algerian escorts
 

Hi, does anyone have any recent concrete info about procedures/prices/situation in entering Algeria from Tunis driving to Niger?
Does one need to "book" in advance or just show up at the border, or?
are the prices negotiable or standard fixed by day basis?
any info would be greatly appreciated.
thanks

You absolutely have to register in advance by asking an official local travel agency to hire a guide for you.
The travel agency then sends a note to the Algerian Consulate in your country. Tou need this document to get the visa.
The price is quite big. Try to negociate!
Good luck!
François

There are guidelines, some prices and contacts here: http://www.sahara-overland.com/country/algeria.html

As far as I know negotiation is only possible with big groups.

Chris S

bummer...!
I was hoping for the kind of escort you get in Egypt or Northern Kenya which it's not really an escort(and free), but this seems more a kind of problem than other.
I'll soon get in contact with one of them and find out how many vehicles can travel with one escort, maybe we can start organizing a kind of caravan or so for late this year.
cheers
(anyone interested send me an e-mail inside www.southing.com )

Hi Mario,

some recent informations: http://fr.groups.yahoo.com/group/Explo4x4/message/24813

6 days for the transit is realistic minimum, 8 days not unrealistic... 10 days worst case, normaly.
Guides will do their best to pass you as quickly as possible, but it is not allways easy.

A guide needs to travel twice the distance, so about 8-13 days to pay, about 500€ for guide only, depending on the size and kind of the group.

You might contact www.tanezrouft.com for details. I'm helping them with communication for Europe.

Yves




[This message has been edited by Yves (edited 29 April 2005).]

hi, I just applied for visas at the algerian embassy in copenhagen, it went suspiciously easy. No need to show any booking or invitations, just a copy of the registration papers of the car, a detailed itinerary with places and dates, a copy of a travel and life insurance(!), a valid passport and 35 euros.
They told me that if we intend to drive through Djannet then we'll need an escort, but not if we drive the tarmac road all the way to Tamanrasset and then In Guezzam.
Well, i don't expect it either to be that easy, visas should be ready on a month or so, let's see how it goes.

"but not if we drive the tarmac road all the way to Tamanrasset and then In Guezzam."

Sounds promising - let's hope it's true.
In the end travel regs in Alg are bound to relax. Please keep us informed.

Ch

Ho Mario,
hope it's true. Anyway, you better enter Algeria via Alger, not Taleb Larbi, to go without guide.
Keep us informed.
Good Luck, Yves

we start our trip the first week in september, I'll keep posting here any news about the visas...
(Ives)why would it be better to enter through Alger? We're planning in driving through Tunis taking the ferry from Sicily (here the whole itinerary: http://www.southing.com/westafrica/i.../itinerary.htm )

If you'll try to enter via Taleb Larbi you MUST have a guide .
If you enter via Alger , no guide until you'll reach El Golea . After it depends : may be guide , may be convoy , may be .... nothing .
It depends of what ?
I DON'T KNOW ! ( except the route you will follow )
RR .

I'm coming back from Algeria, 3 weeks ;I printed 40 group list, I have no more than 3;
everywhere you have to suffer controls, with guns pointed on you ; 3 to 4 days to go from Taîeb Larbi to Tam if you are lucky enough to avoid escort ; obviously it's impossible to go off road ; I regret to deliver this advice : don't go !

I have also heard recently that there is much less chance of being expected to have a guide if you enter via Algiers (or other northern ports). Taleb I am sure they expect you to have a guide waiting.

Ch

"I regret to deliver this advice : don't go!(Colombin)" = That this mean don't go through Taîeb Larbi or don't go to Tam at all..?

I would of course like to spend some time in southern algeria, but if necessary we'll just cross the country, at the end of the day we will be in transit to Niger...

Oh excuse me, I mean don't go to Algeria. We spent to much time on tarmac for 6 days in Tassili du Hoggar which is a very pleasant place with some great landscapes but don't deserves a so long and so unpleasant trip ; It can't be compared to Tadrart or Akakus.
For now, in my mind, a possible way is going by plane to Tam or Djanet and visit with agencies cars ; going with it's own car is to much hassle ; but the best, probably, is going elsewhere.

This is exactly what the tour agencies wanted to happen after the abductions, i.e. make it tough for people to go with their own car. One way of approaching this is to carry on going with our own cars. This will wear down the beauracracy in the end.

Going to Tam by plane ?
For me it's not a true Saharian trip !
RR .

Hello Mario,
I just checked your itinerary: looks like you like to cross Grand Erg Oriental and approach Tam mainly via piste. Actually no chance for this route even with guide. You will have to take the road down to Tam. Sorry to say that.
One possibility to profit from your transit would be to arrange a trip localy, may be even trekking or camel trip.
I did extensive travels in DZ and loved them. But actualy prefer the plane to go there for a relaxing trip.

Good luck, Yves

Hi Ives, don't be sorry..! I really appreciate all this info, a lot.
Right now our major concern is not to see the greatest sites of southern Algeria but to be able to cross the country since the other alternatives would be Lybia or the Atlantic route south and back again (or 150 euros per day for 2 weeks)
So is good at least to hear that people actually made it driving until Tam, it doesn't matter to me all the guns at the check points etc etc

So , have a good trip .
And let us know how it was after you're back .
RR.

Has anyone heard about if it is the same driving from Agadez/Tamanrasset/El Oued?

I start thinking in a plan B and since we are doing a circuit we might as well drive south on the atlantic route and then come back through Algeria...

is one expected to have an escort also coming North? (in Egypt you only need an escort driving south, as if driving back the danger disappears)

>is one expected to have an escort also coming North?

From what I hear - yes - it would be slightly less complicated to do your route in a clockwise direction.

Chris

well right now the embassy only needs an invitation to the country, then visas will be given.
I've also got a reply from Tanezrouft Voyages and they gave us a price of 50 euros per day for a guide travelling in our car plus 120 for coming up to Talab Larbi, so all in all around 500/600 euros for the transit, so is not the end of the world.