Europe to Benin City?
 

Hi!
Have been lurking the forums for a while and reading up, but wanted to ask you all about your opinion on this!
I'm headed for Benin City in a while and have been trying to figure out what the possibilities are to get there overland on a motorbike. From what I've gathered Algeria-Niger can only be done if you can supply the cash for guides, and travelling along the coast can only be done if start in Morocco? Are there other alternatives? Which route would you take? How about starting in Morocco and eventually heading inland? What is a reasonable timeframe for the escapade?

Many thanks!
/Fred

Hi Fred!

We've been on both routes. I personaly wouldn't cross Algeria and north Niger now. There are quite a few guy's around here they did it recently.

Maroc, Mauretania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin is a nice route too!
We had 3 month for our first trip in Westafrika. 6 weeks should do....

Have fun planing!

Werner

You can NOT cross from Morocco into Algeria. The border has been closed since 1994.

If it is your first trip down, take the coast road.

Hi!
Thanks for all the replies! Think I'll aim for the Maroc, Mauretania, Mali, Burkina Faso and Benin route and see where the planning goes from there.
Is the Algiers-Niger route in any way easier if travelling from south to north?
/Fred

No, but it is theoretically shorter, and there are fewer borders to pass.
Even car dealers from Agadez often seem to take the coastal road these days, risk of getting robbed or hang up on the border is significantly lower.
Fuel is cheap in Algeria and once the road is tarmac all the way to Agadez it will be the way to go.

Nå lycka till nu ;)

Hey Fred!

One problem you will face for Niger -> Algeria is the Visa.
You have to get the Visa for Algeria in your Country of origin.

Werner