Gambia: Various travel information
How do you get to Gambia?
Airplane
direct flights go from Frankfurt and Geneva to Banjul.
Ship
Banjul has an international sea port. Ferries run regularly from Banjul to Dakar and Ziguinchor in Senegal.
Car, bus
The 480 km long Trans-Gambia Highway connects Banjul with Dakar in Senegal.
Travel in the country
Air connections
There are no domestic flights in Gambia.
Railways The
Gambia has no rail network.
Bus
A bus network connects all major towns in the country. There are also shared taxis.
Roads, rental cars
The country’s road network covers a total of around 2,700 km, of which around 1,000 km are asphalted. North and south of the Gambia River there is a trunk road running across the country. The unpaved roads are often impassable in the rainy season. Rental cars are almost exclusively available in the greater Banjul / Serekunda area. The international driving license is accepted for stays of up to three months.
Ferry connections
The Gambia River is navigable for around 390 km, up to half of which is even with ocean-going vessels. However, there are no longer any regular long-haul connections. There are several ferry connections across the river. A car ferry operates between Banjul and Barra on the northern bank of the Gambia Estuary.
On September 26, 2002, the Senegalese ferry “Le Joola”, which was on a journey from Ziguinchor in southern Senegal to Dakar, capsized off the coast of Gambia. The ferry, which was only approved for around 550 people, was hopelessly overloaded with over 1,900 passengers. According to official figures, 1,863 people were killed in the accident.
Traffic rules
Right-hand traffic prevails in Gambia. In order to avoid trouble, one should strictly adhere to the traffic regulations in force in the country. The maximum speeds shown can of course be reduced or increased by traffic signs. Regardless of the information given here, it is advisable to obtain detailed information from the ADAC, the AvD.
Maximum speeds
In addition to the general speed limits shown, the speed limits indicated by signs must be strictly observed.
- In urban areas: In built-up areas there is a speed limit of 50 km/h, but due to the nature of the road, you should not drive over 30 km/h if possible.
- Country roads: There is a speed limit of 80 km/h on country roads
Drinking alcohol limits
Since the Gambia is an Islamic country, no alcohol should be consumed before driving.
International license plate
According to Abbreviationfinder, the Gambia international license plate is:
| WAG |
Gambia Tourism Authority
PO Box 4085
Kololi
Gambia
Tel: 00220 – 446 2491
Email: info@gta.gm
www.visithegambia.gm
Gambia: entry and exit regulations
Formalities, visas
Travelers from the Federal Republic of Germany, Austria and Switzerland do not need a visa for a stay in Gambia of up to three months. You will need a passport that is still valid for three months upon entry, return tickets and sufficient funds. A valid yellow fever vaccination must be proven when entering from a yellow fever area.
Foreign exchange, souvenirs
The national currency of Gambia is the Dalasi (D) = 100 Butut.
- Local currencyThe import and export of local currency is permitted without restriction.
- Foreign currenciesThe import and export of foreign currency is permitted without restriction.
Souvenirs
Tourists in Gambia like to buy wood carvings, belts studded with pearls, silver and gold jewelry, leather goods and T-shirts made of brightly printed and embroidered cotton, as well as various handicrafts made of straw, pearls, leather, fabric or metal.
Import and export of goods
Items intended for personal use (camera, video camera, walkman, radio, films) may be imported duty-free. 200 cigarettes or 250 g tobacco and 1 liter of spirits are permitted for luxury foods. Plants may only be imported with a special permit. There are no known restrictions on the export of goods.
Gambia: travel medicine, risks
In the event of accidents, acts of violence or illness, good medical care is often life-saving, but at least it is of crucial importance for the course of the disease and the subsequent prognosis.
Infectious Diseases
In the Gambia, the following infectious diseases, which are not or less common in Germany or Central and Northern Europe, are to be expected:
- Malaria: Nationwide, including cities, there is a relatively high risk of infection with the malaria pathogen all year round. About 80% to 90% of infections occur with the very dangerous malaria tropica, the rest with malaria tertiana.
- Amoebic dysentery
- Bacterial agitation
- Schistosomiasis
- Chikungunya: A non-fatal but serious viral disease for a healthy adult, which is transmitted by the mosquito “Aedes albopictus” (tiger mosquito). The name of the disease comes from the Swahili (Kiswahili) language and roughly means: “who walks crookedly”.
- Cholera: Only travelers who come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food are at risk of infection
- Intestinal infections from contaminated food or water, including amoebas, lamblia, salmonella, shigella, worm infestation and all kinds of viruses and bacteria
- Yellow fever
- Hepatitis A and B
- Kala-Azar
- Lassa fever
- Leishmaniasis
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Polio, polio
- tetanus
- rabies
- Typhoid: There is only a risk of infection for travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
- Tick bite fever
Vaccination recommendations
- Cholera – but only among travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food
- Diphtheria – a vaccination against diphtheria should always exist, also in the home country.
- Yellow fever
- Hepatitis A and B – vaccination against hepatitis B is only necessary for those people who may come into contact with blood or who are looking for sexual contact.
- Polio, polio – vaccination against polio should always exist, also in the home country.
- Meningococcal meningitis
- Tetanus – a vaccination against tetanus should always exist, also in the home country.
- Rabies – but only for high-risk travelers who can come into contact with the vector animals.
- Typhoid – but only for travelers who can come into contact with polluted water or contaminated food.
Compulsory vaccination
There is a compulsory vaccination against yellow fever for all persons entering from a yellow fever area.
Yellow fever vaccination for children
In most of the countries in which a yellow fever vaccination is required, this also applies to children over one year of age, in some countries even from six months. It should be noted that vaccination against yellow fever had a number of side effects, such as encephalitis. Around two-thirds of those affected were children under six months. Therefore, under no circumstances should children under this age be vaccinated. But children under one year of age should also not be vaccinated if possible. If in doubt, yellow fever infection areas must then be avoided. Any vaccination against yellow fever may only be carried out in specially authorized yellow fever vaccination centers!
Malaria prophylaxis
When traveling in the country, it is strongly advised to undergo malaria prophylaxis. However, if the side effects seem questionable to you, you should at least have a “stand-by preparation” with you.
Hazards/current warning notices
Foreign Office of the Federal Republic of Germany
Citizens Service
Tel: 0049 – (0) 30 – 5000 – 2000
www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de
Gambia: Diplomatic missions
Visit Countryaah for a full list of Gambia embassies and consulates in each country around the world.
German representations in Gambia
The Federal Republic of Germany has no representation in the Gambia. The Embassy in Senegal is responsible:
Embassy in Senegal
20, Avenue Pasteur, intersection Rue Mermoz
Dakar, Senegal
Tel: 00221 – (0) 338 – 894 884
E-Mail: info@dakar.diplo.de
www.dakar.diplo.de
The German embassy in Senegal is still there responsible for:
- Gambia
- Guinea-Bissau
- Cape Verde
Representations of Gambia in Germany
The embassy in Brussels is responsible :
Embassy of the Republic of Gambia in Brussels
126, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt
1050 Brussels, Belgium
Tel: 0032 – (0) 2 – 640 1049
www.gambiaembassy.be
Consulates
| Region | Contact |
| North Rhine-Westphalia, Bremen, Hamburg, Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein | Honorary Consul General in CologneGladbacher Strasse 17-19
50672 Cologne Tel: 0049 – (0) 221 – 888 887 |
| Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarla | Honorary Consul in Frankfurt/MainGuiollettstrasse 19
60325 Frankfurt/Main Tel: 0049 – (0) 69 – 9712 0030 |
| Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg | Honorary Consul in MunichMöhlstrasse 6
81675 Munich Tel: 0049 – (0) 89 – 2280 2566 Email: consul@gamconmuc.de |
Austrian representations in the Gambia
The Federal Republic of Austria does not have an embassy in Gambia, but is represented by an honorary consulate. The embassy in Senegal is responsible:
Embassy in Senegal
18, rue Emile Zola
Tel: 00221 – (0) 33 – 849 4000
Email: dakar-ob@bmeia.gv.at
The Austrian Embassy in Senegal is still responsible for:
- Burkina Faso
- Ivory Coast
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Cape Verde
- Liberia
- Mali
- Niger
- Sierra Leone
Honorary consulate in Banjul (without passport authorization)
SOS Children’s Villages International
Regional Office for North/West Africa
PMB 28
Banjul
Tel: 00220 – 446 4361
00220 – 446 0836
Email: josef.kittl@sos-kd.org
hermann.boehler@sos-kd. org
ro.afnw@sos-kd.org
Representations of Gambia in Austria
The responsible embassy is the British Embassy in London:
Embassy in London
57, Kensington Court
London W8 5DG
Tel: 0044 – (0) 207 – 937 6316 – 18
Email: gambiahighcomuk@aol.com
Honorary Consulate General in Vienna
Wagner-Schönkirch-Gasse 9
1232 Vienna
Tel: 0043 – (0) 1 – 616 7395
Email: gambia@oan.at
Swiss representation in the Gambia
Switzerland has no representation in Gambia. The embassy is responsible for:
Embassy of Switzerland in Senegal
Rue René N’Diaye Intersection Rue Seydou
Nourou Tall
Senegal
Tel: 00221 – (0) 33 – 823 0590
Email: dak.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
The Swiss Embassy in Senegal is still responsible for:
- Gambia
- Guinea-Bissau
- Cape Verde
- Mali
- Mauritania
Representations of Gambia in Switzerland
The French embassy in Paris is responsible.
Embassy in Paris
Rue Saint Lazare 117
75008 Paris
Tel: 0033 – (0) 1 – 7274 8261
Email: ambgambia_france117@hotmail.com
