Algeria-Niger border
 

Hello
I was succeed in obtaining Algerian visa. Next week I plan to start my African trip. I hope to get a Nigerian visa in Tamanrasset. Does anyone knows a firsthand information about situation at the Nigerian border? The information about Nigerian consulate in Tamanrasset will be a very useful for me too.

Alex

The Niger consulate in Tam is fairly easy to find (havent used it for years, tho).
Go south (actually SE) down the main tree-lined street from the town centre and it's on the left near some big sat dishes and next to the Mali consulate. Look out for the Niger flag.
Just off the bottom of this map I believe, and before 'teapot junction': Algérie : Carte - Tamanrasset - Quid.fr

Don't know about Niger at the moment. At Assamaka they may put you in a convoy to Arlit and more likely from Arlit along the road to Agadez.

Ch

Thanks Chris. I have 15 days in Algeria only. Do you have an info about term of obtaining Nigerian visa in Tam? What kind of visas are issued by them?

Alex

Hi Alex, all I know is it was cheap and same day or maybe overnight service last time I tried it (for a one month visa) but that was many years ago.
Maybe someone else has more recent experience.

The alternative is to get it in Amsterdam, Bruxelles or Bonn - and maybe Geneva.

Ch

Alex, I had been planning on doing similar route next March.

I got in contact with guides (Bienvenue sur le site d'Agadez Tourisme Sarl) about the crossing into Niger from Algeria and apparently it doesnt look good:

"sorry but it's really not the time to travel in those area regarding to insecurity, northern Niger remains " in emergency state", so no tourism is allowed there, we don't travel any more in these area. Our hotel remains open for people going there mainly on work purpose."

This pretty much put an end to me traveling the length of Algeria, I'd been advised by my Algerian guide to take this route as it was considered safer than crossing from Algeria into Mali.

In fact, Northern Niger and northern Mali are not safe actually.
Niger Artlit - Agadez is preferable for a single car because it is easyer to team up with other locals to form a convoy. Both borders are not closed for tourists though and I know of of several who did the crossing successfully.
But I would not recommand any of them. If I had to, I would do Bordj Mokhtar Gao with a serious guide (expensive).

Kind regards, Yves

Thanks guys. I rate highly your concern. But I have not a choice. It is a real luck to obtain an Algerian visa and I can not lose this chance. I think to ride with convoy from Arlit. And another question, where I can get a Nigeria visa in Niger? Is it possible to get it at the border? Or somewhere else except Niamey.

Alex

Going on friday
 

Hi Alex, we are two bikers from Denmark currently in Barcelona waiting to go to Almeria to take the ferry to Oran in algeria, then we plan to go to Algiers to get a visa for Nigeria and then we meet up with our giude for the trip down to Niger. We will arrive in Oran on saturday the 25 of october and meet up with the guide some days later. If it fits your plans you are welcome to join us so we can share the, expensive, price of the guide. Please let us know here or write to supervaca@hotmail.com

Gunnar and Sigurd
www.BannedFromSudan.com

Hi Gunnar, glad to hear you. I plan to take a ferry from Genova to Tunis November, 1. As soon as possible I want to reach Algerian border. Hope it will take me a couple of days. Next I will take a easiest way to Tam. It looks like you will go in advance of me. What is your route in Algeria? Please keep in touch. rubtsov_alex@mail.ru +37259878335

Alex

I would not count on getting a visa for Niger in Tamanrasset, athough you might be lucky. Due to the problems in Air the Nigeriens are now making it more difficult to get visa. On the border with Burkina they are not iussued any longer, for example. In The Hague you can get one very easily, within one hour (but phone first).

niger visa
 

We just got our Niger visa here in Tam today, took us 4 days and 50 euros a piece, according to the lady at the embassy we should have no problem on the road to Arlit so we have declined to be escorted by our guide, guides are expensive here and it gets a bit tiresome not to be allowed to make your own decisions.

That said we have had the most amazing guide, Mohammed from taranezouft voyages, great guy.

Oh and Alex you can message me on my sat phone, the link is on BannedFromSudan , maybe we can meet up

Gunnar

Tam-In Guezzam without guide ?
 

Are you sure you can do this route without guide ? I believed guide is mandatory until the border post .
RR.

Now in Niger
 

We have now made it to the first bastion of civilisation in Niger after spending 40 hours at the Assamaka border station with the authorities being absolute DICKS. We were finally allowed to depert after waiting a day and a half and handing over our passports, camera, laptop, map and FM radio for safe keeping.. we were supposed to get the item back in Arlit, but here the authorities were even bigger çocks and just acted like baboons. we are now in Agadas where the police are friendly but very sorry thet they have to keep out things and send them to Niamey !! they even gave us our map and passports back as a show of good faith.

on the upside the people of Niger who dont have a badge and a gun are real friendly and welcoming and we havent been asked for any bribes from the police at all..

Supervaca

Was it clear precisely what the problem was? Was it the lack of a compulsory guide or the problem of the conflict in N Niger?

Something similar happened to us in 2001. Passports were taken in Dirkou (eastern Tenere) and only returned to us in Niamey about 7 days later. We never found out exactly why.

Algeria without guide
 

I am in Tam. I passed the Tun-Alg border at Ghardimaou. Noone asked me about the guide. I was stopped by police every day a lot of times. It took me the time, but I did not have a problems with the authorities. Unfortunately I dont have enough time for the posting.
My Niger visa will be issued in Nov. 13. It takes 3 days and 50 euros.

Gunnar, if you will read this post, let me know please. I hope it is possible to meet in Niamey.

Alex