Travel to Niamey

rport to the main road (Route Nationale 1) and flag down a bush taxi (van) heading right. They come by all the time. The price is fixed at 125F per person, and no charge for bags. They will drop you off at the Grand Marché, and from there it is easy to get a white taxi (200F to 500F/person) to anywhere else in town. To get back to the airport to fly out, go to the Grand Marché – Côté Château. There are two gas stations on the corner. In front of one you will see several bush taxis (vans) lined up facing away from the Grand Marché and towards the airport. Tell them “aéroport.” Again, it costs 125F per person. The van usually fills up and leaves within 5 minutes. Get off in front of the airport and walk in. (If you’re not familiar with where the airport is, tell the young guy managing the van and he’ll let you know when it’s time for you to get off.) No tips required or expected.

Bus

Buses travel between Niamey and Cotonou in Benin, taking 16 hours for the journey. Crossing is at the Gaya/Malanville border, where otherwise you can take a moto and walk across if you don't feel like doing the whole trip in one stage. There are also buses and minibuses to Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso, taking around 8 hours. Crossing is at Foetchango, west of Niamey. Finally, there is bus service between Niamey and Gao in Mali, taking up to 20 hours or all the way to Dakar, taking about 4 days.

Buses and bush taxis connect Niamey to other destinations in Niger, including Maradi, Zinder, and Agadez.

Boat

While the Niger River runs through the city and there are no impediments to river travel (rapids, waterfalls), there is no regular boat service like there is upstream in Mali. Many pirougue operators will gladly take you along the river for a reasonable price, but you will need to find one