Latest revision as of 09:36, 31 January 2021

West Africa > Burkina Faso Currency to display:

1 Visiting Burkina Faso
2 Entering Burkina Faso with a Car or Motorbike
3 Driving in Burkina Faso
4 Gas price in Burkina Faso and Diesel price in Burkina Faso
5 Safety and Security Considerations
6 Camping in Burkina Faso
7 Navigation
8 Special Overland Travel interests
9 Vehicle Maintenance
10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Burkina Faso
11 References
12 Helpful External links

Visiting Burkina Faso[edit]

Burkina Faso is a beautiful country with plenty to see and do. It's considered very safe, though likely the North should be avoided as of 2017

Entering Burkina Faso with a Car or Motorbike[edit]

Correct as of: Jan 2017

Travel Visa for Burkina Faso[edit]

The visa for Burkina Faso is extremely easy to obtain at virtually any bordering country.
The Embassy in Bamako Mali is very friendly, and the process is very easy. Expect to pay CFA25,000.00 XOF for one month single entry, CFA31,000.00 XOF for multiple entry and progressively getting higher the more you ask for.

Coming from the South, get the visa in Brazzaville, Congo for $110.00 USD

Required Paperwork[edit]

Passport of registered owner.
Drivers license of registered owner.
Original vehicle registration.
Proof of vehicle insurance - they might not ask for it, but it’s better to have it.
(OPTIONAL) Carnet de Passage

(no copies are required)

Process at border[edit]

Get yourself stamped in at immigration.
Go to Duane to get a temporary import for the vehicle. Using the vehicle registration the officer will write out a Passavant, valid for one month.
If you have a Carnet de Passage, you don't need the Passavant.

Cost of entry[edit]

The Passavant officially costs CFA5,000.00 XOF, entry will be free with a Carnet de Passage

Permitted length of stay[edit]

One month

Extension of stay[edit]

Unknown

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country[edit]

Describe if/how a vehicle can be stored, and for how long.
Also mention if the owner / temporary importer can leave the country while the vehicle is in storage.

Exiting with a vehicle[edit]

Hand in your Passavant to Duane.
Get yourself stamped out at immigration.

All should be free, do not pay for this.

Driving in Burkina Faso[edit]

Recommended books for Overlanding in Burkina Faso[edit]

Overland Travel Essentials: West Africa: Myths, Miscon...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon

Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary (lonely P...
by Lonely Planet
From $3.74 on Amazon

Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon

Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon

Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon

Travel insurance for Burkina Faso[edit]

World Nomads offer the most flexible Travel Insurance at the best prices for multi-country / multi-year trips. You can buy, extend and claim online, even after you've left home.

Vehicle insurance requirements[edit]

Liability insurance is required, police might ask to see it.
If you travel through more west African countries get a 'Carte Brun' which is valid in most west African countries at no extra cost.

Cost of vehicle insurance[edit]

Expect to pay CFA10,000.00 XOF to CFA20,000.00 XOF per vehicle per month, depending on engine size and vehicle age (newer costs more)

Where to purchase vehicle insurance[edit]

Unknown within Burkina Faso

Driving license[edit]

Anything from your home country will be accepted.

Driving side of road[edit]

Right.
RHD vehicles are allowed but ensure you have correct paperwork, because it’s a good chance for bribery.

Mandatory items in vehicle[edit]

You need two safety triangles, first aid kit, and fire extinguisher.

Roads[edit]

General Road quality[edit]

Main highways are good pavement, without potholes, especially those recently built.
Minor dirt roads are frequently horrible with lots of corrugations. Many are impassable in the rainy season.
Always watch out for potholes on sealed roads - they can be HUGE, and hitting them fast will be very, very bad.

Road signs[edit]

Distances to the next major town are usually shown on the side of highways, and big intersections sometimes have signs.

Toll roads[edit]

Tolls are sporadically on the bigger roads, and sometimes small ones. The cost is usually CFA500.00 XOF.

Bribery in Burkina Faso[edit]

Bribery can happen, so keep your wits about you. Be polite, and don’t pay. See the bribery tips page for general advice.

Checkpoints[edit]

There are many checkpoints and random stops where Police will check all your paperwork. Don't pay.

Traveling with pets[edit]

List the entry requirements and anything else required to travel with a pet.

Gas price in Burkina Faso and Diesel price in Burkina Faso[edit]

Last updated: Jan 2017

Currency and unit to display:

Gasoline Grade	Price
Unleaded (called Essense) (pump says 91 octane)	CFA603.00 XOF per Liter
Diesel (called Gasoil)	CFA527.00 XOF per Liter

Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency[edit]

All towns have stations, all stations always have gasoline and diesel. Both are also available in small containers on the side of the road. Quality is likely very bad when bought like that.

Gas and Diesel Quality[edit]

Seemed to be no problem with quality.

Safety and Security Considerations[edit]

Driving at night[edit]

Driving at night is not recommended due to hazards on the road, vehicles without lights and extremely bad roads.

Vehicle parking[edit]

Vehicles seem safe enough on the street during the day, secure overnight parking is recommended in the cities.

Special driving considerations[edit]

As in all of West Africa, expect hazards on the road around every turn - animals, children, pot holes and speed bumps!

Security advisories and information[edit]

Camping in Burkina Faso[edit]

There are a few campsites in Burkina Faso, and a few hotels allow camping. Expect to pay between CFA2,000.00 XOF and CFA5,000.00 XOF per person per night.
Wildcamping is possible in Burkina Faso, especially in rural areas. Try to camp away from villages unless you don't mind lot of attention and lot of demand for ‘Cadeaux’ which means gift. If you do camp in a town, ask the Chief of the village for permission first (he will always say yes).

Camping guide books[edit]

List and link to books specifically for camping.

Drinking water[edit]

Drinking water is generally not considered safe to drink for visitors who are not used to it.

Navigation[edit]

Paper maps[edit]

Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Burkina Faso

Africa West: Coastal Countries 1:2,200,000 Travel Map,...
by Reise Knowhow
From $12.95 on Amazon

Nonfiction Reading And Writing Workshop Springboard: A...
by National Geographic Learning
From $14.95 on Amazon

1. Burkina Faso & Niger Travel Ref. Map 1:1,000,000/1:...
by ITMB Canada
From $10.38 on Amazon

Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary
by Lonely Planet, Michael Janes, Jean-Bernard Carille...
From $3.96 on Amazon

GPS Maps of Burkina Faso[edit]

Garmin Open Street Maps has excellent coverage of all roads - highways and cities.
Tracks4Africa is an SD Card for Garmin GPS, and contain Routable turn-by-turn maps with 809,000 kms of roads and over 129,000 points of interest.

Gps Map Of Africa
From $click on Amazon

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Burkina Faso[edit]

iOverlander is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.

Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.

Special Overland Travel interests[edit]

List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders

Vehicle Maintenance[edit]

Dealers[edit]

4x4s / Trucks

Toyota Global Dealer Locator
Land Rover International Dealer Locator
Mercedes Benz International (select country on bottom right)
Jeep International site locator

Motorbikes

Local Garages[edit]

Add known good mechanics here.

Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Burkina Faso[edit]

Buy
Describe how a foreigner can buy a vehicle. List any difficulties or limitations on where the vehicle can be driven.

Sell
Describe how a foreigner can sell a foreign-plated vehicle, or list not possible.'

References[edit]

Links to the source of any information - blogs or discussion forums, etc.

Helpful External links[edit]

Add any helpful external links here.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Limited_country}}
 <!-- Do not alter the following line. Include it as is. -->
 {{onRoute|West Africa}} {{metadata_country}} [[Category:Country]] {{pricecontrol_country}}
 =Visiting {{PAGENAME}}=
-''Give a brief overview of what it's like to visit. How easy is the border, how safe is the country, are there great things to see and do, etc.''
+Burkina Faso is a beautiful country with plenty to see and do. It's considered very safe, though likely the North should be avoided as of 2017
 =Entering {{PAGENAME}} with a Car or Motorbike=
-'''Correct as of: <span style="color:red">(date last confirmed correct)</span>'''
+'''Correct as of: <span style="color:red">Jan 2017</span>'''
-==Required Paperwork==
+==Travel Visa for {{PAGENAME}}==
-''List the paperwork required to enter with a vehicle, including number of copies''
+The visa for Burkina Faso is extremely easy to obtain at virtually any bordering country.<br/>
+The Embassy in Bamako [[Mali]] is very friendly, and the process is very easy. Expect to pay <price cost="25000" currency="XOF" /> for one month single entry, <price cost="31000" currency="XOF" /> for multiple entry and progressively getting higher the more you ask for.
+Coming from the South, get the visa in Brazzaville, [[Congo]] for <price cost="110" currency="USD" />
+==Required Paperwork==
+* Passport of registered owner.
+* [[Drivers license]] of registered owner.
+* Original [[vehicle registration]].
+* Proof of [[vehicle insurance]] - they might not ask for it, but it’s better to have it.
+* (OPTIONAL) [[Carnet de Passage]]
+(no copies are required)
 ==Process at border==
-<!-- Do not alter the following line. Include it as is. -->
+* Get yourself stamped in at immigration.
-{{visa_country}}
+* Go to Duane to get a temporary import for the vehicle. Using the [[vehicle registration]] the officer will write out a Passavant, valid for one month.
-''Briefly describe the process at the border to enter with a vehicle''
+* If you have a [[Carnet de Passage]], you don't need the Passavant.
 ==Cost of entry==
-''State the cost for a vehicle to enter''
+The Passavant officially costs <price cost="5000" currency="XOF" />, entry will be free with a [[Carnet de Passage]]
 ==Permitted length of stay==
-''State the permitted length of entry for the vehicle''
+One month
 ==Extension of stay==
-''Describe the process to extend the permitted length of entry for the vehicle, if possible.''
+Unknown
 ==Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country==
@@ Line 32: / Line 41: @@
 ==Exiting with a vehicle==
-''Describe the paperwork requirements and process at the border to exit.''
+* Hand in your Passavant to Duane.
+* Get yourself stamped out at immigration.
-=Driving in {{PAGENAME}}=
+All should be free, do not pay for this.
-==Insurance requirements==
-''Yes or No if insurance is mandatory, and what kind is acceptable.''
-==Cost of insurance==
+=Driving in {{PAGENAME}}=
-''State the price of insurance and a time period.''
+==Recommended books for Overlanding in {{PAGENAME}}==
+{{guide_books_country}}
-==Where to purchase insurance==
+==Travel insurance for {{PAGENAME}}==
-''Describe where insurance can be purchased.''
+{{Travel insurance country}}
+==Vehicle insurance requirements==
+Liability insurance is required, police might ask to see it. <br/>
+If you travel through more west African countries get a 'Carte Brun' which is valid in most west African countries at no extra cost.
+==Cost of vehicle insurance==
+Expect to pay <price cost="10000" currency="XOF" /> to <price cost="20000" currency="XOF" /> per vehicle per month, depending on engine size and vehicle age (newer costs more)
+==Where to purchase vehicle insurance==
+Unknown within Burkina Faso
 ==Driving license==
-''State the kind of driving licenses required. i.e. International Driving Permit.''
+Anything from your home country will be accepted.
 ==Driving side of road==
 Right. <br/>
-Unknown if RHD vehicles can be driven in {{PAGENAME}}.
+RHD vehicles are allowed but ensure you have correct paperwork, because it’s a good chance for bribery.
 ==Mandatory items in vehicle==
-''State any mandatory items that must be carried in the vehicle.
+You need two safety triangles, first aid kit, and fire extinguisher.
-(i.e. safety triangle, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.)''
 ==Roads==
 ===General Road quality===
-''Give a brief description of the general road quality. Mention if one way streets are common.''
+Main highways are good pavement, without potholes, especially those recently built. <br/>
+Minor dirt roads are frequently horrible with lots of corrugations. Many are impassable in the rainy season. <br/>
+Always watch out for potholes on sealed roads - they can be HUGE, and hitting them fast will be very, very bad.
 ===Road signs===
-''Briefly describe the overall quality & existence of road signs for directions and hazards.''
+Distances to the next major town are usually shown on the side of highways, and big intersections sometimes have signs.
 ===Toll roads===
-''List the frequency and approximate price of toll roads.''
+Tolls are sporadically on the bigger roads, and sometimes small ones. The cost is usually <price cost="500" currency="XOF" />.
 ==Bribery in {{PAGENAME}}==
-''Briefly describe how common bribery is and whether it should be expected, and the best way to deal with it.''
+Bribery can happen, so keep your wits about you. Be polite, and don’t pay. See the [[bribery tips]] page for general advice.
 ==Checkpoints==
-''describe the frequency of checkpoints (police or military and what to expect.''
+There are many checkpoints and random stops where Police will check all your paperwork. Don't pay.
 ==Traveling with pets==
@@ Line 74: / Line 96: @@
 =Gas price in {{PAGENAME}} and Diesel price in {{PAGENAME}}=
-'''Last updated: <span style="color:red">October 2012</span>'''<br />
+'''Last updated: <span style="color:red">Jan 2017</span>'''<br />
 <!-- Do not alter the following line. Include it as is. -->
@@ Line 84: / Line 106: @@
 ! Price
 |-
-| Unleaded
+| Unleaded (called Essense) (pump says 91 octane)
-| <price cost="1.42" currency="EUR" unit="liter" /><ref name="Travelcost">[http://www.mytravelcost.com/petrol-prices/ World petrol prices, gas prices, diesel prices|MyTravelCost.com]</ref>
+| <price cost="603" currency="XOF" unit="liter" />
 |-
-| Diesel
+| Diesel (called Gasoil)
-| <price cost="1.26" currency="EUR" unit="liter" /><ref name="Travelcost" />
+| <price cost="527" currency="XOF" unit="liter" />
 |-
 |}
 ==Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency==
-''Briefly describe if gas shortages are known to occur.'' <br/>
+All towns have stations, all stations always have gasoline and diesel. Both are also available in small containers on the side of the road. Quality is likely very bad when bought like that. <br/>
-''Also state the approximate average distance between gas stations. This is a very rough estimate.''
 ==Gas and Diesel Quality==
-''Discuss if gasoline / diesel considered "clean" or "dirty", and generally high or low quality.''<br />
+Seemed to be no problem with quality.
-''State the sulfur content of diesel, if known.''
 =Safety and Security Considerations=
 ==Driving at night==
-''Discuss driving at night and if it should it be avoided. Mention why.''
+Driving at night is not recommended due to hazards on the road, vehicles without lights and extremely bad roads.
 ==Vehicle parking==
-''Discuss if vehicles can be parked on the street, if they are considered "safe" at night.''
+Vehicles seem safe enough on the street during the day, secure overnight parking is recommended in the cities.
-''If vehicles can not be parked on the street, list the other options that exist.''
 ==Special driving considerations==
-''A List of special things to be careful of (i.e. Unsigned speed bumps, abnormal road rules, people or animals on the road, etc.).'' <br/>
+As in all of West Africa, expect hazards on the road around every turn - animals, children, pot holes and speed bumps!
-''List any roads that are not recommended to drive for safety or other security reasons.''
 ==Security advisories and information==
@@ Line 117: / Line 136: @@
 =Camping in {{PAGENAME}}=
-''Describe if organized "pay" camping is common. List the facilities commonly found at these campsites.''<br />
+There are a few campsites in Burkina Faso, and a few hotels allow camping.
-''List the approximate average price range of camping in organized campgrounds.'' <br />
+Expect to pay between <price cost="2000" currency="XOF" /> and <price cost="5000" currency="XOF" /> per person per night. <br />
-''Also discuss the possibility of "wild" or "roadside" camping. How common is it? Is it considered safe, or a bad idea.''
+Wildcamping is possible in Burkina Faso, especially in rural areas. Try to camp away from villages unless you don't mind lot of attention and lot of demand for ‘Cadeaux’ which means gift. If you do camp in a town, ask the Chief of the village for permission first (he will always say yes).
 ==Camping guide books==
@@ Line 125: / Line 144: @@
 ==Drinking water==
-''Describe if the regular tap water is safe to drink.''
+Drinking water is generally not considered safe to drink for visitors who are not used to it.
-''If not, describe where safe water can be purchased and the approximate average price range.''
 =Navigation=
@@ Line 132: / Line 151: @@
 Reise Know-How are amoung the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in {{PAGENAME}}
 {{paper_maps_country}}
 ==GPS Maps of {{PAGENAME}}==
-''Review different GPS companies, quality and coverage (Tomtom, Garmin, OSM, Tracks4Africa).''
+* [http://garmin.openstreetmap.nl/ Garmin Open Street Maps] has excellent coverage of all roads - highways and cities.
-''(with links to each).''
+* Tracks4Africa is an SD Card for Garmin GPS, and contain Routable turn-by-turn maps with 809,000 kms of roads and over 129,000 points of interest.
+<al imageurl=http://www.tracks4africa.ch/images/stories/virtuemart/product/resized/t4a_1405_sd_200x200.jpg nolocalize=true>0986987662</al>
 ==GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in {{PAGENAME}}==
+* [http://ioverlander.com/ iOverlander] is a website and iPhone application designed by Overlanders, for Overlanders. It contains GPS co-ordinates and reviews for camping, hotels, propane, water, mechanics, borders and much more.
 ''Link to sites that have a list of GPS co-ordinates (or directions) for camping locations (including "wild" campsites), propane filling, gas stations, repair shops, places of interest, etc.''
 =Special Overland Travel interests=
 ''List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders''
-==Travel Guide Books==
-<!-- Do not alter the following line. Include it as is. -->
-{{guide_books_country}}
 =Vehicle Maintenance=

Difference between revisions of "Burkina Faso"