From the airport to the city centre Chad

Hotels will usually arrange a shuttle bus to pick you up when you have booked your night in advance, but make sure you specify this well in advance of your arrival to avoid any surprises.

Similarly, if you've booked a rental car, it can be made available to you at the airport.

Otherwise, you can always take a cab, which is easy to find in front of the terminal and will cost you between 2,000 FCFA and 5,000 FCFA, depending on the time of day and your destination in town.

Note that since 2023, there has been a VTC platform in N'Djamena: HERMOCAB / +235 659 35 162

Public transport Chad

Buses, Toyotas and big rigs: these are the modern means of transport for the locals. The vehicles set off when they are fully loaded: the roofs of the trucks are bristling with kettles, chickens or lambs, as well as clusters of people, clinging to the doorframes, or, at best, sitting jumbled between the sacks of onions and millet, dressed in boubous, their heads and faces veiled by chèches and sunglasses, in a vain attempt to protect themselves from the myriad grains of dust that flutter constantly around the vehicle. Above all, passengers must keep their eyes on the road to avoid hitting any tree branches... Women, who are so prudish in the north of the country, have recently been allowed on these loads, in total promiscuity. Under these conditions, accidents are not uncommon, and trucks sometimes overturn, sending their human cargo into the air... As you can see, the long-haul truck is a typical and inexpensive mode of transport, but it remains dangerous and unpredictable, and breakdowns are relatively common (you can be immobilized for several days for a punctured wheel, as the driver has no spare!).

Regular tour buses have entered the Chadian transport market. More reliable and usually air-conditioned, departures and stops are fixed in advance. As a guide, here are a few fares from the capital:

Bongor: 8,000 FCFA

Abéché: 45,000 FCFA

Am Timan: 30,000 FCFA

Mongo: 10,000 FCFA

Moundou: 12,500 FCFA

For Sarh: 15,000 FCFA
Car parks are generally located on the outskirts of towns, in the direction of destinations. In N'Djamena, the large car park for the east and north is located in Diguel, while the one for the south is in Chagoua, not far from the Dembé market.

STTL - Société tchadienne de transport et de location, +235 99 23 53 04. Most of the buses are air-conditioned.

Bike, scooters & co Chad

Getting around the country is no mean feat, and requires considerable preparation.

Bicycles are rarely used, except in the villages or on the fields. You can sometimes rent one at village markets for a pleasant ride in the bush. On the other hand, good luck pedaling through the sandy areas of the north, even with a mountain bike!

The dromedary is the only means of transport for transhumant tribes, along with the horse (for men) and the donkey (for women).

Travel agencies organize desert safaris on camels. You can also try organizing your own trip, renting animals and guides in towns and villages. Finally, you have the option of "camel-stopping" by standing on a mourhal (transhumance axis) and waiting for a caravan to pass by... Nomadic peoples are very hospitable and have a strong tradition of hospitality. In addition to your personal belongings, bring tea, sugar, dates, millet and other foodstuffs to offer your hosts... You can also simply ask any camel driver to take you for a ride on his camel; it's very comfortable, but for the unaccustomed it can quickly become a backache, and you may no longer wish to share the rough and wild nomadic life..

Horses. You'll see many beautiful horses in the country. They are the men's means of transport, while the women use donkeys. That's why in the provinces, where people are more prudish, it's frowned upon for a woman to ride a horse. There are two riding schools in N'Djamena.
You can also buy your horse at the livestock markets in the towns (between 100,000 and several million FCFA, depending on the quality of the animal). In N'Djamena, you'll often pay a little more; the livestock market is behind the Diguel car park. On the other hand, equipment is often rudimentary: saddles and saddle pads are made of local leather, spurs are made by blacksmiths and are often narrow for us; bits are sometimes replaced by a simple rope halter, possibly with a bicycle chain on the muzzle; there are no bombs or riding boots... If you want sophisticated equipment, take it with you in your luggage!

Walking. It's the mode of transport of the poorest people, but if you're a hiker, Chad offers you many sublime landscapes, far from modern civilization..
In addition to the massifs you can climb (Mont Guéra and Abou Telfane, near Bitkine and Mongo, Kilinguen and the Ouara massifs, near Abéché, the Sila escapade, near Goz Beïda, the Monts de Lam, in the south..), there's nothing to stop you taking a few days out in the Ennedi massif, if you've got the logistics; in particular, there's a short hike of a few hours to get an overview of the Guelta d'Archeï, from the top of its cliffs (no difficulty involved). Travel agencies also organize multi-day treks in the Ennedi; pack camels are provided. The Tibesti massif, whose national and international political context makes access perilous, is a treasure trove for mountaineers, with the Emi Koussi volcano, the Trou au natron, etc.

How do you drive your camel? The saddle only sits on the dromedary's hump, so don't try to strap it down... Nomads cross their legs in front of the saddle, over the animal's withers, for greater comfort. Your mount will straighten up almost instantly, once you've put your buttocks on the saddle; hold on tight, because it's going to be a bumpy ride! If your dromedary refuses to get up, tell him "hatch", and hit him with the end of your only rein, which is actually a string around the animal's snout. Then you're ready to go... The dromedary is a generally obedient animal; to make him move forward, simply say "hatch"; to make him turn right, pull your rein to the right (same for the left). You stop him with a "cho", pronounced by pulling the rein towards you and upwards. If you do the same thing, pulling the rein down, your horse will sit! The walk is a quiet, comfortable gait; the trot is shaky, but it's still easy to keep your balance. Gallop, on the other hand, is unsettling: you can't hold on tightly and have to spread your arms to keep from rolling in the dust. Test this gait on sandy ground! It'll hurt less when you fall!

With a driver Chad

For short trips around town, travelers have two options: car cabs or motorcycle cabs, known as "clando" in the country. Since 2023, the capital has even had a VTC chauffeur-driven vehicle service, called HERMOCAB.

By car Chad

If you choose to rent a car without a driver - which we don't recommend - be extremely careful, especially in town, where traffic is governed by rules that nobody seems to know. Above all, never venture into the bush alone, even for a few kilometers.

In N'Djamena, don't be surprised by the traffic, which can be very heavy at certain times of the day.

Accessibility Chad

Chad is not a very accessible country for people with reduced mobility. Sidewalks are in poor condition where they exist, and vehicles are often high.