Hiring a driver/taxi
Dec 16, 2017, 7:24 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 380
Hiring a driver/taxi
Does anyone have recommendations for driving around West Africa (Togo, Ghana, Benin)? I will be flying to Lome, then my plan is to head to Accra, up north through Ghana, back into Togo, and then either south through Togo or into Benin and eventually end up back in Lome.
Is it easy to just hire a taxi when I get there to take me all around? Will I need a new driver when I cross the boarder(s)?
Is it easy to just hire a taxi when I get there to take me all around? Will I need a new driver when I cross the boarder(s)?
Dec 16, 2017, 8:55 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Berlin
Programs: BAEC; LH M&M; HH Diamond
Posts: 814
I travelled in Togo and Ghana for a couple of weeks some four years ago with my daughter (she was doing VSO in Kpalimé in Togo).
Our route was Lomé, Accra, Gold Coast, Ho, Hohoe and Kpalimé.
My impression was that you need to change drivers and vehcles whenever crossing borders.
"Taxi" is quite a broad term in those parts. Most of the time we were seven people in something like a VW Golf - we chose to share the front seat beside the driver rather than sit four-abreast in the back. Very cheap form of transport though.
From Lomé airport to the Ghana border take a cheap ride on the back of a moped!
Our route was Lomé, Accra, Gold Coast, Ho, Hohoe and Kpalimé.
My impression was that you need to change drivers and vehcles whenever crossing borders.
"Taxi" is quite a broad term in those parts. Most of the time we were seven people in something like a VW Golf - we chose to share the front seat beside the driver rather than sit four-abreast in the back. Very cheap form of transport though.
From Lomé airport to the Ghana border take a cheap ride on the back of a moped!
Dec 16, 2017, 1:20 pm
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2017
Posts: 380
I travelled in Togo and Ghana for a couple of weeks some four years ago with my daughter (she was doing VSO in Kpalimé in Togo).
Our route was Lomé, Accra, Gold Coast, Ho, Hohoe and Kpalimé.
My impression was that you need to change drivers and vehcles whenever crossing borders.
"Taxi" is quite a broad term in those parts. Most of the time we were seven people in something like a VW Golf - we chose to share the front seat beside the driver rather than sit four-abreast in the back. Very cheap form of transport though.
From Lomé airport to the Ghana border take a cheap ride on the back of a moped!
Our route was Lomé, Accra, Gold Coast, Ho, Hohoe and Kpalimé.
My impression was that you need to change drivers and vehcles whenever crossing borders.
"Taxi" is quite a broad term in those parts. Most of the time we were seven people in something like a VW Golf - we chose to share the front seat beside the driver rather than sit four-abreast in the back. Very cheap form of transport though.
From Lomé airport to the Ghana border take a cheap ride on the back of a moped!
Dec 16, 2017, 8:01 pm
#4
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: MSP/BUF/BNA/LFT
Programs: AA Plat, Priority Club Gold, Choice Privileges Gold
Posts: 1,224
However, bush taxis in Northern Ghana.Togo/Benin run on a "when full" basis - sometimes it might only take a few hours, sometimes it might take a few days - all depends on the route/week.
Personally, I hated Lome. I had a robbery attempt and got into fistfight (I won) in my 90 minutes there and quickly caught the next bush taxi to Kpalime.
Jan 15, 2018, 2:51 pm
#5
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: TPA
Programs: AA PLT, HH Gold, FM Prem, SPG gold
Posts: 581
Did ghana/togo/benin and back to ghana by just looking around at each border. Some were fantastic cars (for africa) at a good price, others were scam jobs, but in the end we survived and didn't really over pay too bad.