Je lance un appel pour la creation grace à VoyageForum d'une associatio ou club de courageux maliens ou de toutes nazionalités, aimant voyager par la route de l'Europe vers le Mali et l'Afrique. L'objectif etant de regulariser ( au moins une fois par an par exemple); de faciliter les formalités durant le trajet ( en tant qu'association on pourrait contacter avec plus de force les autorités des pays traversés : Maroc, Mauritanie, .... Une association est toujours mieux ecoutée qu'un individu).
Desormais il est possible d'utiliser la route pour monter et realiser nos projets en Afrique , formant une associations de voyageurs de la routes les autorités seront peut etre douces avec nous.
C'est une idée j'espère bonne , j'attend les votre sur le sujet Merci.
je suis français et ma femme est malienne et nous faisons le trajet France-Mali en voiture tous les 1 ou 2 ans.
Une association est une bonne idée pour échanger entraides, informations et covoiturages.
Toutefois, ces dernières années, les formalités aux frontières se sont bien améliorées et ne nous ont posées aucun problème lors de notre dernier passage au mois d'août dernier.
Pour le transport de marchandises à titre commercial si vous voulez développer une activité professionnelle entre l'europe et l'afrique, c'est surement une autre histoire...
Mais pas insurmontable, beaucoup de maliens le font et nous en avons croisé plus d'un sur la route.
J'espere vous rencontrer au Mali ou sur la route Tanger-Bamako. Peut etre nous devons developper un reseau de communication pour informer , guider, et aider tous les voyageurs reguliers du trajet tanger-Afrique sud saharienne.
Selon votre reponse les formalités sont de plus en plus simples; c'est une bonne nouvelle. Moi et ma femme italienne serons au Mali entre janvier et fevrier 2019.
si vous partez par la route au Mali en janvier prochain, à touts fins utiles, je peux vous résumer notre parcours d’aout dernier.
Maroc : entrée et sortie avec vos passeports sans visas. Une autorisation de circuler gratuite vous sera délivrée pour le véhicule en rentrant dans le pays. A présenter en ressortant du pays.
Les services douaniers marocains sont maintenant modernes et efficaces, les formalités sont rapides.
Mauritanie : pour votre femme, si elle est italienne et n'a pas la nationalité malienne, elle prendra son visa à la frontière Maroc-Mauritanie car le consulat (à Paris et ailleurs) ne les délivrent plus. Prévoir 55 euros en liquide. Pour vous qui êtes malien, aucun visa n'est nécessaire.
Une autorisation de transit payante valable 3 jours vous sera délivrée pour le véhicule en rentrant dans le pays. A présenter en ressortant du pays. Vous devrez prendre aussi une assurance pour le véhicule (10 jours 30 euros).
Vous pouvez effectuer les formalités vous-même ou les confier à l'un des nombreux intermédiaires qui ne manqueront pas de vous aborder pour proposer leurs services. Demandez bien leurs tarifs.
Nous avons nos habitudes avec l'un d'eux qui s'occupe de tous nos papiers et même de notre repas pour 20 euros. Frais de douanes en plus (20-30 euros).
Mali : pour votre femme, si elle est italienne et n'a pas la nationalité malienne, je lui conseille de demander son visa (70 euros) pour le Mali auprès du consulat en Italie avant le départ (pas de visa délivré à la frontière). Pour vous qui êtes malien, aucun visa n'est nécessaire.
Une autorisation de circuler payante 15.000 CFA vous sera délivrée pour le véhicule en rentrant dans le pays. A présenter en ressortant du pays. Ajouter les frais de police 5000CFA.
Vous devrez prendre aussi une assurance pour le véhicule 30.000 CFA.
Pour info, nous avions l'intention de vendre notre véhicule à un ami au Mali qui se chargera de le dédouaner par la suite. Les douaniers maliens ont bien compris que notre voiture ne ressortirai pas du pays car ils ont vu sur leur système informatique (hé oui) que ça avait déjà été le cas il y a deux ans. Ils ont exigé un paiement immédiat du dédouanement pour pouvoir continuer notre route. Finalement, après palabres, un "compromis officieux" nous a permis de repartir.
Sur la route, nous aimons nous loger un peu confortablement. Une bonne douche et un bon lit après une longue journée de route. Pour cela, il y a plein de petits hôtels et restaurants très bien et vraiment pas chers au Maroc. Voir le guide du Routard ou le Petit Futé.
En Mauritanie, c'est un peu plus difficile. A part quelques exceptions, les prix sont élevés et la qualité assez moyenne. Mais ça progresse.
Je pourrai vous recommander quelques adresses si vous le désirez.
Dernière info, la bible des routards vers l'Afrique de l'Ouest, le blog de Papy et Mamy en voyage. Un grand merci à eux. http://papyetmamyenvoyage.kazeo.com/
Bon voyage à vous et peut-être au plaisir de se rencontrer au Mali si l’opportunité se présente.
Sekou68,
Tout d'abord, (y dowèrè).
En effet, Je suis Coulibaly comme vous.
Je suis favorable à créer une association de personnes qui se rendent par la route de l'Europe au Mali et même plus loin en Afrique, Côte d'ivoire, etc.
Mais je pense qu'il faudrait que ce soit une association loi 1901 sans but lucratif.
Par contre, il y a un dossier à monter et ce ne serra pas facile.
Je pense que si l'on est en règle la traversée se passe assez bien.
Depuis ma retraite en 2011, j'ai commencé à me rendre à Bamako de 2012 à septembre 2108 mon dernier retour en France.
Ainsi, vu que je passe 6 mois en France et 6 mois à Bamako, je traverse chaque année.
Je suis passé avec un passeport Français comme avec un passeport Malien vu ma double nationalité et je préfère passer avec un passeport français malgré les visa (très chers pour la Mauritanie et le Mali) parce que c'est plus pratique.
Je signale qu'en 7 traversées dont deux allées -retours avec le même véhicule je n'ai pas eu de problèmes en Afrique sauf en en 2016 que je me suis fait attaquer sur une aire de repos avant Barcelone avec vol de tous mes papiers.
J'attends votre réponse pour voir la suite à donner à tout ceci.
Bien Cordialement.
le site www.amisdumali.com était très intéressant il y a quelques années avec beaucoup d'infos sur différents sujets sur le Mali.
Mais il n'est plus mis à jour depuis longtemps. Les infos qu'il contient datent de 2011-2012 et ne sont donc plus d'actualité.
Si nous continuons à echanger les idées la solution meilleure sera trouver ou decouverte (peut etre elle existe deja).
Mon objectif est que , qui se met en voyage ait des contacts sùrs (telephones, hotels et auberges ...) . Ainsi nous pouvons rendre la route encore plus sùre, où personne ne se sent seule face aux desert...
Nous pouvons encourager d'autres à entreprendre le voyage EUROPE-AFRIQUE.
Je pense que vous avez raison.
La création d'une association permet surtout d'échanger des renseignements divers pour faciliter la traversée vers l'Afrique et le Mali en particuliers.
Je signale que tout ceci sera facilité si la réfection de la route de l'espoir en Mauritanie pouvait avancer mais il est à remarquer que ce n'est pas facile.
Du Mali à Agadir aussi le Maroc devrait progresser plus vite que cela au lieu de mettre des radars sur des déviations et piéger les personnes qui passent avec des arguments de retraits de points sur le permis (spécificité française) ou de retrait de permis qui reste la propriété du pays qui délivre ce permis.
Voici ce genre d'informations dont on a besoin.
Je suis pour et je souhaite être tenu informé.
Bien Cordialement.
Très intéressant comme idée, surtout pour les voyages commerciaux. Si de gros efforts sont fait pour le tourisme, réputé être une manne, les freins n'ont jamais cessé d'être de plus en plus nombreux pour les trajets commerciaux, pourtant à mes yeux plus lucratifs pour les pays traversés. Résultat : toujours moins de trajets routiers commerciaux de transit, ce qui rend le poids du secteur sans cesse plus insignifiant pour les pays traversés, qui trouvent donc justifié de négliger et rendre ardu le transit qui finalement pèse si peu et est donc sans intérêt. Un cercle vicieux qui a beaucoup tué un itinéraire qui aurait pu peser vraiment lourd. Le cas du Maroc est extrêmement schizophrénique : des facilités top pour le tourisme, des complications monstres pour ceux qui transitent avec des marchandises. Le pays situé entre l'Europe et l'Afrique Subsaharienne n'a pas sû tirer son épingle du jeu comme le fait le Cameroun pays de transit avec la Centrafrique ou le Tchad : la douane Camerounaise pose des plombages avec balises GPS pour assurer la réalité du transit de marchandises quand le Maroc en est encore à faire vider les camions pour opérer un comptage intégral du contenu à l'entrée (et la sortie). Le Maroc investi dans le gigantesque port de Tanger Med mais sa frontière sud est congestionnée faute de capacité. Il est même aussi rentable d'importer des jus marocain par les port de Casablanca et Dakar destination Bamako que par la route directe. Etonnant quand on voit les efforts faits par le Roi pour ouvrir le Maroc vers les pays d'Afrique le l'Ouest avec un développement des échanges commerciaux et investissements privés à la clé. Je ne connais pas un seul usager de la voie qui n'ait pas cessé de la pratiquer, moi-même je l'ai abandonnée après 8 ans d'exploitation au profit de la voie maritime. Je dépensait systématiquement plus de 1000€ au Maroc à chaque passage (souvent plus de 2000) mais j'étais considéré comme un parasite. Pourtant rares sont les touristes si choyés qui dépensent de tels budget par tête à chaque voyage et qui reviennent tous les mois et demis. Mais le nombre fait la force. Si tous les usagers parlaient d'une même voie et faisaient un certain lobbying, les choses seraient peut-être différentes...
Au sujet de la quantité de tabac que vous pouvez acheter lors d'un voyage dans l'Union Européenne et que vous pouvez ramener en France, on ne peut pas parler de "franchise", car la question de quantité de tabac qu'on peut ramener en France n'est pas simple du tout en droit français.
Hello everyone! 🙂🙂,
A BIG thank you to all the travelers who sent us postcards this year—my students are becoming real geography whizzes!!!!!!!! I’m renewing my call for your kindness this year! We’re also working on food, so if your postcards can make our mouths water with local dishes, traditional meals, or typical recipes, that’d be amazing!!
Here’s a quick recap of the project:
I’m reaching out to all travelers and globetrotters on this forum. I’m a teacher in Creuse, working in a ULIS program (which welcomes children aged 6 to 12 with disabilities into a mainstream school). This year, I’m starting a school journal project that will involve the kids in many different topics. A big part of the journal will focus on opening up to the world, diversity, travel, countries, culture...
I’m launching a call to invite as many of you as possible to send us a little postcard (from France or anywhere in the world!) to take us on a journey and help us discover new places, countries, and horizons—much more fun and exciting than a regular geography textbook! One section of our journal could be called "We received mail from " and would be an opportunity to research that location and share what we learn with our readers (a super enriching activity in class).
The project starts in September 2025 but has no real end date, as this journal and world discovery initiative will span several school years (the kids stay in my ULIS program for multiple years). Postcards can be sent anytime—throughout the year, across seasons, even during holidays! (The kids will find them when they return.)
I hope this idea appeals to as many of you as possible and that you’ll spread the word to your fellow traveler friends. Make us dream, take us on a journey!!!
For those who’d like to write to us in a language other than French, no problem—quite the opposite!!
Thank you in advance for your participation(s)! Below is our address. Feel free to leave your own address on a corner of the postcard if you’d like us to write back! 😊
The ULIS program students
Bonnat Elementary School
12 rue Georges Sand
23220 BONNAT
Thank you, and see you soon, I hope! 😁
Julien
Many of us have noticed that bugs have been making it difficult to navigate the forum lately.
I’ll let Kate and Ticapi explain the issue:
I went to your profile to check out the Thailand travel journal, and when I clicked on it, it brought me back here again. All week, I’ve been dealing with bugs like this—it’s really discouraging from continuing on VF.🙁
I had the same thing happen, and multiple times. For me, it was Montagnard’s latest journal that kept coming up no matter which discussion I clicked on.
BOLIVIA: THE COUNTRY ON THE BRINK (What's Really Happening)
A dramatic saga is unfolding before our eyes in the Andes. Between suffocating blockades, clashes, an international airlift, and historic political decisions, Bolivia has just experienced 48 hours of rare intensity.
Here’s the full breakdown (economic, social, and political) of the last 48 hours:
For travelers and tourists: the article also includes an important note about the upcoming publication (starting tomorrow) of the precise status of roadblocks, route by route.
I’ll post the full update here on Voyage Forum!
Don’t miss this in-depth analysis. History is being written before our eyes! https://www.petitherge.com/bolivie-paralysie-et-ultimatum
I just discovered a great show on Arte.
It's called "7 en route": seven young European journalists travel around Europe in a fully converted bus, making reports on every city they visit. It's amazing! 🙂
Yesterday, for example, they were in Rome, Italy, and the reports included things like the world's smallest restaurant—a super romantic spot for two. There was also a report on the king of paparazzi in Italy.
They have to pick topics that let us discover the little quirks of each country. And at the end of each episode, we get to see the finished report.
It's such a great show, mixing journalism, travel, and discovery—basically, a must-watch!
It airs in the evening starting at 6:50 PM (I think), and it started this past Monday, July 14th.
If you watch it, let me know—we can chat about it!
I left my heart’s country eight days ago and returned to my adopted one—or was it the other way around? Scotland-Morvan, Morvan-Scotland, I’m not quite sure anymore.
After a quarter without dragging my slippers around here, even though I’d loudly declared I had no interest left in this site, here I am again!
My imagination never stays fallow for long. Just enough time for my inner land to rest. It gets overgrown with fresh nettles, the kind you can pick without getting stung. Then, it’s time to till the fragrant earth and let the story grow.
I hesitated over where to set this story.
Maybe the Highlands, maybe the Hebrides, maybe the Orkney Islands, maybe the Shetland Islands. All of Scotland is myth—easy to embroider.
But in the end, no. I’d almost be too afraid to bare my soul.
The story will take place at home. Simple, practical.
1)
This morning, I was up well before dawn, feeling a bit grumpy, but nothing a bowl of coffee won’t fix. I love my bowl, and no one dares take it. It’s porcelain, edged with intertwined blue flowers. On the bottom, it says "Revol." The factory has existed long before the Revolution. It was my great-grandmother’s bowl. She drank roasted barley from it during the war, then her Leroux chicory.
Last year, a little guy dropped it. My bowl broke into three pieces. A black anger vibrated deep inside me. The little boy was so upset, on the verge of tears. How could I scold him!
I picked up the three pieces and took Little Boy in my arms. His hair smelled of the light, sweet sweat of toddlers. A gentle hug that healed—his budding sorrow and my anger—everything vanished, and time carried on.
Today, my bowl is even prettier. Man fixed it using the traditional kintsugi technique, except he didn’t use gold powder or lacquer but superglue, and he delicately painted the cracks with woad blue. And my bowl is even more beautiful now.
I’m lingering, I can tell—it’s just that a story wraps itself in life, and life can’t be told in the snap of a finger. Life is long. Like in architecture, you start with a rough sketch, called a "sous-cul" (the initial pencil drawing), then you make a tracing, which is the work itself, the one you later carefully roll up in a wooden tube.
Life is like that: you erase, you start over, you use the nub of the pencil until it’s tiny, but you keep going—dreaming, loving.
"Living is a full-time occupation, a unique adventure. Always a surprise and a wonder, which sometimes turns into astonishment. And, from time to time, happiness."*
Alright, enough digressing—this introduction is definitely too long.
Tomorrow, I’ll get to the heart of the matter.
(I hate that expression; it feels like I’m cutting into someone’s skin.)
I’m Yann, a 28-year-old TikToker who loves traveling!
Since I’ve been to several destinations, I’d love to get a flag from each one as a sort of trophy. But from what I’ve seen online, a lot of sites sell them with what looks like really poor quality...
So I’m reaching out to you all to share a site you usually use—help me start my collection! :)
hi there
I’d love to get some opinions—I’ve never used Airbnb before.
They’re offering a key handover via lockbox.
Any tips or advice?
Is it reliable?
Best,
Hi there, I’m Laura, and I’m looking for a few people to answer some questions so I can understand your travel wishes and challenges. It won’t take long—I can chat here, by email, or by phone. Don’t worry, I’m not selling anything! 😊
On this forum, we talk a lot about trekking in the Himalayas, but I’d love to share another side of Nepal: its spiritual, cultural, and religious atmosphere, especially in Kathmandu.
Nepal, much like Tibet and Bhutan, is deeply connected to the Himalayas—the ultimate sacred mountain range. This small country exudes a calming vibe, shaped by a strong spiritual dimension. What I loved most was the unique sensory experience you get there. Walking around temples and tantric monasteries, a distinct scent fills the air—aromatic plants used for ritual fumigation. Locals mainly burn Himalayan juniper, cedar, sandalwood, and other local essences. This fragrant smoke is a way to purify the space and reach the deities, and you’re constantly enveloped in these aromas.
Another striking aspect is the sound. As soon as you step outside, you hear bells ringing in front of temples. People ring them three times before praying to announce their presence to the deities. Nepal is also the birthplace of singing bowls and sound meditation practices. In Kathmandu, you can easily find meditation sessions or "sound baths."
The spiritual dimension is everywhere: a Hindu sadhu practicing asceticism, a lama in deep red robes with his mala, turning a prayer wheel while murmuring "Om mani padme hum." Newar Buddhism, Tantrism, and Hinduism coexist harmoniously in daily life.
For those who love exploring a destination through its culture and spirituality, Nepal is an unforgettable place. What was your spiritual experience in Nepal like?
Hi,
I’m landing in Quebec and then heading to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I’d like to rent a pick-up. My question is: does this vehicle come with a cover and is it secure enough to store luggage in? I’ve heard two conflicting opinions. Thanks
I just installed the Maps.Me app on my phone. I only recently found out about this app. I’m traveling in 2 weeks and a few days, and I’m a bit stuck on how to use it.
I’m from the Montreal (Quebec) area, and I’d love to know if there’s a kind soul out there who could help me get started and use the app at least minimally.
If there are private lessons available, I’d be interested in those too.
Like many others, I’m overjoyed to hear that VoyageForum is reopening! I’ve been waiting hopefully for this, and it’s wonderful that it’s finally happening!
I just couldn’t bring myself to actively participate in other French-language travel forums—their format and way of doing things never appealed to me as much. I really hope that VF’s structure, categories, and interface won’t change too much despite the handover, because I’m very attached to them. Through thick and thin, the site has held strong—it’s amazing!
In a previous message, François mentioned that there were positions to fill ahead of the reopening, including moderators...
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this and hoping to send in my CV.
Now, after reading the latest message, it seems like the team is already fully formed. But are there still a few spots left to fill?
I’ve been a VF member for 20 years (since 2004). I’d love to contribute to this wonderful adventure as a moderator if VF would trust me with the role. If the team is open to reviewing it, I’m ready to send my CV. Could you let me know the next steps?
I’m planning a 3-week trip to Japan in May with Voyage Privé. The package includes a 5 GB eSIM, but my phone isn’t new enough to support it. VP told me I could buy a SIM card when I arrive at the airport.
Sure enough, I’ve seen online that this is possible with different providers.
I only need it for checking routes, looking up addresses, train schedules, etc.—basically using Google Maps, TripAdvisor, and similar apps. No heavy downloads or major internet use. All hotels should provide free Wi-Fi for that, right?
Has anyone got any tips for me on this? What have you tried, and how much did it cost?
Thanks for your help!
I’d like to know if you can buy reef-safe sunscreen sprays at 7-Eleven. If so, how much do they cost? We’re traveling with backpacks, so we’ll either buy 100ml here or in Thailand.
I wanted to share a really unpleasant experience from our last trip booked with Promoséjours and organized by FTI.
We booked an 8-day/7-night stay in Egypt, from June 8 to 15.
The flight initially scheduled was changed a week before departure to take off at 10 PM from Paris CDG.
In the end, it took off with a 1-hour delay and included an unmentioned stopover in Marsa Alam.
We landed in Hurghada at 4 AM and arrived at the hotel at 6 AM.
So, we spent our first night on the plane.
For the return trip, surprise—the flight was moved up. We left the hotel at 10:30 PM on Friday the 14th to take off at 2 AM and land at 7 AM at Paris CDG.
So, we spent our last night on the plane too.
After sending a complaint letter to Promoséjours / FTI, they replied that the first and last days can be dedicated to transport (which I already knew) and that no matter how many nights you book, you’re not guaranteed to spend them in the hotel—it could just as well be on the plane.
I’m really questioning this.
Isn’t there a law that protects customers in cases like this?
Because when I do the math, the first and part of the second day were spent on transport, same for the second-to-last and last day. And I paid for 7 nights for a stay that only lasted 5.
Anyway, I just want to say thanks to them—thanks to their two sleepless nights in transit, I’m coming back even more exhausted from a trip that was supposed to be restful!
I also want to warn anyone booking through this agency about visas for Egypt.
At booking, they told me the visa was included in the price, then they sent me an email saying I’d have to pay for it on-site at 25 €.
Once there, we were directed to a special line for FTI customers, and guess what? They charged us 30 €!
Basically, they’re great at making sure you *enjoy* your vacation—mostly by enjoying your wallet!
If anyone has dealt with this kind of situation and won their case, I’m all ears.
Hi there!
I’m heading to Thailand for two months.
So I thought I’d get a Thai SIM card to use Google Maps for getting around cities, mostly.
Here’s my question: will this SIM affect my apps? Or will they work the same as with my Orange SIM?
Is there any setup I need to do, or can I just pop in the Thai SIM?
I’d also like to switch back to my Orange SIM now and then while I’m in Thailand—on the same phone. Will I need to reset the phone, or will it reconnect without any issues?
Thanks in advance for your tips!
Best,
Huiclos
Hi, I’d like to know where we can buy beer or wine in Chefchaouen and around Merzouga. We’ll be doing a circuit and staying at the Parador Hotel in Chefchaouen and in a bivouac in Merzouga.
Thanks for any info you can share!
Hello everyone,
I’m reaching out to all travelers and globe-trotters on this forum. I’m a teacher in Creuse working in a ULIS program (which welcomes children aged 6 to 12 with disabilities into a mainstream school). This year, I’m launching a school journal project that will involve the kids in many different topics. A big part of this journal will focus on opening up to the world, embracing differences, travel, global cultures, and more.
I’m putting out a call to invite as many of you as possible to send us a postcard (from France or anywhere in the world)! The goal is to help us "travel" and discover new places, countries, and horizons in a way that’s much more fun and exciting than a geography textbook. One section of our journal could be called "We received a letter from ," where we’d research the location and share what we learn with our readers—a really enriching activity for the classroom.
The project starts in September 2025 but doesn’t have a strict end date, since this journal and world-discovery initiative will span several school years (the kids stay in the ULIS program for multiple years). Postcards can be sent anytime—throughout the year, across seasons, even during holidays! The kids will find them when they return.
I hope this idea appeals to as many of you as possible, and that you’ll spread the word to your fellow travelers. Help us dream and explore!
For those who’d like to write to us in a language other than French, no problem—quite the opposite!
Thank you in advance for your participation! Below is our address. If you’d like us to write back, feel free to leave your address on a corner of the postcard! 😊
ULIS program students
Bonnat Elementary School
12 rue Georges Sand
23220 BONNAT
Thank you, and I hope to hear from you soon! 😊
Julien
🙂
Hi there! I have to leave Ivato/Antananarivo on December 16th. I have a lot of ariary that I’d like to exchange for euros since I might not be coming back to Madagascar (after this 21st trip). I think the exchange office at Ivato also buys ariary back. If any of you have seen the rate for this buyback in advance, thanks a million!
Hi everyone,
I’m looking for a website that would let me plot my travel route in advance so I can print it out. The idea is to create a map with a little “me” on a bike that my parents can move along as I progress, since I’m planning to cycle all the way to Nepal.
If any of you have done something similar or know of a good tool, I’d love to hear your tips!
Thanks in advance! 😊
I'm looking to buy an ultra-lightweight 50/55L travel backpack with a suitcase or front opening.
Does anyone have any brand and/or model recommendations?
Thanks,
Emma
Hello. We’re a retired couple heading to Sri Lanka from January to March. After the November floods, I’d like to know if we can offer hands-on help to the locals, maybe pack some clothes or other items people might need in our luggage, and who we could give them to. Thanks for any info from those on the ground.
Be careful when sailing between Somalia and northern Madagascar.
It appears to be Somali pirates who have widened their search in the Mozambique Channel, far from their usual attack zone, since, to my knowledge, there are no Malagasy pirates.
