Baby steps!

We had planned to take some bikes to the Djanet area this Christmas, but (for reasons unrelated) are now hoping to go at the end of 2023...

Algeria
 

Not overland, but I'm living in Alicante and there is a ferry to Algeria... And I have two weeks off in December. Has anyone taken their own vehicle into Algeria post-covid? I saw someone had on Facebook, but he isn't answering my messages......I would love any information!

I have a visa and have bought a ticket. Leaving on the 18th. I'll let you know how it goes. And if you find any info, please share.

Thanks and bon voyage!

Hi all,

I returned from Djanet and the area of Tassili/Tadrat three weeks ago. It was a truly great experience, especially after a ten year break in my Sahara travels. I was there on a trip organised by Andras of FJ Expeditions for an international group of rock art enthusiasts.

As part of an improvised, tailor-made five day programme of exploration of Djanet and the area north of the oasis I had a chance to visit some truly amazing places and experience things that are not normally part of a standard itinerary. Kudos for that to Abdou Borgi who runs L'Agence Essendilène Voyages in Djanet, and to the other guys in the Agency, particularly Salah and Aissa. They went out of their way to let me use their accommodation in Azelouaz and put together a last minute trip, which apart from the landmarks along the tourist track (Essendilène Guelta, Oued Iherir, Tin-Taghirt or Tikoubaouine), included some local flavours, such as an overnight stay with Aissa’s family in the nomadic camp at the bottom of the Essendilène Canyon. I have spent three weeks with these guys and may say they are very professional, honest and dependable. This is my personal recommendation, based on my own experience.

Now that the Algerian government has decided to revive tourism, visiting the south is a good idea again. Applying for the Algerian visa was very straightforward for all members of the group (in Asia, Australia, N. America and Europe). Reaching Djanet by air is quite easy, too, but contrary to road travel, gives you very little time to acclimatise. The upside is it will reduce the time to drive there from the north by up to four days with the mandatory police escort.

__________________
Roman (UK)

Just called the customs at Almeria (Spanish port) and asked what papers I need to board the ship.

They told me that I don't need any thing special just:

- Ticket for the boat
- Passport with visa
- Motorcycle papers

They said everything will be fine as long as I stay under 6 months.

Made it into Algeria! No problems taking the ferry as long as you have all the correct paperwork and you do not intend to visit Sahara.

Will do a longer writeup in the future, but right now I am exhausted.

First foreigners group on motorcycles in Algeria (They are french)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLIcKnYrsyM

This must be new. Back in January getting a visa in the US was near impossible, as lead times were months long.

Big news:
https://www.visa-algerie.com/visas-p...tes-etrangers/
Visa on arrival for tourists visiting the algerian desert.

this makes me really sad because more tourists = more pollution and less fauna doh

I'm happy for the Algerians! They are very isolated from the world and tourism will bring more money to the ordinary people!

FWIW
You can obtain a visa de regularisation on arrival onto algerian soil.
It is still mandatory that you have booked an organised tour and be accompanied throughout.
Better than nothing but not exactly 'open borders and ride/drive/power slide your camel where you want'.

I am in Algeria right now driving around without a guide. Im staying in the north part of the country tho, not enough time to go to the Sahara.

I am only going on what is published on official sites.
As you say you are there now would you be kind enough to elaborate?
As in where you entered the country (on 2 or 4 wheels)
Aside from passport and vehicle docs, what was asked of you at the border?
Such info would be priceless.
Thank you

I will do a longer writeup with everything next week when my vacation times are over.

But you need a visa, and the normal papers. I am here with my own motorbike registered in Finland. Took the ship from Spain Almeria to ghazaouet.

My contact in Djanet says the new system is not yet in place, but they are expecting the new visa regime to come into force sometime in January 2023, Inshallah!

More news from Le Pointe

From January 14, a simplified procedure for issuing an Algerian visa on arrival will be operational!

We will explain everything to you :
Instead of the ordinary formalities of visa applications, foreign travelers going to the Great South of Algeria, as part of a stay organized and supervised by an approved Algerian tourist agency, will be able to obtain a “regularization visa” upon their arrival at airports in the region.

This relaxation in the granting of visas for the Algerian Great South "is part of the measures taken by the public authorities to promote Sahrawi tourism", specified the Ministry of the Interior in its press release.

Someone told me it only applied to Schengen countries which of course now excludes Brexit Brits. Not sure where they saw that.
UK consulate visa page appears unchanged
https://www.algerian-consulate.org.u...isa-to-algeria
but that's not saying much.

Really, this is only of value to conventional fly-in tourism (safer and easily controlled) than the sweeping overlanding of old. Afaik, for the desert south the area of off-highway travel remains tiny (regions around Djanet and Tam).

And I would not be surprised if it only applied to airport arrivals. not land/port borders (as in RIM), even with an escort waiting. But we shall see.

I am very interesed to hear from you the steps that you took starting from the visa , the Almeira port procedure part + ferry Ticket agency or website you chose to your entry seaport process in Algeria...it is too much to ask but anything will help in my planning thanx..:thumbup1:

There are recent travel experiences inside of the wüschi forum. It is in german language, but the chrome browser is able to do a nexcellent translation beer

Surfy

Well spotted Surfy.
I see the Swiss couple in the Sprinter have not only managed to travel in the deep south unescorted, but they succeeded in slipping across from Djanet to Tam, a route that was supposedly closed to tourists last time I heard. No one's done that for years and years, though without an escort they could have roamed anywhere, within reason.
They look like long time Africa pros and I think may be heading out to RIM via Tindouf.
https://cantone-libero.ch/category/r...ika-2022-2023/

chris
I know few Algerian guys who did the crossing from Djanet to Tam on motorcycles. a groupe of 5 and a guy who did it solo all on 1200GS
They struggled a lot, but it is doable.
There is also a known Qatari traveler who did it on a smaller bike (I think a triumph 500?) but he was escorted throughout the whole journey in Algeria (high profile)
I’ve also heard that a section of the road has already been prepared for asphalt… but don’t know how much … my guess in few years it will be open and easy for all …
There has been a lot of progress and road development in the past few years,
One which is a new road RN 118 of approx 400km crossing the western erg between Elbenoud and Tinerkouk, this section has no pétrole station, no cell phone coverage…
Attachment 26583

Good to know people are getting out there and that southern checkpoints are letting them pass without escorts.
Once you are on the piste easy to roam anywhere (or there are few checkpoints).

You did your November tour (in other post) without escorts?
I would expect this to be possible on the 'Timimoun circuit'.
Heading further south, the trick would be getting out of In Salah; or maybe this is no longer an issue.
(I see the Swiss now past In Salah and heading towards Timimoun.)

The trap as always is the visa (for some nationalities).
The imminent Visa on Arrival is not like Morocco or Tunisia and still seems to comes with pre-conditions.
But once you have that by whatever means and they let you clear of a border with no escort, it does seem you're free to roam.

As a new regulation this does seem a little too good to be true; more like not bothered, as in the old days. It was the whole mass kidnapping saga of exactly 20 years ago which set it all back for independent tourism. And you do wonder in travel agencies are going to be reluctant to let things go back to pre-2003 freedoms.

Wrt Djanet-Tam road, I read from the Swiss account that from the east it has reached just beyond Serenout fort (now a big installation).
You can see the black tarmac on Bing Aerial; ESRI.
And from Ideles it goes NE before petering out (visible on Google Maps).

Things may have moved on in real time but between these two points is 120km of piste (verified Sept 2023), I do recall the terrain from Serenout around Telerteba mountain is lots of small sandy valleys; harder roadbuilding than out on the plane. It did take them 10 years to seal the 400km from Illizi to Djanet but as your photo shows, anything is possible!

More good info on checkpoints in southern DZ here:

Does anyone have any idea if the new VOA for southern Algeria will apply to the north? I get that you have to have a tour booked for the Djanet region and that you have to fly into Djanet. But what if you want to explore the north afterwards? Obviously you can't apply for a standard visa from within the country. Would you just not be allowed to leave Djanet with this new VOA?

Good question which I don't think everyone along the chain from ministry to tour ops to border officials and roadside checkpoints and online forums will have the same answer.
One way may be to do the north first then make your way down to Djanet, either by air or bus, for the latter with solid evidence that you have a tour booked in Djanet.
But up north doing so make take some nous/local language skills in dealing with checkpoints, depending on where you go.
That said, it's hard to think you will not be allowed to leave Djanet, easily done if your plane goes back via Algiers (not Djanet direct to Europe, as Le Point are now doing) and you do not have hold baggage.

I contacted an Algerian tour operator who attempted to answer some of my questions. This is what he said in regards to being able to visit the north on a VOA receieved in the south:

So apparently you have to prove that the majority of your trip will be in the south, not exclusively in the south. When asked if any potential visit to the north could be done independently after doing a tour of the south he responded with this:

So although you can visit the north independently with an ordinary visa, the VOA requires a tour that accounts for every single day of one's stay in Algeria, even if you intend to visit part of the north after visiting the south. I guess that's better than the VOA only allowing travel to Djanet...

By the way, does anyone know if visas still have to be applied for in one's country of residence? Or are they allowing tourists to apply from abroad yet? I am rarely ever in my country of residence, and when I am it's usually not for long enough time to apply for a visa. Hence why I'm especially interested in this new VOA system, even if I'd have to book a tour...

Thanks for finding that out - looks like a comprehensive answer.
May I ask who was the agency, Essendilene?

Did not fully realise there are still two types of visa - ordinary/old style apply at consulate - and new VoA.
Will the VoA require no interaction with one's consulate; straight from agency permissions to stamp on arrival at border?

I just looked again at https://www.algerian-consulate.org.uk.
Evidence of recent updates ('Ramadan 2023') but visa page looks the same as it did last time I went to Algeria and the years before that, with no mention of VoA.

The British FCO is typically behind the times (as mentioned elsewhere), or like us, does not fully feel confident in explaining the VoA system yet.
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...y-requirements
"Visas
Before you travel, you will need to get a visa from the Algerian Consulate in London. You can’t get a visa on arrival."

As I have read, this is all part of a plan ahead of introducing e-visas as much of the world uses now.

I have never known anyone who was able to apply for an Alg visa outside of their home country. I presume VoA could be different?
Other African nations have this requirement with travellers needing to DHL their docs back home to get a visa for onward travel.
Usually it is just an equivalent response to the similar demands of the country concerned.

Unlike the British FCO, the US Department of State has updated its Algeria page to include visa on arrival:

http://https://travel.state.gov/cont...s/Algeria.html

Though this video fits well here :



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twAP3buj9Og

Nicely done vid.
But some Sahara Circles still remain mysterious ;-)
https://sahara-overland.com/2020/06/...f-adrar-madet/

About VOA
I found an interesting article on the website of the algerian consulate in France
https://consulat-nantes-algerie.fr/5...ance-de-visas/

In short : Voa only for organised groups with final destination to at least one of the 24 southern wilayas.

Hi, I have a UK passport and successfully got the VOA last month at Algiers airport. It didn't cost anything and it took about 1 hour of bureaucracy to process (proof of type of job you do etc) so make sure your domestic flight departs 3+ hours after you land in country.


I had a private Tadrart tour booked and the guide emailed me a 'boarding authorization' pdf to show to the airport staff at Paris (who also had to make a few calls at the gate and a bit of huffing and puffing)

From the WA facebook group

"People's Democratic Republic of Algeria
Ministry of the Interior, Local Governments and Urban Development
* Ministry of Interior
P
02
Initialization
2024 24 boom
In implementation of the instructions of the President of the Republic, Mr. Abdelmadjid Tebboune Al-Masdada, on the occasion of the inauguration of the two fixed border crossings between Algeria and Mauritania, which he supervised equally with his brother, the President of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh Al-Ghazouani, on February 22, 2024, the Ministry of the Interior, Local Communities and Urban Development informs that all arrangements have been made. necessary at the level of the “Martyr Mustafa Ben Boulaid” border crossing, starting yesterday, Friday, February 23, 2024, in order to open it to the movement of people, and to ensure its smooth entry and exit to and from the Islamic Republic.
Mauritania, in parallel with opening it to commercial traffic.
These measures are an embodiment of the high political will of the two presidents of the republic
The two countries to advance bilateral cooperation relations, common development and good neighborliness."

And how about this - eight gas stations on the 800 kms Tindo road?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5C2pNdp4M_k
Morocco - your move!

Stephan's report from the RIM/DZ border.
A case of very good timing:
https://cantone-libero.ch/reisen/afr...fen-%e2%ad%90/

https://www.algerie360.com/algerie-m...te-frontalier/

It seems they hadn't guide. Looks promising.

Is this a game changer? When you can now make working plans for a circuit including both Morocco and Algeria on the same trip, not having to take the same long road back but have several choices for Algeria.
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Tang...iers,+Algeria/
Does this mean a potentially huge increase for tourism in south Algeria?

I don’t think that will happen soon. Or an increase from a very small number of adventurous overlanders to a small number.
There are still the delicate visa hoops to jump through; most others are still nervous about Algeria the way they used to (pretend to) be about Libya – before that became an actual fact in 2011.
And anyway, unless I was heading on to West Africa, I’d sooner spend all those miles and days exploring more of DZ than schlepping across northern RIM and back up the Atlantic Highway.
But your loop could make a great desert road trip. What a shame Grand Tour TV show is ending…

A couple of days ago at a Moroccan checkpoint close to the Alg border, the guy noted an old DZ visa in my passport.
‘You been there?’ I asked. Then I realised that was the wrong thing to say ;-)

For me it is definitely a tempting game changer and I've googled nearly the same route: like yours, but via Tunisia for the more convenient ferry options.

I absolutely like this new option. It would be more Sahara, than I´m dreaming of and it would be cheaper than the previous options driving to northern Africa, as I'd save myself +3000km worth of pricey EU fuel and French speed tickets.

Starting in central Europe towards the African Atlantic, it always felt like wasting time and fuel through mostly known areas (Germany, France, Spain) spending the best part of a week and 1k€ before I see something exciting in Morocco to then continue into a dead end, where I'd have to u-turn and +50% of the returning route is again already known turf.

Now I could drive to Genova in a loooong day, hop onto 100€ over-night ferries to Sardinia, then to Sicily (both is known surf and turf, too, but I´d surf the next day - not next week and food is just better) then to Tunis.

As far as I understand it, Tunisia - Algeria border is quite straight forward, if you have an invitation letter or hotel booking and I assume the crossing from Algeria into RIM will be visa on arrival for my German passport, like it is when coming into RIM from Morocco/DZ or Senegal. So this is visa wise a very low effort trip, without big planning in advance needed.

I think it comes down to a few things, but principally to what extent there has been a change in policy in Algiers or whether things are changing ad hoc.

A few thoughts:

1. For a substantial increase in the number of tourists, I think people will need more clarity and certainty before committing to a trip like this. That's dependent on a number of things falling into place (see pt.3) but principally a growing number of people being able to do this route and proving that its possible. Think of it like a tip of a spear - with the likes of the Swiss couple being at that tip.

2. Flowing from that, I think it comes down to a number of people who are just willing to give it a go and risk getting turned back, and being happy with that. Not all overlanders would wish to take that approach - overland travel has a range of people with a range of different appetites for risk, availability for travel, financial resources etc.

3. Really encouraging that the border has opened again, and great that there has been a formal announcement (unlike any change to visa requirements, excepting VOA). But be slightly cautious about viewing this purely through the prism of overland travel - i.e. it might be a loosening of rules that aimed at Algerian and Mauritanian citizens and trade here. A small number of tourists may be tolerated but only up to a point - a larger number of tourists may lead to a re-tightening of policy, especially if the Gendarmerie aren't comfortable with the number of tourists they have to keep track of. This applies to wider visa policy too by the way.

4. Question marks also still exist around guide/escort etc. When I was in the country last autumn, I left the main route to Tindouf somewhere after Bechar and didn't require an escort to that point but I'm not sure about thereafter. The Tindouf border crossing is obviously in a more sensitive area due to the WS issue and Mali isn't a million miles away either. On security and travel in the rest of the country (including the far south), I would describe the attitude of the Gendarmerie and the army on the ground as accepting of independent travel but not wholly comfortable and there being a consistent undercurrent of nervousness.

So there's a need to think about to what extent the le pouvoir are thinking about tourism policy in a serious way.

It could be, like the Saudis for example (another petrol-chemical state, and one which is thinking about its post-oil future), that this marks a concerted effort to attract tourism back to the country. However, and based on the 2 months I spent there last autumn and the country's history and power structures, I'm not sure if the country's leadership is dynamic enough to be thinking that way.

And its worth remembering that, from I understand (Chris S, do comment here!), even during the Saharan travel glory days of the '70s and '80s in the country, this was the result of a laissez-faire attitude rather than anything else.

So, certainly not wanting to put a downer on what's an exciting development, but also think there's a need for pragmatism here.

A few Sunday morning musings....

Ed

I'm moving to a world where multi-month trips won't be possible for a few years at least, so have also been looking at how I might still be able to a worthwhile trip to DZ for a couple of weeks.

In short, I've been recommended a shipping company based in Holland - some £600 for a return land-freight of a bike down to Malaga, which has plenty of cheap flights. Then a couple of hours' ride on to Almeria, there there are 8 hour overnight ferries to Oran (Tuesday) and Ghazaouet (Friday). I live in London, so dropping the bike off in Holland a few weeks or so beforehand and flying back home would probably work.

Let me know if you want the company's details.

Ed

Agreed that it mainly comes down to a change in how Algeria sees tourism.
If it opens up, it means tour operators may see a new market.
Also agree with Chris Scott that Algeria in itself is a destination where you could spend many months.
Saudi Arabia is destined to become a major tourist destination.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2353656/saudi-arabia
The northwest is amazing and not much developed for tourists yet.
Others may take notice.
Inshallah etc.

I think the sort of tourism DZ, KSA and probably any other country wants is not the kind we do.
They want big groups flying into lavish local hotels then doing day trips in 4x4s with local drivers before exiting via the gift shop. The problem (unlike much richer KSA, I suspect) is that there has be very little development in the south to adequately serve these tourists. In the 600 desolate km between Djanet and Tam you would probably find 600 lodgings in Morocco over a similar distance.
But as Tom Sheppard might say - long may it stay like that!
The longer DZ does not become like Erg Chebbi the better.

Dirtbags in autonomous off-roaders bring little of economic value other than spreading the word of Alg's desert riches. Which makes the lack of enforcement of the 20-year-old agency escort rule even more puzzling.

Thanks for the offer, Ed

first, I have to admit to have joined this biker forum for the precious infos provided here for a long dreamt of Africa circumnavigation, but never did that big trip and never held a driving license for everything bigger than 50ccm. I feel very attached to my +50yrs old Landy Series 2a.

A true Sahara crossing with it is just a silly bucket list thing, which will or won't be check marked, once time and budget allows. There was a time pre-Covid, when I ran my own wind- & kitesurfschool from March to October on Sardinia and was better off in not turning on the heater in my flat during winter, but driving flat out (at barely 90km/h) towards the heat of the south of Spain or Morocco (unfortunately little surfable wind in M during the winter, so mostly stood in Tarifa). Pandemic had me to change places and my ways of earning a living and I won't be able to break free for a few months either in the overseeable future.

I've got a similar quote to have my car transported by truck from my current home in western Germany to Malaga by a Spanish freight company. Occasionally, I have imported classic cars to restore and resell from Spain through him. This could be still an option to save me the week of driving down there, but nearly at the same cost.

Actually I´m only daydreaming longer trips these days, too, maybe I can take a month or two off next winter for it, but going via Spain into Morocco would only be a new thing beyond Dakhla, so sneaking into Morocco from the other side, coming from Tunisia, Algeria, RIM, would be an exciting option and would allow me to visit friends on Sardinia, too.

Edit(h) is a bit confused, we were under the impression to have written my earlier response in the New Border: Algeria - Mauritania -Post Did some Mod move this conversation over here or am I just nuts?

I moved it here as it has become a general Alg discussion, not about the Tindouf border. Makes it easier for users to find stuff quickly.

And fyi, while HUBB was originally and is mainly a moto forum, unlike other regional HUBB forums, 'North Africa' (Sahara) covers info on exploring the desert by any means. It was originally my Sahara Travel Forum which I moved onto the HUBB over 20 years ago, and I've travelled out there with cars, motos, 4x4 and camels.

TT, I have an Italian passport and I've been digging into the planning for a Tunisia-Algeria trip and everything I see on-line is that Schengen Area passports require a visa to Algeria issued from your home country.

Do you (or anyone here) have any additional knowledge or experience with getting a visa on arrival at a land border for Algeria? Or maybe I misinterpreted your statement about the T-A border being straight forward with a hotel reservation?

Thanks!

Currently VoAs are only issued at airports.

For land borders you need more than a hotel reservation, you a visa in advance which is most easily obtained from the consulate in your home country with evidence of hotel res (certificate d'hebergement) or of course a booked tour with an escort meeting you at the border.

FYI I came in/out of Algiers, Oran, Mostaganem & the Taleb Larbi (DZ/TN) crossings last autumn and saw nothing to suggest that you can turn up and get a visa on the spot.

Needless to say Chris's post above is also right on the money, based on my experience.

Ed

Marcello Carucci, who without doubt is in the pantheon of motorbiking influencers with the greatest facial hair, made it to Tamanrasset this week - only worth mentioning because it sounds like he had to have an escort from In Salah, if I've understood his posts correctly (they're in Italian).

https://www.facebook.com/marcellocaruccimoto

If correct, an unfortunate sign that the waters remain muddy for unassisted travel further south still.

Ed

I got this info of the T-A border being "straight forward" from a German 4x4-Forum, where some group described it like that. Whether they had visa collected in advance wasn't clear, but getting one doesn't seem to be a problem, even without a verified hotel booking or guide for the entire stay.

Not done it for years but always was straightforward by African standards, just took a long time (going DZ>TN).


That's how it was before 2003, but you needed a visa in advance (at least since the 90s). Some countries like Germany do have fewer difficulties getting visas than others.

Are you going by bike or 4x4?

If on bike, in the DZ side I was simply waved through to the head of a very very very very long queue, as per other places. Which was nice.

In a 4x4, I'd take a good book to read....!

Ed

In the foreseeable future I'm not going anywhere but arm chair exploring the desert from my desk. When health conditions allow again, I would like to stretch the legs of my trusty Landy S2a 4x4 over African sand one day and that loop Tunis -> Tangier via Mauri seems quite tempting.

Thanks for the book tip. We would never catch up with any queue or traffic jam and can read books at cruising speed in that old leafer. I guess DZ crossing will have cleared up, until well make it there.

I gathered this info about crossing from Tunisia into Algeria far post pandemic lockdowns, so fairly recently (´22 or ´23 ish). But a German passport may be advantageous compared to others. I'm sure, the group did not book a guided tour, as their break down stories wouldn't have been so ridiculous if they had been accompanied by a local and some common sense.

The passport situation is a funny one - I'm not sure if it makes a big difference, though I understand a French one might. As a Brit, I found it did not hold me back.

From what I've seen of late, I think what's more likely to lead to restrictions on movement instead is a) whether you're driving a flash vehicle (and therefore are more likely in the eyes of the gendarmeries to get robbed) b) how well equipped you are in said vehicle and your general state of preparedness and c) ability to speak at least some French to get by. A Series 2a Landy should help you out on the first two counts for sure!

Ed

Tindouf border
 

I'm planning my trip this year to explore the 'Empty Quarter' on both sides, and I'm wondering if anybody has had a recent experience crossing from Algeria to Mauritania ?

Assuming you mean the Tindouf route (not really Majabat al Koubra or E¼), this is the thread you want:
https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hu...uritania-95755

I think the window for Majabat (RIM-Mali) is long closed.

hi fellow travellers!

We are preparing for a trip to Djanet. Based on info that was given to us on the Algerian embassy we need a signed paper by authorised Algerian tourist agency. Based on this we can acquire Visa on the Tunisian-Algerian land border. However, catch is that in this case we need an escort from that agency throughout our trip in Algeria.

How do Europeans usually organize a 4x4 trip to Algeria? I saw some posts and blogs from people going solo in the south and around.

Do you ask for a normal visa and book a hotel in the north for duration of your stay in Algeria? in this case, can you expect any issues with police on your way south?

Any advice is most welcome. we are a bit confused.

The way you describe with escorts has been in place since 2004 (though usually the visa was issued before, in your home country).
Most people take this route as it is guaranteed.
A local in his own vehicle has its uses if you strike trouble.

As you say, lately people have managed solo but it is bit of a 'trick' to get the visa with lodging invitation.

Reads the posts by edwardbgill and his website. All is explained.
Getting the visa this way can be a bit of a gamble, but once you are past the port/border the checkpoints down south ought not stop you, though they will want a local contact number, pour votre securité, so get a local SIM.

6 months old, but some Lithuanians in Algie.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid...38310233947926

I'd add that if you get a letter of invitation for your visa from an in-country guide/agency then you will need to stay with those guides for the duration of your trip.

Suspect that this has been the policy for a while however the Ministry for the Interior has recently restated this to guides.

Thanks

Ed

We just returned from Algeria.
28 day trip with acaciaaventure.com
The Raid intégral Algérie is a 28-day 4x4 tour covering more than 7,000 km to discover the most beautiful landscapes in Algeria. We've crossed the Tassili N'ajjer, the Tadrart and part of the Great Western Erg. Mus Hafiz, the boss of our organiser Acacia Aventure, promised us that "every day will be more beautiful", and he was right.
We were a group of 20 toyota’s. Most of the days we were split in different groups and drove independently along a set of waypoints. The big group never was a problem and every night we got together at the bivouac spot or hotel. 18 bivouacs in 28’days.
Everything south of El Golea is controlled area and you can’t go on your own. We met a german couple in a truck in Tamanrasset who were stopped along the way from Alger to Tamanrasset. The rest of their trip was with a police escort on the tarmac roads.
With our organised tour, the visa on arrival was arranged and also the permits for the Tassili national park, so we could drive to the nicest spots, on and off road. A lot of police checkpoints along the way, so I don’t think it is really possible to slip through without an agency. Several times, when we were driving in our little groups, we were stopped by the police to check us out. Always very friendly and helpful.
One day, a tourist was stabbed in Djanet and directly after that our group was stopped at the first town and placed under police escort until they figured out that the attack was from a single criminal and not terroristic. The authorities are very security aware.
But......apart from the police thing, it was magical! Fantastic landscapes! Friendly people who really want you to have a good time in their country. I needed a replacement side window and the guy that fixed it even didn’t want any money.

Ferry from Marseille to Alger. Corsica linea.
You can buy insurance when you leave the port in Alger. Also buy a simcard there. Use Mobilis, they have the best coverage. 12 euros for 30 days 80 GB (yes eighty!)
Diesel : 0,20€ per liter. If you go to the national parks, you’ll need 900 kms of autonomy, 200 liters of diesel in a standard 24v 80.
Credit cards don’t work. Everything is cash.
border with tunisia ar Nefta is open.
Border with Morroco is closed.

Long term parking in Algeria or Tunis?
 

Hi,

I plan to overland Tunis and Algeria february / march.
Does anybody knows if long term parking is possible there? I would like to leave there a car and fly back home for 3 or 4 weeks and then back to Algeria.

There are different conditions in different countries but I didn´t find any information about this issue in Algeria or Tunis.


And by the way, one more question: as I found out, a CPD(Carnet de Passages en Douane) is not needed?

Thank you for any info.
I am from Czech republic (EU).

Marian

November December 2024
 

Evening all and thank you @Firewout below for that latest.

Ngiri will be arriving in Algeria 17/11 at Mostaganem to be met I expect by a group of local bikers. I'll be then heading to Taghit to be met by another biker/safari guide before heading down south.

Hoping to put on my more nobbly tyres at In Salah and we'll go from there. I'll be a bit short on endurance (depending on going) if they require 900km of autonomy. Tant pis/Inchallah

I'll post as I go if I have coverage.

Is there anyone else in the area?

I doubt very much it is possible in Algeria.
It only became possible in Morocco a few years ago and the countries are miles apart. Tunisia more likely.

According to our local tour operator, Mus Hafiz from acacia aventure, you can leave your car up to 3 months in Algeria.
This was mentioned sideways in a conversation, so I don’t have any practical knowledge how to organise this.

Tar from Ideles to the east /Djanet
 

I’m now in Tam.

Rest and maintenance tomorrow then off to Assekrem and beyond.

Been talking to disappointed Algerian Bikers who thought that the route: Ideles- east was tar.

I said but it is - having scanned the route on google maps. Now I’ve been looking more closely and I find that the tar stops at longitude E 6.4445919

Now I’ve seen my consumption (thanks Rotax) I think I’ll have a stab at some of the Gpx routes I’ve got dialled in.

Does anyone else have any up-to-date info?

Incredible the amount of mis- and dis-information - just been talking to a local guide who tells me that there is tar from Ideles to Djanet.

I was there last year. Defenitly tar wasn't all the way. Many long section without it. Route from Djanet to Ideles (482 km) we drove 9 hours (with brake for lunch). We were 4x4 and truck so it was long distance without tar.

Latest I have read is that there is still a small piste section between Tam/Djanet.

https://sahara-overland.com/2023/05/...o-tamanrasset/

How were the checkpoints going south? Were you accompanied by a guide the whole time?

No, I had no guide. For me there seemed to be one choke point on the road south. This was at In Salah. There thé gendarmes were more assiduous. There is a part of me that conjures the idea that the guide of a guided group of Germans that I met at the junction south of In Golea might have contributed to this. There was a bit of chatter on WhatsApp the next morning when they were leaving saying the escort was ready …. This hadn’t been discussed as I needed to change my tyres. (Edited - After event an Algerian biker friend told me later that he overheard the hotel receptionist talking to the police because of the stirring by the guide - I think a case of sour grapes.)

So while changing tyres two gendarmes turned up but couldn’t speak French …. So tyres changed I then said I must fill my water bladders…. And then my fuel bladders ….. then the side stand broke on my bike so I said, «*no departure today*» they then left my passport at the hotel.

To cut a long story short, I got my passport back the next morning and I left town avoiding the police checkpoint on the TSH by cutting through the town dump and rejoined the highway about 5km out of town. I was then on the Ed Gill Old TSH piste for the next day and a half.

So when I got to Arak the gendarmes couldn’t have been more friendly. There was some confusion about a bloke who looked a bit like me in a hotel in In Salah but I continued on to Tam.

Down here it seems that a solitary biker slips easily through the net. When I leave town tomorrow I’ll do a map recce and avoid any obvious checkpoint sites and join my route later.

My general feeling has been that security has been getting tighter as one rolls south. Up north the gendarmes carry sidearms. Down here they carry AKMs but without spare magazines. There are sandbagged positions but they seem to be dilatory. So what ever threat they expect is likely to be of short duration.

There doesn’t seem to be a set requirement of passport or driving licence or whatever. Sometimes they take your fone number sometimes not. Sometimes they call in the information sometimes not. It all depends on the gendarme. As always in Africa it’s best to not be in a hurry …. 3 days at the customs in Tête (Mozambique) taught me that. I try to get in neutral, switch off and coast to a halt by the gendarme with visor up and smile on. Sometimes in traffic this is not possible.

Ngiri and I’ll see what it’s like leaving town tomorrow…. I have also used heavy traffic to sneak through masked by a lorry and a wave. They’ve generally not got chase cars so there isn’t much they can do.
Share

If it is all sealed I would surprised - 100km in 6 months.
It took them a decade to do 250km over the Fadnoun plateau (Illizi>BeH).
But eventually it will happen heralding a whole new era on this classic southern loop.
Till then I recall it gets sandy as it turns SE as you near Serenout (checkpoint).

Best you find out for us, Ngirienroute ;-)

I hear via an Italian group that in some areas motos have been banned, such as Tadrart - a now over popular long valley SE of Djanet with rock art etc and ending in Merzouga dunes near Libyan border. There are many better places to ride off road.
Don't know the other areas other than the obvious southern and western border expanses.

Two people tell me they want GPS at the border - not allowed any more [as in Tunisia once years ago]. Drones too I think + sat phones and radios, as expected. But of course a mobile is a GPS and that they like them to keep tabs on your location (I am told).

The latest as of yesterday for the state of the road from Idles to Djanet.

In miles. The first 50 are tar. There is then dirt to mile 94. Then a period of tar to mile 106. Then dirt to mile 122. After that it’s tar to BEH. Between BEH AND Djanet there is just a 3 mile spot of dirt at about mile 30.

The road BEH to Djanet varies from good to starting to mosaic - where it is forming the latter there appears to be work in progress to put in a new course.

To complete the picture for the route from the TSH (just S of In Amguel) the first 40 km are travaux/dirt. After that it’s goudronnée to Idles. After that see above.

Only just picked up on these - interesting to read and thanks for sharing, Jim.

FWIW Instagram biker Nata has been down this way the last week or two and had some frusrtrations with escorts from In Salah onwards, and even already with a guide across from Idles to BEH. My understanding is that she was blocked by gendarmes at BEH from completing her anti-clockwise loop from Tamanrasset via BEH back north to Hassi Massaoud and Tunesia.

See here - https://www.instagram.com/nata_onthe...NlZDc0MzIxNw==

I think your comments on solo bikers finding it easier to slip through, and the arbitery nature of it all hit the nail on the head.

I'm due to hear back next week on a visa for myself, for a two week trip in February - but will be focussing on the northern Sahara sections for that.

Ed

I can understand that In Salah was an issue for Nata. The gendarmes might have been sensitised by what happened to me.

If you have nobbly/sand tyres avoiding the police road block leaving In Salah is reasonably easy - just look at the map and you will see where you can cut through the town dump and rejoin the TSH further south. The checkpoint on arrival at In Salah from the North is trickier to avoid and I didn't have time while heading north myself to find a way around it - but there must be.

I would like to reiterate that my issues in In Salah stemmed from a guide sticking his oar in. I never had another issue with the Gendarmes anywhere in Algeria.

There are more and more bikers trundling around the South. Coming back from Djanet I bumped into two Dutch bikers (Martijn and Max) at the (empty that day) filling station at Bordj El Haouas who said that they had encountered a group of 5 bikers in Djanet. So there are heaps more folk doing the south but not writing it up.

Spare 21in Front Tyre

In In Salah, if this can help someone in the future, due to changes of plans, I left a practically new 21inch Motoz Tractionator Desert with Nordine at his workshop which on Google maps is Mechelen Lat/Long 27.19363254287799, 2.484235799624933 (I did have workshop logged but my DMD spat the dummy on arrival back in Spain and I lost the Lat/Long) - you'll see my Live Unlimited Warthog/Ngiri sticker on his door if he isn't there. He's a great bloke and has the only tyre machine that does bike tyres in In Salah. He will also store your tyres for the return if you need to do that. Give him my salaams. Furthermore if you do want to use his services you might consider a gift of rubber solution and patches which are both hard to get and expensive in In Salah.

Third time’s a charm - just managed to get a visas for the third time in London, smoothly enough, and despite multiple DZ port vehicular entry/exit stamps in my pp from previous trips.

I’ve only go two weeks in Feb so won’t make it too far south but still plenty to explore within two long days’ ride of the coast. Far enough to get down from the mountains at this time of the year. Nonetheless looking forward to seeing what I can squeeze in a shorter trip this time.

PS Jim - if that northern In Salah CP is right on the town limit, that’s a new one compared to last year. May or may be noteworthy.

Ed


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This wont be of use for your trip in Feb and while I wouldn't advise anyone else reading this to avoid check points - it can make life easier!

Especially the one to the South of In Salah which is at the roundabout by the filling station at 27.174844/2.499995.

The northern checkpoint is just to the N of the escarpment to the N of In Salah Airport - I did have this waypointed on my DMD but I lost it - taken from Google it's at the junction at 27.418733/2.557607

I left town from the road that finishes at 27.165738/2.481672 (seemingly a cemetery) and cut S.

Yep, this is a new one Jim compared to October 2023, at least. Previously the first northbound (from In Salah) CP was at Fort Mirabel here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zj7rztMQmrPTzyRy9.

Read into that what you will! Could be just natural rotation of things, particularly given the dodgy nature of the Tademait plateau to the north.

Ed

The one you mention is still there, and pretty shonky. The one I describe is a town periphery checkpoint. A chicane and a few sandbags but AKMs not pistols.

Just back from a week or 2 there: cancelled plane meant 3 very long days on the TSH Alg to Tam, then Tazrouk across to Djanet and beyond, then up the Fadnoun road and Afra piste/x-country back to TSH at Moulay Lahcene and plane from In Salah.
We were sat in agency TLCs from Ghardaia onwards and passed a couple of unescorted foreign motos northbound south of In Salah. Don't know whether they also dodged checkpoints but I got the feeling the Gendarmerie find foreign motos too insubstantial to bother with. As suggested, the whole highway escort thing is flakey/arbitrary.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned migrants on the southern TSH and Djanet road. I suspect CPs are more concerned with suppressing their progress (plus general population surveillance along main axes) than us tourists.
I'd say half the traffic on the southern TSH was twin cab Hiluxs bombing north with 20+ pax barely disguised under a sheet, then dashing back empty for the next batch. They cover the TSH in relays and certainly dodge Arak via the west. Before IS they then take Ain el Hadhadj climb onto the eastern Tademait (a Dakar route from the early 80s, south of the Fort Mirabel / Chebaba. Fyi the 'Mirabel' ID'd on Google alongside the TSH is 200km to the south and mislabelled, unless they've reused the French name).
On the Djanet road it's dead easy to dodge Serouenout and BeH all the way to Niger. Walking around BeH I got the impression migrants congregated here for the run north. Saw very few in touristy Djanet.
Those who can't afford a Hilux walk the TSH/Fadnoun with a pair of water bottles strapped to their belts. Hundreds of kms of nothing with hopeful waves at passing traffic.
As it happens I recall seeing similar just south of Illizi way back in 2002, though had the feeling they'd been just dumped from a car. And same era, others were openly walking with us up to Jabbaren but carrying on to nearby Ghat.
These days we were told fortnightly convoys from some point up north ship them all back to In Guezzam where some try again. Maybe cool Jan is high season for walkers, but I've always understood Algeria was a much tougher transit than say Libya, while in Morocco they struggle to get north of Dakhla.
I read here that Algeria expelled over 30,000 migrants in 2024.

Anyway, the CP north of In Salah that Ngirienroute mentions was a serious one (mother's maiden name, etc) and where green & white gendarmerie escorts started for us, even with agency Ordre de Mission permit. No CP of substance noted IS southside on the TSH. Despite the mapping above, IS is what I've long understood to be the 'Grand Sud' frontier on the TSH and where restrictions can intensify (Tom Shepperd was outraged at being thwarted here way back in the Nougnties - as described in his QFAT book).

Tbh on TSH escorts weren't a huge problem for us pax as gendarmerie car swaps in Arak and In Amguel (escort ended) were fairly quick and breaks for us anyway. In your own vehicle will be different. Our agency and drivers were long practised in negotiating their way out of these but knew when it was a lost cause. The gendarmerie seem to overrule wilaya authorisations/assurances. East of Tam via Tahifet (very nice) to Ideles and BeH no CPs bar Serouenout.
In Djanet and around I don't recall seeing any green & whites at all – just blue cops who waved us though. But there may have been a fair amount of telephoning with local authorities by our driver to approve our onward passage on the road to Tin Alkoum.
As always, on the piste no CPs to be seen, and rejoining the TSH at Moulay Lahcene, not imposed all the way back to IS - but may have been negotiated too.

I have updated my Algeria page with prices, plus will do state of full TSH extent of the Djanet road etc over the next few days.
Some pix here; more later.

If you get in with your own vehicle, my advice in the Grand Sud would be get off the highways and stay off as long as you can (or at known CPs), unless you want to get bogged down like Nata woman. But in Alg that is a serious proposition, especially on a moto and, along with all the other stresses of remote desert travel, the whole cloak and dagger thing might get wearisome.

Fyi, one of us was half-arsedly asked for GPS at In Salah airport scanner.
Others have mentioned GPS is not allowed though I was told it seems to be limited to hand portables. Perhaps something like a big Garmin 700 clamped to the vehicle may pass? Otherwise best hidden.

I discovered the novelty of live offline sat map navigation for the first time with GaiaGPS on a tablet. Handy to weave among outcrops off piste and a great OSM-based topo map, but for reliable/easy/quick recording of tracks/wpts, I'll stick with my Garmin 680, despite small/dull screen.

Not having your experience down there I now realise that I saw what you saw in Djanet (locals and tourists) and BEH (no tourists and way too many young men for a bled of that size).

On the TSH I counted, very arbitrarily, on one 400KM section 40 walkers = 4 walkers every 10KM so over winter for the 2000km of the TSH = 800 blokes on the move at any one moment. Sometimes getting lifts and sometimes trudging. When I saw their bottles were empty and I had a superflous bottle I would hand it over.

Interesting - the southern In Salah CP was local (blue) police rather the Gendarmerie last year, so that makes sense in terms of it being less serious.

A lot migrants also walking in late 2023, just as you described. Chatted to one by the side of the road at the stop north of the RN54/RN1 junction who told me the Gendarmes stop the buses, ask for papers and then just turf people off the buses on the spot if they're not meant to be there, wherever that may be.

The Gendarmes also had one or two 'working' for them at the CP at BEH cleaning etc, and there was a huge migrant emcampment just 1km from the piste down to Essendilene.

Ed

Fyi, I calculate it's currently about 94km of dirt between Bordj el Haouas and Ideles.
It was 120km October 2023, so they're not rushing it.

There is also at least one diversion from BeH to Djanet, but all manageable in a 2WD (or out on the sands in a 4WD).

Bar a few oueds, the Tahifet 'ring road' is all sealed too and a scenic way of reaching Tam from the south.

We did not do Ideles to In Amguel but Nov 24 Ngirienroute found; '... In Amguel the first 40 km are.. dirt. After that it’s [sealed] to Idles.'

More here: https://sahara-overland.com/2025/02/...o-tamanrasset/

https://saharaoverland.wordpress.com...2/djan-tam.jpg

Algeria VoA prices whacked up.
Last month we paid 105eu - will now be 185 (with an hour's wait at the apt).
That will tell those tourists and tour ops what for!

Embassy app remains the same - 90 quid for a month?
Massive saving.

https://saharaoverland.wordpress.com...02/dzvoa25.jpg

Can confirm, I paid this insanity literally last night.

Also if you got the visa in just 1 hour, you were lucky. My friend waited nearly 3 hours yesterday, and it took me about 2 hours to get out of the airport.

£85 in London. And they only take cash. And they don’t give change. And they won’t accept £90. So you have to take the exactly amount. Good luck trying to find an ATM that gives out fivers anymore!!!! [emoji2357]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Which airport - Algiers ?

yes

Quick trip report
 

Just back from Algeria. Arrived with a group into Mostaganem travelling to Tadrart Rouge. We had a local guide which made some of the checkpoint work easier but we had a Gendarmerie Nationale escort from the port to Illizi. The escorts changed at city/town/department boundaries but these guys drove their g-wagens with lights and sirens on for the most part and got us through towns and busy intersections in fast order. The handover from one escort to the next can take anything from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. Most handovers were pretty efficient however.

Customs entering and leaving Mostaganem is serious. We had our CB radios confiscated (returned at departure) and while the customs staff were friendly, they were very thorough and went through pretty much everything. Took us 6 hours from arrival to getting out of customs. The limit on diesel in jerry's leaving the country seems to be 20L.

The security posture in the country seemed heightened at time of arrival as there were certainly fewer checkpoints and no escorts for the journey north (well just one).

Plenty of small groups of teenagers and young men from Niger or beyond walking north along the sides of the road from Ghardaia to Djanet.

We met one other team of overlanders from Portugal in Djanet but otherewise expect to see very few foreigners.

We all had eSIMs but they did not work in any of the sensitive areas, oil and gas production areas or military zones. We could see locals on phones but ours would not connect to any of the DZ carriers.

People are super friendly, regardless if they are military, police or civilians. With the regular 'welcome to Algeria' being a regular greeting. No begging or any harassment whatsoever.

Diesel is €0.17 a litre but expect issues with Euro 6 engines. Make sure to bring an OBD computer.

i'm one of the PT we met in djanet !

white Jimny !



We went by Almeria->oran ferry .. 8h to cross the border and also one of the guys with cb radio confiscated.



All friendly but very "nervous" with the foreigner women's in some checkpoints .


Regards

Hi there fcaeiro - good to meet you again. Glad you got home safe and sound. We got our radios back in Mostaganem. What ferry did you get to go home?

An update for anyone interested - just spent April in Algeria with 3 mates on motorbikes – covered about 7500km in a round trip from London. Here’s our experience…….

VISAs – Applied in UK, France and Australia, straightforward if you follow their instructions. Hotels were booked online to cover the period of our visit

ARRIVAL – Ferry from Marseille to Algiers easy enough – took about 1.5hrs to get on, pushing to the front of each queue ????. Took about 4 hours to get out of Algiers port, mainly down to spending 3hrs trying to get the “TDP”. We did have the work experience lad in our booth though - apparently you can do it online, so worth investigating. Lots of backwards and forwards and bits of paper being stamped but c’est la vie.

INSURANCE – got it before we left port for a nominal sum, but still probably not worth the paper its written on. Driving standards seemed pretty good and better than London!

PEOPLE – lovely people, genuinely friendly, always wanted to know where we were from and what we thought of Algeria, loved to take photos of bikes (they ALWAYS asked permission), never felt we were being ripped off even though we were obviously tourists. Whole place felt very safe and welcoming across the whole country. Once out of Algiers, did not see a lot of women/girls around though – the ones we did interact with tended to be in museums or pharmacies.

COUNTRY – Its big! Fuel not always available where you expect so big tank or spare bladders needed (~400km+ range).Took 4-5 days to get from Algiers to Tam, mainly on the TSH.

ROADS Roads OK but sometimes diversions. Saw about 10-20 young men each day walking northwards on the TSH. Thought the driving standards were great - everyone seemed quite careful. Riding in Europe feels more dangerous to me!

ESCORTS – got as far as El Menaa alone but from there to Tamanrasset we had a gendarme escort doing tag every ~200km – all very friendly and accommodating – OK to stop for photos/ coffee etc. We were allowed to camp a few hundred metres away from the checkpoint if necessary. We met a 4x4 group who’d wanted to camp in the desert and the gendarmes had just camped with them about 200M away! At Tam we’d hired a guide so were let off the gendarme escort but our guide had to report to gendarmes at most towns/ checkpoints. All slightly inconvenient but didn’t really stop us doing most of what we wanted. On our way back we were “solo” again once north of Hassi Ben Massoud

INFRASTRUCTURE – very little in the way of “tourist” infrastructure; gas great at 20p/litre! Food and hotels cheap – beer/wine available occasionally if you ask the right person! We got local Mobilis SIMS for our phones for ~50 Euro for unlimited data - pretty good coverage considering size of the country.

OVERALL – Great country, wonderful people and scenery but BIG – don’t be scared to visit and don't expect too much in the way of tourist infrastructure (which is great, right!!). We never felt uncomfortable anywhere (except for the odd bout of food poisoning!). Everyone was great, helpful and even authorities reasonably accommodating; however do be prepared to put up with escorts if you go south. People say you can try to go round checkpoints etc but I reckon it would be quite difficult and you WILL get found out at some point when a random patrol stops you and asks where your guide is, which could lead to difficulties.

So visit highly recommended but be prepared to go with the flow..........