Getting There & Getting About

International Airports

• Niamey (NIM): 12 km from the city.

• Full list of airports in Niger with associated airport codes >

Internal Transport

There are a number of domestic air services linking Niamey to towns such as Agadez, Arlit, Maradi and Zinder. Charter planes are also available.

There are an estimated 13,808 km (8,580 miles) of classified roads, 3,256 km (2,020 miles) of which are main roads. Only these major roads are all-weather, and others are impassable during heavy rain. Much of the country requires 4-wheel-drive vehicles, guides and full equipment. Car hire is available, but chauffeur-driven cars are compulsory outside the capital. Petrol stations are few and far between and are extremely expensive. It is necessary to pay a toll on main routes.

Certain roads are permanently closed to tourists without special authorisation, and they may not travel by a different route than the one entered in the passport by the police at the previous town.

There are reasonable bus services that run between the main centres, with routes including Niamey to Agadez, N'guemi, Tera and Zinder. In other towns, most people simply pay for rides in cross-country lorries; however, this can be an extremely uncomfortable and slow method of transport and additional payment is required by anyone wanting to ride in the cab.