African airports offer a mixed bag of experiences. Some are gleaming, modern affairs that will surprise you upon landing with working luggage conveyers and friendly staff. Others may be thinly staffed shacks where you carry your own luggage into the terminal and you're asked to pay a hefty sum for a visa you may or may not officially need. Most of the international airports in Africa fall somewhere in between.
Find out about the airport at your African destination; how to get into town, the airport name and code; where the airport is located and more from my Guide to African Airports.
Some African Airport Tips:
- Departure Taxes: Many African countries levy a departure tax that usually has to be paid in USD. Sometimes the tax is included in the price of your ticket, but sometimes not. Make sure you have at least 40 USD in pocket before you arrive at the airport.
- Getting a Reasonable Taxi Fare into Town: Ask a local person on your flight what a reasonable taxi fare into town should cost. Even if your taxi is metered, it doesn't mean your driver will take any note of what the meter says. Some rates to and from the airport are fixed, even so, it still doesn't mean your driver will pay attention to that. Set your rate BEFORE you get into your cab and make sure you get to the hotel you want to go to.
- Domestic Airports: Most domestic airports in Africa are separate from international airports and often located closer to the city center. Domestic airports are seldom gleaming or new and usually quite chaotic.
- Sleeping at the Airport: You know you're on a budget when you're willing to spend the night at an airport to save money on a hotel. Most African airports will allow you to snooze in the terminal. Flights to Africa can arrive at very odd times and sometimes it's safer to wait until dawn at the airport instead of heading into town at 2am to look for a hotel.
More About: African Airports A - Z l Tourist Visas l African Airlines l Cheap Flights to Africa
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