Travel to Gambia – Top Medical Schools

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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

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: [email protected]

The Austrian Embassy in Senegal is still responsible for: