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One way ticket to Gambia - book a bus to Senegal online? One way ticket to Gambia - book a bus to Senegal online?
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  #1  
Old 31 Jan 2013
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One way ticket to Gambia - book a bus to Senegal online?
Ok, so I am planning to make the following trip. Flying into Gambia, then through Senegal, Mauritania, Morocco by public transport and flying back to the UK from Morocco. I just booked a one way flight to Banjul from Thomas Cook. I read the note about requiring proof on onward travel but assumed an explanation of my plan would suffice to Gambia authorities whom I doubt will even ask.

However, looking around some people seem to be saying that Thomas Cook will not let me on the plane without a return ticket. Is this the case? Could I explain my plans to them, or show them a ticket back to the UK from Morocco?

If not, is there anyway I could book online (or from a UK company) a bus from Gambia to Senegal, so I could use it as proof of onward transport?

Thanks in advance for your help.
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Old 31 Jan 2013
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Hi,

we flew one way to Ghana without any problems. But be prepared in case of problems. Ghanaian officials can be very picky. An onward ticket from Morocco should be fine.

We once had a short discussion entering Gambia with a one way ticket and could proof our plans to travel onwards overland with a Carnet de passage and a ticket Accra Frankfurt.

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Bernd
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  #3  
Old 31 Jan 2013
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Hi Bernd,

Thanks for your response, however it is not the Gambian authorities I am concerned about, it is the employees of Thomas Cook. I am worried that I will arrive at the airport, be told I must book a return flight at a horrendous price or not be able to board the plane.

I am convinced they deliberately put pressure on people not to travel one way even though they know they will be fine to enter Gambia because they want people to purchase their return flights also, which are much more expensive.

Bernd, do you know of any companies in Gambia that provide transport over the border? Maybe I could reserve a journey from Banjul to Dakar with one of them and get them to send me an email confirming and use that as my proof of onward travel?
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  #4  
Old 31 Jan 2013
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There is nothing like a bas company which serves the line. It's all informal minibusses. Maybe you can buy a plane ticket and cancel it the next day.
Good luck
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  #5  
Old 31 Jan 2013
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bubafrica View Post
. Maybe you can buy a plane ticket and cancel it the next day.
Good luck
The trick with this is to have a full cost ticket with a scheduled flight = fully transferable or whatever is the terminology in the airline ticketing contract.
Once arrived in the Gambia on the Thomas Cook "tourist" flight you should be able to cancel the scheduled flight ticket and get a refund (check with the particular airline before booking!!).
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Old 1 Feb 2013
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Call Thomas Cook and ask them?
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Old 4 Feb 2013
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I have this issue a lot since I'm a one-way traveller (travel writer), and what I always do is go online and start the process for booking a flight up until when they ask you to pay. Then copy and paste the info so it looks like part of the confirmation note and print it off. Just make sure you book via a different airline so Tommy Cook can't check it.
If all else fails, I think you'd be ok with a flight booked out of another country (Morocco) and saying to them that you're travelling overland to there.
It's silly that airlines can refuse you on visa issues, they should just advise you. However, what I heard is that if someone arrives and can't enter, the airline has to pay a massive fine, which is why they are even more strict than the immigration officials.
I had an airline almost not let me on a plane to Ireland because I only had a rail pass... So silly.
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