Useful information



This data is from 2014

Don't trust 100% this information, it is our own experience. There are plety of other sources with much more infomation worty to be checked out. Many things depend and change according onto the choosen route, year, season, political situation and so on.

The borders information is very few and not all borders are written down, just the ones we took or know a bit, better check it in the forums, see the links in the home page.

In the expenses table, the food prices are checked in the street markets and local shops, and if one day we went restaurant we add it in the food column. 

In the others column there are all kind of expenses which are not food nor petrol, anything that we had to buy or even if we had to go to the mechanic or whatever.

About diesel and kilometers, sometimes we got some extra liters form last country, does it means that the relation between quilometers, money spend and liters it is not very accurate, however if you calculate in different countries together it will be very accurate. Also most of the quilometers are made for alternative route, probablly more than 80% it is not asfalt route.


Ceck the information below about each countrie (Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, )




Morocco (march 2014)


Expenses (Morocco and Western Sahara)

2,5 people
35 days
3782 km


Dirhams Euros
diesel 3566          324,18
food 355          32,27
others 1016          92,36



TOTAL 4937          448,82


During Morocco and Western Sahara trip we used some food brought from spain, also in the others is included two mauritanian visas 340 dirhams each.
We put 2,5 people because we stay 20 days being only 2 people and then the third joined us in Ouarzazate (morocco)


Visa
Got on arrival, free, and three months straight away for many countries (at least europeans).


Car papers
When police stops you they ask for the car circulation permit (car papers) and the paper they give you on the arrival border, sometimes the driving license aswell, we give always the european one and it worked.
The insurance is the same than in europe but the green card is recuired.


Borders
Tanger: arriving by boat, preety easy, european don't need visa just get three months for free
Western Sahara: all borders are opened, it uses the same visa than morocco so no problem at all for the moment.
Algeria: not sure but I would say they are close.
Others like ceuta, melilla: we don't know information


Currency
dirham. 1 euro = 11 Dirhams
In the atm it was around 9,5 dirham per euro (because interest, etc)
many banks and atm in populated areas, more difficult in remote areas.


Fuel
All around morocco is more or less the same price (9 dirhams), but when close to Sahara in the small shops the price drops to 8 dirhams.
We don't know the price close to algerian border, could be also cheaper.


Gas
In morocco they have their own brands 5litre bottle and it is no possible to change the european ones, but it is possible to use the same parts because is the same thread size than for example campingaz or eurocamping.


Police
To us doesn't seem that much corrupted, however several times we found them cheking the speed, specially in the entrance of the villages where the maximum speed allowed is 60 km/h. They try to charge 300 dirhams many times but we could not pay by talking a bit.


Language
Arabian (darija dialect) is common language, many people speak french, but a few in the small lost villages.


Prices


banana 8 1kg
orange 5 1kg
mandarin 4 1kg
potatoe 3 1kg
onion 6 1kg
carrot 3 1kg
pepper 3 – 6 1kg
aubergine 3 – 6 1kg
tomatoes 2 – 4 1kg
courgette 3 – 6 1kg
pumpkin 3 – 6 1kg
rice 10 1kg
rice broken 6 – 8 1kg
flour normal 4 1kg
flour force 6 1kg
pasta 13 1kg
cous cous 10 1kg
lentils 10 1kg
espicies 50 – 60 100gr
egg 0,8 – 0,9 1unit
egg boiled 1 1unit
bread 1 – 1,2 -2 1unit
Oil (not olive) 15 1litre
gas butan 55 full 5l bottle
gas butan 11 recharge 5l
petrol 8 – 9,2 litre








Western Sahara (march 2014)

Expenses (Morocco and Western Sahara)

2,5 people
35 days
3782 km


Dirhams Euros
diesel 3566          324,18
food 355          32,27
others 1016          92,36



TOTAL 4937          448,82


During Morocco and Western Sahara trip we used some food brought from spain, also in the others is included two mauritanian visas 340 dirhams each.
We put 2,5 people because we stay 20 days being only 2 people and then the third joined us in Ouarzazate (morocco)

Visa
It is used the same visa than morocco due to it is considered the same country


Car papers
When police stops you they ask for the car circulation permit (car papers) and the paper they give you on the arrival border, sometimes the driving license aswell, we give always the european one and it worked.
Not really sure but i would say that the european car insurance (green car) it is not valid for Western Sahara, however they don't really ask for this paper. Just check with your compani, but they will say that there is no problem like usual but then when something happens.....


Borders
Morocco: no problems, some militar controls but free circulation.
Mauritania: the only legal option is guerguerat (south west), not much problems. The other border crossing like Guelta-Zemur, are all militarized and they don't allow to cross.
Algeria: not sure but I would say they are close at least for the non saharauis.


Currency
dirham. 1 euro = 11 Dirhams
In the atm it was around 9,3 dirham per euro (because interest, etc).
Many banks and atm in populated areas, no atm in small areas but some banks.


Fuel
All around Sahara is more or less the same price (7 dirhams). Possible to find petrol outside the petrol stations, wich are only in the coast road or in Smara. The rest of the country there is almost nothing, just possible to buy in some places. Make sure to bring some extra fuel tanks.


Gas
In Western Sahara they have their own brands 5litre bottle and it is no possible to change the european nor even the Morocain ones, but it is possible to use the same parts because is the same thread size than for example campingaz or eurocamping.


Police
To us doesn't seem that much corrupted, however several times we met the militaries and they don't allowed us to keep going for the route specially close to algerian and mauritanian border. But it is very easy to avoid the controls, just takeing alternative routes through the desert.
Everybody says  the coast route there's plenty of controls and advise to bring passport and car permit photocophy to give them and skip waiting long time to just get the passport back.
Through the desert there are no controls at all, only in the asfalt routes close to the border and the big villages.


Language
Arabian (darija dialect) is common language, some people speak french, but a few in the small lost villages. Old people speak a bit of spanish, more in remote areas.


Prices


banana 8 1kg
orange 5 1kg
mandarin 1 – 4 1kg
potatoes 1 – 3 1kg
onion 5 – 6 1kg
carrot 1 – 6 1kg
pepper 2 – 6 1kg
aubergine 2 – 6 1kg
tomatoes 1 – 3 1kg
courgette 2 – 6 1kg
pumpkin 2 – 6 1kg
rice 10 1kg
rice broken 6 – 8 1kg
flour normal (wheat) 4 1kg
flour force (wheat) 6 1kg
pasta 13 1kg
cous cous 10 1kg
lentils 10 1kg
espicies 50 – 60 100gr
egg 0,8 – 0,9 1unit
egg boiled 1 1unit
bread 1 – 1,2 1unit
Oil (not olive) 15 1litre
gas butan 60 full 5l bottle
gas butan 15 recharge 5l
petrol 7 litre








Mauritania (april 2014)


Expenses
3 people
20 days
1566 km




Ougiya Euros
diesel 43000 104,88
food 7670 18,71
others 17600 42,93



TOTAL 68270 166,51


Visa
Possible to get on the arrival, some people say it costs 50 euros for one month single entry. There are other options like three months multiple entry.
I rabat embassy it costs 340 dirhams for one month single entry. (but the visa does not start when once one cross the border but the day one chose when it is issued, so one have to plan a bit the trip). One arrive on the morning around 8pm, filled the form, pay and the same thay at 2pm it is ready. They ask for copy of passport and moroccain visa.


Car papers
On the border they make the passavant for 10 euros.
The insurance, no one ask for it however we bring it already from morocco. Usally the people pays 15 euros for 3 days. We maked it in hotel Barbas and they got different prices:
3  days      15 euros
10  days    20 euros
20  days    28 euros
30  days    33 euros
if payed in dirhams it was cheaper.
We ask then on the border to get the insurances there and it was a bit more expensive like 40 euros 30 days and some other much more expensive.
We took the one month and in one month in mauritania nobody ask for it, not even in the border when arriving from morocco noone mention anything about if we got insurance or not. Maybe we could saved this money.


Borders
Western Sahara: the only legal option is close to noadhibou, not much problems.
Algeria: not sure but I would say they are close.
Senegal: possible, in rosso so many corruption, and there is another close by Rosso only possible in dry season (easyer)
Mali: the only “tourist leagal-common” border it is nioro du sahel, but there is plenty of land border crossing options specially in the south. but it was easyer when the passavant was not informatized, but since few months ago they give the passavant only in Nioro. We crossed through Aourou (Biliqouate, or Hamoud) everything was okey but when we arrive to kayes we went to the Aduana and they didn't want to make the passavant and we had to go to Diboli (senegal border) to get it (5000 Franc Cfa).


Currency
Ougiya. 1 euro = 410 ougiya.
The change in the bank is around 410, on the border they change for 400
in the atm it was around 385 ougiya per euro (because interest, etc)
some banks and atm in cities, no banks in remote areas


Fuel
All around Mauritania is more or less the same price (390 ougiya), several petrol station but they say star is the best at least in the eastern part.
We don't know the price close to algerian border, could be also cheaper.


Gas
In Mauritania they don't care, if it is the same rosca, and is 5l bottle, they just change it, it costs 800 ougiya to change the bottle, ther is also the option to recharge the bottle, but we don't know the price. So it is possible to use the same gadgets because is the same rosca size than for example campingaz or eurocamping.


Police
We didn't get any trouble, sometimes they ask for the papers and passports, we had to wait them to write everything but nothingelse, they ask for the passavant, but not for the insurance (anytime).


Language
Arabian (hasania dialect) is common language also other languages, some people speaks french, but very few in the small lost villages. Some saharauis can speak a bit of spanish.


Prices

banana 600 – 900 1kg
apple 100 1unit
orange 1kg
mandarin 250 – 400 1kg
potatoes 200 – 250 1kg
onion 200 – 250 1kg
carrot 100 – 300 1kg
pepper 600 1kg
aubergine 250 – 300 1kg
tomatoes 200 – 250 1kg
cabbage 250 – 300 1kg
beetroot 300 1kg
pumpkin 500 1kg
rice 300 – 400 1kg
rice broken 250 – 300 1kg
flour (wheat) 250 1kg
cous cous 360 1kg
pasta 600 1kg
lentils 400 1kg
egg 50 1unit
egg boiled 60 1unit
bread (french) 100 1unit
bread (small) 40 – 50 1unit
Oil (not olive) 600 1litre
gas butan full 5l bottle
gas butan 800 recharge 5l
petrol 390 litre








Mali (may 2014)


Visa
Possible to get on the arrival, 20000 franc cfa.
In rabat embassy it is possible to get it as well as in Nouakchot. We think the only tourist visa is one month single entry, with the option to get an extention easily.


Car papers
On the border they make the passavant for 5000 Fcfa. Be careful because the passavant is made only in few borders so, if you enter for small-rare border crossing you will have to go as far as a standarized border crossing. (see what happened to us when crossing mauritania mali in the mauritania information)
The insurance, there are two main different options, it is possible to get mali inssurance or CEDEAO insurance which covers around 15 countries in west africa. The prices differs depending on the validity of the insurance. Some people pays 20000 Fcfa for one month (CEDEAO) we paid 35000 for 6 months (CEDEAO).
Sometimes no needed to get it on the border, possible to get it later on in the city


Borders
Mauritania: the only “tourist leagal” border it is nioro du sahel, but there is plenty of land border crossing options specially in the south. At this moment they don't give the mauritanian visa on the arrival yet.
Senegal: Diboli
Guinea Conaky:
Ivory Coast:
Burkina Faso:

Currency


Fuel
.


Gas


Police


Language


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