Overland Benin Travel

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West Africa > Benin Currency to display:

Visiting Benin

Benin, famous for it's Voodoo culture is a fantastic country to visit. Pendjari National Park in the North is one of the last places to view Elephants and lions in West Africa.

Entering Benin with a Car or Motorbike

Correct as of: March 2017

Travel Visa for Benin

The visa for Benin is easy to obtain at virtually any bordering country.
In Lomé Togo you can get a one week transit visa if you already have a Nigeria visa for CFA10,000.00 XOF.
In Accra, Ghana you can get a one month visa for Error in price tag: 'GHS' is not a known currency.

Required Paperwork

(no copies are required)

Process at border

  • 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

The Passavant officially costs CFA5,700.00 XOF, and the officers are happy to round it up. Entry will be free with a Carnet de Passage

Permitted length of stay

One month

Extension of stay

Unknown

Storing a vehicle and temporarily leaving the country

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

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

All should be free, do not pay for this.

Driving in Benin

Recommended books for Overlanding in Benin

Overland Travel Essentials: West Africa: Myths, Miscon...
Overland Travel Essentials: West Africa: Myths, Miscon...
by Dan Grec
From $click on Amazon
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary (lonely P...
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...
Work Less To Live Your Dreams: A Practical Guide To Sa...
by Dan Grec
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Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
Overlanders' Handbook: Worldwide Route And Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $22.49 on Amazon
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
Adventure Motorcycling Handbook: A Route & Planning Gu...
by Chris Scott
From $click on Amazon
The Footprints Of God: Divine Accommodation In Jewish ...
The Footprints Of God: Divine Accommodation In Jewish ...
by Stephen D. Benin
From $27.95 on Amazon

Travel insurance for Benin

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

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

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

Unknown within Benin

Driving license

Anything from your home country will be accepted.

Driving side of road

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

Mandatory items in vehicle

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

Roads

General Road quality

Main highways are good pavement, without potholes, especially those recently built. The main North-South route is good pavement, the route closer to Togo has many nasty potholes.
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

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

Toll roads

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

Bribery in Benin

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

Checkpoints

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

Traveling with pets

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

Gas price in Benin and Diesel price in Benin

Last updated: March 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

Gas and diesel are available all over Benin on the side of the road, coming from Nigeria. It's much cheaper than at the stations in Benin, though the quality is probably not so great. Because of that, stations with unleaded and diesel are actually rare. If you want to use a station, fill up every time you see a station.

Gas and Diesel Quality

Seemed to be no problem with quality.

Safety and Security Considerations

Driving at night

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

Vehicle parking

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

Special driving considerations

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

Camping in Benin

There are a few campsites in Benin, 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 very possible in Benin, 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

List and link to books specifically for camping.

Drinking water

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

Navigation

Paper maps

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

[world-kontinentalkarte 1:4 Mio: Algerien, Benin, Burk...
[world-kontinentalkarte 1:4 Mio: Algerien, Benin, Burk...
by Reise- und Verkehrsverlag
From $click on Amazon
Nonfiction Reading And Writing Workshop Springboard: A...
Nonfiction Reading And Writing Workshop Springboard: A...
by National Geographic Learning
From $14.95 on Amazon
Togo & Benin 1:580,000 Travel Map (international Trave...
Togo & Benin 1:580,000 Travel Map (international Trave...
by ITM Canada
From $10.36 on Amazon
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary
by Lonely Planet, Michael Janes, Jean-Bernard Carille...
From $3.96 on Amazon

GPS Maps of Benin

  • 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
Gps Map Of Africa
From $click on Amazon

GPS co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Benin

  • 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

Vehicle Maintenance

Dealers

4x4s / Trucks

Motorbikes

Local Garages

Add known good mechanics here.

Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Benin

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

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


Helpful External links

Add any helpful external links here.