tomorrow in Monday. So, when I will be on the wheels again, I try to catch up with you somewhere in Nigeria or Cameroon.

Alex

Thanks for the updates on escorts Alex.

Tam - In Guezam you can ride without guide,

If it's not an anomaly then that sounds promising.
You could zip down to Tam under escort but if they don't give you a time limit to get to IGZ (Route 10 in the book) you could meander down over a few days via say, Tin Rerhoh and Gara Eker for some unescorted DIY...

Ch

This is really great info thanks for keeping us in the know.

Where are you off to from Niamey, do you have any info on the road from Niamey to Gao along the river bank at all.

Where are you staying in Niamey?

Agadez-Niamey
 

So, after Birni Nkoni the road is very bad. But from Dogondoutchi to Niamey is highway. The best place to stay in Niamey is the Chez Tatayi Hotel (look at the LP)
About Tam-In Guezam. There is a only one check point after Tam. Noone asked us about the guide there.
About the fuel. The maximal distance without fuel is 420 km. Price 1 litre - 0.25 euro

Hi,
Alex experience in Algeria is an exception but is, in my opinion an example of individual travel at its best. With time and ingenuity (how did he managed to get the visa?) it is still possible to travel w/o guides. My compliments.
On the other hand, security forces regularely face serious issues with smuggelers of arms, explosives and drugs and worse, thus any tourist should ensure that his journey is known to security forces to be on the safe side.

Regards, Yves

transportation
 

Hi, Alex!

Thank You for the useful information! I am planning to travell from Tam to Agadez, but I don't have my own bike or car and renting is too costy for me. Is there any transporation I can travell with? ( trucks, cars, etc. )

Greetings,
Majmolo

news on niger/hoggar route
 

hi there

we just arrived in mali after trip trough algeria and niger, the old hoggar route
it was a great trip
some info on the route

algeria travel with tanezrouft guide Fouad was very fine, algiers to inn guezzam without any problems, great trip
if arriving by ferry with a car, the customs in algiers are terribly slow, taking six hours to get through
northern algeria has quite a lot of uniformed people, but more south everything gets very friendly

between assamaka and arlit travel was possible, but according to locals its still not very safe
car dealers in agadez prefer to taker the much longer mauretania route to get their cars from europe, so its a little risky
we had a guide in assamaka, and got through safely with our old nissan vanette minibus fully loaded
some digging was needed, but we could get through

between arlit and agadez and agadez and tahoua there is still a convoy,
locals said the convoys will stop this month around 24 february, the route is safe again they said.
the convoy formed itself in themorning, but it turned out to be a race, and within an hour the whole convoy vanished, everyone driving as fast as possible, so i guess its safe enough to travel...

the air region is still very unsafe, according to some people its especially the iferouane region

for those who dare to take the risk, you will have the greatest journey through algeria and niger without any other tourists, although the assamaka -arlit track is not advised by anyone cause of insecurity...

guido

Thanks for the news Guido.

Reports like this that bring a situation right up to date are always welcome here.

Ch

just crossed Algeria-Mali border
 

I few days ago I crossed the Algerian-Malian border by land from Tamanrasset to Gao. Entered to Algeria in the north and pushed down with a bus without a guide to Tamanrasset. The bus have not been controlled even we passed the half of the journey at night. From Tam it was very difficoult to find any transportation to Malian border, but after one day of asking I was succeed with the help of a local guy. It was 2500 DA until Khalil, it is a transit station in Mali for fuel smugglers and illegal immigrants just a few kilometers from the Algerian border near Bordj Badji Mokhtar. The journey took about 24 hours with a Landrover. The Sahara is beautiful, we slept in the sand and the touaregs were prepairing food on fire. During the trip we took some water from reservoires in the middle of the desert. I do not know how the driver was succeed to navigate because in some places there were no signs at all, even most of the piste is signed with old tyres. The car avoided the Algerian border controll and entered to Khalil without being stopped. This village is full of barrels and tanker trucks. I was almost beaten when some smugglers realised that I was making photos from them, but the driver helped me to solve the problem. From Khalil to Gao I took an other pickup, sitting back side together with 14 illegal Nigerian immigrants coming from Algeria or Libya via Alg. The route to Gao is dangerous, frequent carjackings and very tireing. Took about 20 hours and costs CFA 15000 backside and 20000 front side. We also avoided the Malian immigration. Even I had the visas it was impossible to find any transportation wich passes immigration and cfoss the border on a legal way!

New season, same question
 

Any recent experiences on crossing In Guezzam-Assamaka? Is it open? What's the convoy situation now, Assamaka-Arlit and further to Agadez? Any news on safety in the region?

Here's what I've got today from a travel agency in Tamanrasset (my translation from French): "Niger poses a problem with security, it is not advised to go there".

That sounds like "you can go if you want, but we don't recommend". And it doesn't quite sound like "the border is closed completely", does it.

Peter

My latest information from the Algerian-Niger border, about 2 weeks old: the border is open, from Assamaka to Arlit you have to drive in a convoy which goes several time a week (no detailed info on this). It seems that the route from Arlit to Agadez is open w/o convoy. The security is still not good, but had improved.
I should new info in about a week-10 days.

Thanks Yves. This got me slightly confused though: followed by - did you mean Arlit-Agadez?

Anyway, please do let us know when you have the new information. I am sure I am not the only one heading that general direction the coming winter.

Peter

Peter,
I did a typo, it is NOT: Arlit to Ain Guezzam w/o convoy but Arlit-Agadez w/o convoy.

I just had - bad - news from a group crossing into Niger on Oct. 19., they were experienced travellers.
They returned to Algeria, they were not able to enter Niger!
I don't know the reason yet, hopefully in a few days.

closed borders for election
 

I have read that Niger closed its borders because of the election.
Some more detail here:
Niger to Hold Parliamentary Vote; Ecowas Calls for Postponement - Bloomberg.com

Hello,
I talked to the tourist who was not able to enter Niger Algeria.
It looks like an temorary issue.
The problem must have been related to the elections and the convoy schedule. He told he was no able to get a convoy from Assamaka to Arlit in time.
The schedule of the convoy is said to change for November.
The visa issue to travel back to Algeria was quickly solved by their Ambassy, the got new visa for Algeria at the border.

Well, will be waiting for the new news then. I am really curious to know what it is like now in Assamaka and what the convoy situation/schedule is. Planning to be there early Dec.

If/when I go again I will get the Niger Visa before leaving home, as the consulate in Tamanrasset may have a bad day and refuse the visa for any reason.

Even if you get updated information here on the situation, it can change quickly and then Mali is the only option. That or turn back north.

plus ca change...
 

the more it stays the same...

I have a meeting with the FO Counter Terrorism branch (North Africa) next Tuesday - I'll report back what they have to say.

Safe travels, Sam.

News
 

An update would be awesome, Sam...

I got distressing news from Agadez... even the ones in the tourism industry (and it's their own interest to host foreigners) say it's not a good idea to take the In-G - Assamaka - Arlit - Agadez route nowadays.
At all...

Well, let's hope the best, that's all we can do.

FO are saying no change - whole area is 'risky'.

So, not a terribly interesting meeting!

Safe travels, Sam.