How To Get Around In Abidjan

Because Abidjan is extremely spread out, walking might take a long time, and riding a bicycle is not the safest option (except nearer the water in Zone Quatre.) However, there are several ways to travel around by car.

BY BUS

There are various bus lines that run across the city. They are inexpensive and quite dependable, albeit they are sometimes overcrowded owing to a lack of seats. Some bus stops, like as Adjame, might be daunting for individuals who are unfamiliar with traveling in West African cities. Pickpockets are also a risk in these busy places.

BY TAXI

They have a complicated system made up of two sorts of automobile taxis. The orange (or red-orange) ones are the most common kind encountered by most tourists. These are permitted to operate everywhere in the city, and you should be able to travel alone in them. They are also the most costly. Most travelers (particularly non-Africans who know little French) will pay about 5,000 CFA for a transport from the airport, even to regions just 3 kilometers away. If you’re ready to bargain hard (the drivers often grumble about having to pay a charge to pick up customers there, which is a falsehood), you may be able to get it down to 3,500 or 2,500 CFA. The cost of a transportation between two distant districts, such as Zone Quatre and Plateau, is around 2,000 CFA.

The second sort of taxi is color-coded to operate in a certain neighborhood, such as the green taxis found in Koumassi and Treichville. Taxis are yellow in Cocody municipal regions and blue in Marcory, Yopougon, and Abobo. These are substantially less expensive, but will almost certainly have to be shared, and the distance they can go is confined to a particular area.

Taxis with meters are often mentioned in travel guides. If they do (which is unusual), they are never working, and the fee is always agreed upon before to leaving. They can only be found in Zone 4 (Industriel) locations, according to Africa Travelogue, because to the high degree of the Expat population of European visitors residing in Zone 4.

BY MOTO

The Ivorian government removed import restrictions on compact motorbikes in 2010. Prior to this, the number of motorbikes on the road was low, and none were used as taxis since it was prohibited. Times are improving on this front, but be warned: riding about Abidjan on the back of a moto is arguably the most common way to die while traveling, despite the fact that it is inexpensive.

BY BOAT

If you just need to cross the lagoon and can utilize one of the ferry routes, go ahead and do so. While the lagoon is dirty in certain areas, it is still a beautiful trip, and staring at the Abidjan skyline from the water at sunset is a treat.