World Country Guide

Travel - International

Note
All travel to the north of Timbuktu, the western border area with Mauritania, and the eastern border with Niger, is advised against.

Air
Mali’s national airline is Air Mali (L9). Mali also has a share in the multinational airline, Air Afrique (RK). Airlines operating between Mali and Europe include Aeroflot and Air France. Air Afrique also operates flights between Mali and New York via Dakar (Senegal) or Abidjan (Cte d’Ivoire). There are three weekly flights between Mali and Niger.

Approximate flight times
From Bamako to London is 11 hours (including stopover in Brussels or Paris).

International airports
Bamako (BKO) is 15km (9 miles) from the city (travel time – 20 minutes). A bus service into the city is available.

Departure tax
CFAfr10,000; for destinations in Africa CFAfr8000. Children under two years are exempt.

Rail
There is a twice-weekly service from Bamako to Dakar (Senegal) which has air conditioning, sleeper facilities and restaurant cars (travel time – 35 hours). It will also carry cars. There are also plans to extend rail links into Guinea.

Road
The best road connections are from Cte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso. There are also road links with Senegal, Guinea, Niger and Mauritania. The all-weather road follows the Niger as far as Niamey (Niger). Travel via the Algerian border is currently considered dangerous and not recommended. Bus: Services operate from Kankan (Guinea) to Bamako, as well as from Bobo Dioulasso (Burkina Faso) to Sgou and Mopti, and Niamey (Niger) to Gao. From Cte d’Ivoire, there are three buses per week (travel time – at least 36 hours). From Niger, the national bus line SNTN operates three weekly buses to Mali.