The main airlines serving the Central African Republic are Air France (AF), Benin Golf Air, Cameroon Airlines and Sudan Airways. There are regular flights from Bangui to various African cities, including Libreville and N’Djaména.

From London to Bangui is 11 hours (including approximately 1 hour stopover in Paris). There are also connections between Bangui and Douala (Cameroon), Lagos (Nigeria), and other West African destinations.

Bangui M’Poko (BGF) is 7km (4 miles) southeast of Bangui of the city (journey time – 30 minutes). To/from the airport: Taxis are available to the city (journey time – 15 minutes), during flight hours. A bus service to the city meets all flights. Facilities: Restaurant, post office, bar and car hire/parking.

XAF2,000 is levied on all passengers.

The route by ferry along the Ubangi to Bangui from the Congo (Rep) or the Congo (Dem Rep) is run by ACCF (tel: 610 967) and SOCATRAF (tel: 614 315). However, it is not operating at present, owing to rebel activity in the northern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A car/passenger ferry normally operates across the Ubangi between the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangui–Zongo and Bangassou–Ndu. Fares are very low, although the service breaks down frequently and may be disrupted by political instability.

It is sometimes possible to hire a boat, although this is expensive.

Visitors may not cross the river to the Congo (Dem Rep) on Saturday or Sunday, as the customs posts in that country do not operate at the weekend.

Road access is from the Congo (Dem Rep), Chad and Cameroon. There are reasonable all-weather roads from Yaoundé (Cameroon) and N'Djaména (Chad). The border with Cameroon may be closed; it is necessary to check locally near the time of travel. Theoretically, all borders are open; however, non-residents can experience difficulty obtaining permission to cross them.

Scheduled flights sometimes operate to Berbérati. However, most domestic flying is limited to chartered planes. Contact Minair (tel: 611 963 or 612 236) or BADICA (tel: 613 726/7) for details.

Ferries sail from Bangui to several towns further up the Ubangi.

Traffic drives on the right. Good roads connect the few main towns (although few are paved), but the majority are often impassable during the rainy season and travellers should expect delays. Most roads require a 4-wheel-drive to render them passable. Outside the urban areas, motor vehicles are rare and spare parts virtually impossible to find. Travellers must carry as large a petrol supply as possible, since deliveries to stations outside the towns are infrequent and petrol shortages are common.

Bus: Local services run between towns; they are a cheap but sometimes gruelling way to travel. It is also possible to pay for a lift on the numerous goods trucks which drive between the main towns.

Car hire: Self-drive or chauffeur-driven cars are available.

Documentation: International Driving Permit required.

Note: Identification (eg residence permit or certified copy of passport) must be carried at all times. Failure to do so can result in detention by police. Incidents of theft and robbery occur regularly, and armed gangs are known to operate in the outlying areas of Bangui.

Limited bus services run in Bangui on a two-zone tariff. Taxis are only available in the urban areas; they do not have meters and fares must be negotiated.