Overland Guinea Travel
Currency to display:
Contents
- 1 Visiting Guinea
- 2 Entering Guinea with a Car or Motorbike
- 3 Driving in Guinea
- 4 Gas price in Guinea and Diesel price in Guinea
- 5 Safety and Security Considerations
- 6 Camping in Guinea
- 7 Navigation
- 8 Special Overland Travel interests
- 9 Vehicle Maintenance
- 10 Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Guinea
- 11 References
- 12 Helpful External links
Visiting Guinea
Bissau is often overlooked when moving through West Africa. With easily the best hiking, mountains, waterfalls and friendly people, don't miss this spectacular country. NOTE: Exchange US dollars or Euros on the street to get a better rate than official. Don't use an ATM, you get a bad rate. The street rate was about 30% better than official in late 2016.
Entering Guinea with a Car or Motorbike
Correct as of: Sept. 2016
Travel Visa for Guinea
The visa for Guinea is extremely easy to obtain at virtually any bordering country.
The Embassy in Bissau Guinea-Bissau is very friendly, and the process is very easy. Expect to pay CFA30,000.00 XOF for one month single entry, CFA60,000.00 XOF for two months multiple entry and progressively getting higher the more you ask for.
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
- 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 are at a small border, they might not issue a Passavant at the border, you just continue to the next big town and do it there.
- If you have a Carnet de Passage, you don't need the Passavant.
Cost of entry
In late 2016 the Passavant cost FG50,000.00 GNF (50,000GNF, remember, that's not much money using the street exchange rate), though that clearly went in the pocket of the senior officer that wrote it out.
Permitted length of stay
Passavant is good for one month.
Extension of stay
Unsure.
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 Guinea
Recommended books for Overlanding in Guinea
Travel insurance for Guinea
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, and the corrupt police will ask repeatedly 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 Guinea.
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. They even checked the expiry date and amount of gas on the gauge.
Roads
General Road quality
The main highways are good pavement, without potholes, especially those recently built.
In Conakry the roads are horrible.
Minor dirt roads are frequently horrible, especially in towns. Lots 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
Not overly common.
Toll roads
There are no toll roads in Guinea.
Bribery in Guinea
Bribery is extremely common, with every police stop and checkpoint an attempt to get money out of 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
Unknown.
Gas price in Guinea and Diesel price in Guinea
Last updated: September 2016
Currency and unit to display:
| Gasoline Grade | Price |
|---|---|
| Unleaded (called Essense)(Pump said 98 octane - doubtful) | FG8,000.00 GNF per Liter |
| Diesel (called gasoil) | FG8,000.00 GNF per Liter |
Gas and Diesel Availability / Frequency
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
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, especially Conakry.
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
- Country Specific Information - U.S. Department of State
- Travel Reports and Warnings - Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
- Travel advice by country - Foreign and Commonwealth office (U.K.)
- Travel Advice for Guinea - Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Camping in Guinea
There are a few campsites in Guinea, 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 Guinea, 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 (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.
Paper maps
Reise Know-How are among the best paper maps. Purchase paper maps before arriving in Guinea
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GPS Maps of Guinea
- 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 co-ordinates for camping, propane, gas, repairs, etc. in Guinea
- 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.
Special Overland Travel interests
List any special items / places that are popular with Overlanders
Vehicle Maintenance
Dealers
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
Add known good mechanics here.
Buy or sell a car or motorbike in Guinea
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.
- Guinea: Visa and Passport requirements | World Travel Guide
- Health Information for Travelers to Guinea - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Guinea travel guides at wikivoyage
- Guinea - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
